• Michael Dell says humor is vital and workers need to laugh and play and relax sometimes.
• The Dell Technologies chief said people shouldn't always listen to their parents' advice.
• Dell said he goes to sleep early, works out around dawn, and enjoys Texas barbecue.

Laugh and play pranks, balance work with downtime, and don't always listen to your parents' advice, Michael Dell says.

The Dell Technologies founder and CEO shared the colorful life advice during a recent episode of the "In Good Company" podcast. Dell, 59, ranked 13th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with a $115 billion fortune at Thursday's close.

The personal-computing pioneer said humor plays a key role at his company.

"If you can't laugh, joke around, play tricks on people, you're doing it wrong, right?" he said. "You have to be able to laugh at yourself."

Dell said he toiled tirelessly as a young man to build his company, which generated $88 billion of revenue last year. But he warned against overworking and burnout.

"I learned a long time ago that there's a diminishing return to the number of hours worked in any given day, " he said. "And if you're going to do something for a long time, you better find the [right mixture of] working and playing and relaxing."

Dell said he goes to bed at about 8:30 or 9 p.m. each night and wakes up around 4 or 5 a.m. to exercise.

"You won't find me at the nightcap," he said. "I'll be asleep."

Barbecue and bad advice

The Texan businessman also voiced his love for one of his home state's delicacies, even if he doesn't prepare it himself.

"I believe in the theory of labor specialization, so I personally am not cooking a lot of barbecue, but I'm definitely eating barbecue," he said.

Dell also offered some general advice for young people: "Experiment, take risks, fail, find difficult problems, do something valuable, don't be afraid, and, you know, be bold."

He recalled his parents encouraging him to become a doctor and urging him to set aside his passion for building computers. On the other hand, he remembered his mother telling him and his two brothers when they were little to "play nice but win," which became his company's guiding philosophy and the title of his 2021 book.

"Well, yeah, your parents aren't always right, but they're not always wrong either," he said, adding people's "mileage may vary on the parents."

• In 2018, Madalin Giorgetta was a fitness influencer with one million followers.
• She looked healthy online, but struggled to eat nutritious food in real life.
• After training as a nutritionist, she found ways to add more nutrients to the foods she loves.

In 2018, Madalin Giorgetta was an influencer with one million followers on social media, an ambassador for the clothing brand Gymshark, and the owner of a fitness empire. She embodied the curvy, muscular, beauty ideal of the late 2010s and would get 60,000 likes on a bikini photo shared on Instagram.

She looked the part of the "fitness girlie" who meal-prepped with "clean" food. But behind the scenes, she was struggling both with her nutrition and body image.

"Before I got into fitness, I didn't look at my body that much. My body was my body. But when I started constantly looking at it in the mirror and taking photos of it, I became very fixated on everything," Giorgetta, 35, who is based in Melbourne, told Business Insider.

After reaching a breaking point in 2019, Giorgetta reevaluated her content, which she realized subconsciously celebrated thinness. "It was clear to me that I was telling people that their body wasn't good enough and needed to change," she said.

Giorgetta took two big steps. She overhauled her social media accounts to promote anti-diet culture messages, earned an undergraduate degree in nutrition in 2023, and registered with the Nutrition Society of Australia. She sees one-to-one clients remotely and shares educational nutrition content on Instagram.

"Even though I don't make nearly the same money, not having to sacrifice my values feels good. Before I felt like I would have to really convince myself into it or not question it at all. This feels right now," she said.

Giorgetta shared how she used to eat when she was a fitness influencer and what her diet looks like now.

Giorgetta was a 'neglectful' eater

Despite looking the picture of health, Giorgetta said she ate barely any nutritious food at the peak of her career as a fitness influencer and didn't eat enough for her training program. In a typical week, she did resistance training four times a week for 45 to 60 minutes.

She described her eating style as "neglectful," with minimal structure and little focus on nutrition. "I would just grab something quick from the fridge, often preferring simple foods like cheese on toast," she said.

Although she promoted a lifestyle of eating more calories and more nutritious food online, she struggled to eat that way herself most of the time. As a result, she often felt tired and lacked energy.

On an average day, she used to eat:

• Post workout: A protein shake with milk, peanut butter, and banana
• Breakfast: Buttered toast with jam and honey
• Lunch: Snacks, such as cheese and crackers
• Dinner: Whatever her husband made, which was usually a Hello Fresh meal or a cheese toastie
• Dessert: Ice cream

She adds nutrients to meals and snacks she likes

Since training as a nutritionist, Giorgetta has prioritized eating a more balanced diet, but it's not "perfect."

She said that she implements strategies that help her get enough nutrients throughout the day, while working around her natural eating habits and preferences. She doesn't follow any particular eating plan.

"I often gravitate toward simple foods like toast with spreads, but now I've tried to implement small changes which don't overwhelm me," she said.

She eats a substantial breakfast, has nutrient-dense snacks, and adds extra protein or fiber to meals. "Instead of having toast with jam, I now have toast with eggs, and instead of a plain cheese toastie, I'll add salad," she said.

Giorgetta strength trains three to four times a week, but also runs once or twice a week. She fuels her body depending on the workout she's doing: for example, she eats a carb-heavy meal or snack before running.

On an average day, she now eats:

• Breakfast or post-workout: Buttered wholemeal toast with cheesy scrambled eggs and avocado
• Snack: Cucumbers and tzatziki dip
• Lunch: A salad sandwich with shredded cheese, lettuce, avocado, red onion, grated carrots, and garlic aioli
• Snack: Greek yogurt, canned peaches, and honey
• Dinner: Green tofu curry with mixed veggies (corn, cauliflower, and peas) and a side of rice
• Dessert: Ice cream or a homemade baked good

• A 41-year-old Pilates instructor said she's prioritizing longevity workouts as she gets older.
• She said shorter, lighter workouts help her stay energized and strong with a busy schedule.
• Her Pilates-based workouts involve strength-building exercises, mobility, and mindfulness.

When it comes to staying fit beyond 40, you have to be smart about it.

For Lia Bartha, a mom-of-two who founded the fitness app B The Method, that means low-impact exercise.

Bartha told Business Insider she spent her 20s and early 30s pushing her body to the limit doing high-intensity cardio and teaching Pilates.

Bartha knew she needed a change when she hit her mid-30s, after she had kids. She was looking ahead at how she wanted to feel in the long-term.

"I trained and taught that way for so long, I started to feel myself kind of plateauing and getting bored because it was so rigid. I felt like it wasn't necessarily intuitive in how my body was aging," Bartha said.

So, in 2018, she developed her own method, an online fitness brand that incorporates Pilates along with other wellness techniques such as breath-work and gentle movements to subtly tone muscle.

The shift from classic Pilates, and big equipment like reformers, was a better fit for her body as she got older — and drew in thousands of subscribers globally. Bartha has worked with celebrity clients like Aubrey Plaza, Cynthia Erivo, Ego Nwodim, and model Martha Hunt.

"It's thinking in this bigger way of, how is supporting my body for the end of the day?" Bartha, now 41, said. "I'm a mom of two girls, so I have this job of working out and I'm teaching and then I'm doing the business side and then I have to take on this extra shift of taking care of them and feeding them. I think the exercise really has to help you mentally."

10 minutes is plenty of time to work out

As a younger athlete and dancer, Bartha said she spent hours on cardio or intense exercise to stay in shape, but adjusting her workouts to a packed schedule has taught her to do more with less.

"I was kind of just doing what everybody else was doing. I was like, OK, I'm going to get on the treadmill and just walk or run forever," she said.

Now she often works out for less than an hour, and designs workouts that are just as challenging and effective in 20 minutes.

The benefit of shorter sessions is that it's easier to commit to them every day.

"It doesn't have to be 45 minutes or an hour all the time. If you're giving yourself 10 minutes a day very consistently, you'll see huge benefits," Bartha said.

Low-impact exercise is a gentler way to train

A big shift for Bartha was learning that exhaustion and sweatiness isn't the best indicator of a good workout.

"You don't have to go through an aggressive workout that leaves you very sore and fatigued to have all of the benefits of exercise," she said.

Low-impact workouts like Pilates tend to emphasize slow, controlled movements instead of fast, explosive techniques. As a result, they're easier on the joints, and don't take as much recovery time afterward.

Low-impact techniques like isometric movements have many of the same benefits as higher-intensity training in helping to build strength and muscle. They can also improve factors linked to longevity, such as stability and balance.

"We want to think of the body in the long term, and I think that's where low-impact is just so important," Bartha said.

Consistency is key

Bartha said she fell into the trap of pushing too hard instead of developing an enjoyable, sustainable routine.

"One of the most common mistakes that people have in terms of fitness is just getting through it to get through it," she said.

She said listening to her body and taking it easier led to better results, with less work, because the workouts left her feeling energized instead of depleted. As a result, working out felt less like a chore and more like something she could do every day.

"It's finding your body where you're at," Bartha said.

• I became a Pilates instructor 11 years ago, and I've since built a successful side hustle.
• I've made over $20,000 annually from teaching classes, which helped me switch careers.
• I love connecting with clients and strengthening my muscles during each class.

As a competitive runner for most of my adult life, I struggled to balance my love for intense cardio with proper stretching and strength training — until I discovered Pilates.

When I took my first Pilates mat class at my hometown YMCA in 2005, I instantly fell in love with the low-impact, full-body workout.

The exercise was fun and challenging, and I was excited for each class. This was also the first time I looked forward to going to a gym for anything other than cardio.

So, when my studio offered a teacher-training program, I signed up. At first, I was solely interested in deepening my own Pilates practice, but after leading group classes and private sessions during an apprenticeship, I realized I loved teaching and could make money doing it.

I've now been teaching Pilates for about 11 years and have no plans to stop.

Working as a Pilates instructor turned out to be a great side hustle

When I committed to becoming an instructor, I was burned out from my job as a freelance publicist.

However, I realized teaching classes meant I could earn a decent amount of money. My Pilates income — which, some years, reached over $20,000 annually — made it financially possible for me to transition to a new career as a freelance writer.

As a teacher, my studio paid me a flat rate for classes and private lessons. I also received bonuses for high attendance — an incentive to build my client roster and make lessons more fun using creative playlists and props.

Plus, I often subbed for other teachers to supplement my income.

I was able to build a fitness community and strengthen my body

Over the years, I've built a core group of clients and have developed close relationships with other instructors. I still socialize with them regularly, even outside sessions.

When the gym I worked at closed in 2017, several students even followed me to a new studio to take classes, and others came to my home to keep up their regular sessions.

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic meant in-person teaching was not an option, I launched virtual Pilates classes that helped me keep up with my own practice and connect with others.

Outside of the friends I've made, I also love the way Pilates makes me feel, and the workout has taught me to slow down and connect to my body. From the first set of "the hundred" — a traditional Pilates warm-up — to the final push-up or stretch, I learned to move intentionally and precisely.

The exercise has helped my body feel stronger, fitter, and faster, and, as a runner, I still like to incorporate some moves into my pre- and post-run routine.

I don't teach as much these days, but I still make some extra cash

Today, I don't teach at a studio or make as much money as I used to, but Pilates is still a great side hustle for me.

I'm able to earn extra income and connect with my favorite students through virtual classes and one-off private workshops and events.

If you ask me, you can't beat a side hustle that allows you to meet amazing people, make money, and do something great for your mental and physical health.

• The personal trainer Sana Shirvani used to regularly do intense workouts and restrict her diet.
• She ended up burned out, so shifted her focus to strength training and eating a balanced diet.
• Shirvani said she feels better physically and mentally.

Personal trainer Sana Shirvani learned the hard way that pushing her body more and more doesn't yield better results.

The London-based trainer, whose clients include Halle Bailey and her fellow cast members of the 2023 live-action remake of "The Little Mermaid," told Business Insider that doing too much intense exercise of varying types burned her out.

"I was always that gym bunny who would go to a million HIIT classes and completely batter myself and think that's the right way to get results," Shirvani, 32, said.

"I always used to pour from an empty cup. I'd have multiple burnouts a year and it got to a point in 2022 where I had such a bad burnout that it took me six months to recover," she added.

Her approach to fitness has evolved "massively" since then. Seeking help from other trainers to reduce her workload, having a less restrictive diet, focusing on longevity, and replacing HIIT with strength training and low-intensity cardio have helped her feel better about her appearance and feel less anxious and stressed, she said.

"It was such a big wake-up call for me," Shirvani said. "I was mentally really not in a good place for a long time."

Shirvani is among those who have realized in recent years that more is not always better when it comes to fitness. Focusing on recovery has become more important to many, reflected by the increasing demand for smartwatches and rings that measure how well you've recovered as well as moved.

Here's how Shirvani's priorities have changed.

Low-intensity exercise to minimize stress

While short spells of intense exercise can bring health benefits such as improved cardiovascular fitness, research suggests multiple, long HIIT classes each week can put stress on the body. However, personal thresholds vary depending on lifestyle, stress, and fitness levels.

Instead of regular hardcore workouts, Shirvani does low-intensity steady state (LISS) cardio, such as walking, climbing on a stair master, or incline walking on a treadmill.

She uses the time to relax and listen to a podcast or just be with her thoughts.

Strength training for longevity

Shirvani does a minimum of four resistance training sessions a week — two lower body, two upper body — and a full body workout, plus rehab exercises if she has time for a fifth session.

Strength training has helped Shirvani build muscle, but her health is a bigger priority than her appearance. She wants to continue moving well and being pain-free and preparing her body for potentially carrying a child, as well as the menopause. She hopes the workouts will prevent age-related muscle loss, and maintain joint health, balance, and stability, she said.

Research shows that strength training is crucial for healthy aging as it helps combat age-related muscle and bone density loss.

"Every single human on this planet should be strength training in some sort of capacity," Shirvani said.

However, she stresses that as someone without children who works in the fitness industry, her routine may not be manageable for most people.

"You can still reap those benefits with two or three weekly strength training sessions," she said.

Eating a balance of protein, carbs, and fats

Shirvani used to think she had to eat plain meals like chicken, broccoli, and rice and stick to "crazy" calorie deficits to be healthy and leaner.

Now, she feels better for eating more and has learned that she can make nutritionally balanced dishes that are flavorsome using spices and sauces.

Shirvani doesn't eliminate any foods, and still enjoys chocolate and desserts.

"Moderation is such an annoying word, but it's genuinely everything in moderation," Shirvani said. "Food is there to be enjoyed."

Eating enough protein is her priority because it helps her body recover from workouts. Her staple meals include chicken salads topped with cheese, shepherd's pie, and homemade turkey burgers.

She's also started paying more attention to her energy levels as she's got older. On days when she ate a high-carb breakfast, such as a bowl of oatmeal, she found she was hungry a couple of hours later and felt her energy levels slump.

In contrast, when she has a high-fat and high-protein breakfast, she feels satiated for longer.

"This is so personal though, this does not apply to every single person. I know people who have oats in the morning and they've got so much energy," Shirvani said.

Sleeping for recovery

Sleeping well is Shirvani's top priority when it comes to recovery, and for that reason, she never goes on her phone in bed.

"That's helped me massively," she said.

Research suggests that blue light exposure from screens such as phones could disrupt sleep.

Shirvani takes saunas when she can to relax in the evening. She always gives herself time to wind down before sleeping, rather than working late and going straight from emails to bed, she said.

She's also a fan of offloading her brain through journalling and ice baths a couple of times per week.

• Tom Simek got fit at 59 after being diagnosed with osteoporosis and high cholesterol.
• Now 72, he's competed in "American Ninja Warrior" and won medals in the National Senior Games.
• Getting fit has improved his life in many ways, including by giving him a sense of purpose.

At age 59, Tom Simek was out of shape.

The retired building contractor based in Santa Fe had spent his working life prioritizing his family and business over his health. After he was diagnosed with osteoporosis, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea 13 years ago, he decided to make some healthy lifestyle changes, he told Business Insider.

Simek made small changes at first: he stopped working weekends, ate healthier, and started exercising daily.

"It was gradual," he said. First he started walking, then incorporated bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, crunches, dips, and jumping jacks.

"And then I found a sport that I loved to do: track and field," he said.

Now aged 72, Simek has competed on the TV competition "American Ninja Warrior" twice, is sponsored by Senior Planet, a program that encourages older adults to exercise, and works out for about an hour each day. Some days, he spends the hour doing boot camp classes at his daughter's fitness club, while others he does short sprints and weights in his home gym.

In 2012, Simek entered his first National Senior Games, a state and country-wide competition for athletes over 50. Every year since, he has competed in the long jump and the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter sprints, consistently winning medals for his state, New Mexico.

Simek shared four ways getting fit has improved his quality of life.

1) A sense of purpose

Track and field has become Simek's passion. "And if you're passionate about something, then you will look forward to your workouts in order to improve yourself. It gives me a reason to wake up in the morning," he said.

Spurred on by his 12-year-old granddaughter, he also keeps up his training for "American Ninja Warrior," which he appeared on in 2019 and 2022, in case he's chosen to compete in future seasons. He does bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups to maintain his strength, practices gymnastics, and works on his balance.

Having a sense of purpose has been linked to longevity in multiple studies. In one 2019 study by researchers at the University of Michigan, US adults aged over 50 who had a strong sense of purpose were less likely to die within four years.

2) Making new friends

Simek loves that sports help him meet lots of new people. At track and field competitions, "younger people come up to me because they see my age, and say 'you inspire us,'" he said.

And he's made friends across the country at the Senior Games. "I think it's very important, in the senior years, to stay connected with people," he said.

A 2023 study found that older people who had more social interactions were likely to live longer than those who were more isolated.

3) Better mobility

Because he's fit and mobile, Simek can do activities with his grandchildren, whether playing or competing in track and field competitions alongside his granddaughter. This is particularly important to him because he wants to show her the importance of a fit and active lifestyle as she grows up, he said.

Mobility in older age is a predictor of living longer. A 2017 study published in BMC Health Services Research on 1,005 people aged 65 and above still living at home found that the longer it took participants to leave a chair, the greater their risk of dying within the next 11.8 years.

4) Better sleep

"When you're fit, your mind works better, and you sleep better," Simek said.

In a 2021 study published in Experimental Gerontology, people over 65 who were more physically fit — meaning they were able to perform more actions such as standing from a seated position and doing bicep curls — were more likely to have a better health-related quality of life.

And research shows that being physically active is linked to better sleep quality, according to Dr. Charlene Gamaldo, the medical director of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep.

• Workouts that combine strength training with a high heart rate can help you save time in the gym.
• A trainer said his go-to workouts help to build muscle and improve stamina in less than 20 minutes.
• Strategies like workout ladders, EMOMs, and weight complexes can make exercise more efficient.

A smart fitness plan can help you build muscle, burn fat, and improve your health all at once — and kettlebells are an ideal tool for the job, according to a personal trainer.

"I like to describe the kettlebell as sort of the Swiss army knife of functional fitness," personal trainer Pat Flynn, who specializes in kettlebell training, told Business Insider. "It's like the ultimate secret weapon."

Kettlebells can be more dynamic than other types of strength training, making them well-suited for getting the most athletic benefits in the least amount of work.

Flynn shared his favorite "pocket-sized" workouts with kettlebells that are simple, don't take much time, and build full-body muscle while elevating heart rate for cardio benefits and better calorie burn.

Three workouts a week is enough for most people, he said. Combined with a quick warm-up for better mobility and performance, they take around 15 to to 20 minutes; less time than catching up on your favorite TV show.

Save time with a ladder-style workout

One of Flynn's go-to ways to work out is doing two exercises one after another, increasing the number of reps of one movement and decreasing the reps on the other to move up the "ladder."

For example:

• 10 reps of a two-handed kettlebell swing and one push-up
• Nine swings and two push-ups
• And so on …
• …ending after a round of one swing and 10 push-ups

The ladder uses a strategy called a superset, performing exercises back-to-back with minimal rest, cutting down on workout time. In this case, it involves using different muscle groups with each move, so that you're resting your legs while your upper body is working, and vice versa.

An 'EMOM' workout keeps you moving

Flynn said he often uses a timed workout called an EMOM, which stands for "every minute on the minute."

To do it, set a running clock. At the beginning of every minute, complete a set of exercise such as:

• 10 kettlebell swings

or

• 10 goblet squats

Rest for the remainder of the minute. Repeat for 10 to 15 minutes.

The built-in rest offers some time to recover while still keeping up the pace enough to raise your heart rate, combining the benefits of cardio and strength training.

If that's too intense, try an alternating EMOM, swapping in a less intense movement like a 20-second plank hold for every other round.

Working out on the clock can help you maintain a high intensity, burning calories while also performing strength exercises so you're building muscle to burn even more energy over time, according to Flynn.

"You'd be better off in terms of bang for buck performing what's called metabolic resistance training," he said. "One of the best ways to get leaner is actually try to focus on being stronger and a bit more muscular as well."

Kettlebell complexes combine multiple exercises efficiently

Flynn likes combining movements together into a workout complex, which means transitioning from one exercise to the next without putting the weight down.

One example:

• 5 single-arm kettlebell swings (with one kettlebell)
• 5 single-arm cleans
• 5 single-arm presses
• 5 squats
• 5 lunges
• Repeat on the other side

A complex is great for increasing your intensity and getting work done in less time. Beginners should master the basic moves first before trying a complex, since you need to be comfortable switching seamlessly between moves (and sometimes doing more advanced moves).

Flynn also likes the Armor Building Complex, a similar workout created by Dan John, a strength and conditioning coach with decades of experience.

With a kettlebell in each hand, perform:

• Two cleans
• One military press
• Three front squats

Repeat for a set time (say, five to 10 minutes) as long as you can maintain good form.

The rep pattern helps make sure that the bigger muscle groups like your legs are working as hard as your arms with the same weight, avoiding a common mistake in HIIT-style workouts.

The end result is a workout that offers a little bit of everything for overall fitness in a short amount of time.

"We just want to be really well-rounded, right?" Flynn said. "We want to have a good amount of strength, lean functional muscle, healthy body fat percentage, mobility, and not get injured."

Ashworth departs Manchester United after just five months in the role

Ladder, an Austin, Texas-based fitness startup that makes a popular strength-training app, is accusing Peloton of ripping off its work with the launch of Peloton’s new Stength+ app, which exited beta on Wednesday. After receiving feedback from Peloton’s beta testers that the app looked, felt, and functioned much like Ladder’s own, the company says it […]

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You don’t need to spend a fortune to stay on top of your health goals while tracking your fitness. These days, even cheap fitness trackers come packed with features that help you monitor your heart rate, track your steps and even analyze your sleep stages. Many budget options now include GPS tracking for those outdoor runs, real-time heart rate tracking to keep you in the right zone during workouts and, thankfully, most work with both iPhone and Android devices.

Some even go beyond basic metrics, providing insights on daily readiness to help you decide if you’re up for an intense workout or need a lighter day. From simple step counters to more advanced running watches, affordable fitness trackers offer plenty to support your journey toward better health without breaking the bank.

What to look for in a cheap fitness tracker

All of the best fitness trackers should have at least three features: a program to track workouts or movement of some sort, the option to monitor and collect sleep stages data and the ability to do things like heart rate tracking and blood oxygen level monitoring (though, the readings might not be super accurate). Don’t set your sights too high and expect metrics like blood pressure monitoring; for that, you’d need to invest in a more expensive wearable like a Samsung Galaxy Watch, which will set you back over $400.

Fitness features

A cheap workout tracker can be great for someone looking to keep tabs on small, achievable goals like 10,000 steps before sundown or 30 minutes of a HIIT workout to get your heart rate peaking. An experienced long-distance runner looking to train for a triathlon might opt for a more expensive device that can measure cadence or ground contact time, and can track more customizable workouts, offer different sports modes or give deeper insights into performance data.

At the very least, a budget workout tracker should be able to offer fitness tracking features beyond walking and running — otherwise, it would just be a pedometer. The number of activities a device will recognize varies. Some will get funky with it and consider skateboarding a workout, while others won’t be able to track a jumping jack.

At this price, you can expect a device to measure a mix of cardio, machine workouts and strength training. With each, you might get a numerical or visual breakdown of heart rate activity, overall pace, and calories burned per session. Although some cheap trackers can offer a really good overview of heart rate zone activity during a workout, a more technically advanced device might be able to go a step further and explain what your results mean and coach you on how to keep your heart rate in a specific bracket so that you can burn more fat per workout. I found that the more budget-friendly the device, the more likely it is that a tracker will fall short when it comes to smart counseling or offering predictive insights beyond a given workout. If a budget tracker does happen to offer some semblance of a coaching program, you can expect it to sit behind a paywall.

Workout tracking and planning your recovery is just as essential to any fitness journey. A sub-$100 device should be able to tell you how long you’ve slept and provide a breakdown of deep, light and REM sleep stages. It's not a guarantee that you will get a sleep “score” or insights on how to get better rest — that data is usually found on more expensive wearables. Also, because these trackers aren’t designed for bedtime specifically — be mindful of comfort. The bands and watch face on a budget fitness tracker may not be ideal for getting some good shut-eye.

Connectivity and practicality

Not all activity trackers, budget-friendly or not, are designed to seamlessly integrate with a smartphone. The trackers tested for this roundup can’t directly make calls or send texts to contacts on a paired iPhone or Android smartphone. They can, however, display and dismiss incoming calls and notifications via a Bluetooth connection. You can forget about checking your email or paying for a coffee from your wrist using these more affordable devices.

Most cheap fitness trackers also won't include built-in GPS tracking. Instead, they usually depend on a paired smartphone to gather location data. The drawback of using a fitness tracker without GPS is that it might not provide as precise for tracking distance or pace. You also can't use a budget tracker to get turn-by-turn directions during a walk or while running errands. For the more outdoorsy consumers, having GPS could be a key safety feature if you want this kind of functionality at your fingertips.

Design

You also might find that an inexpensive fitness tracker is harder to navigate than a more advanced smartwatch. Whether it be a screen size issue or simply not having a smart enough interface, don't expect every feature to be one that you can engage with directly on your wrist. Oftentimes, you will need to pull out your smartphone to log information or access more in-depth health data.

The quality and build of displays and bands will also vary in this category. Don’t expect the highest resolution OLED displays or the fanciest materials in the bands. But you can expect some level of sweat and water resistance.

Best cheap fitness trackers for 2024

Other cheap fitness trackers we tested

Wyze Watch 47c

I didn't have high expectations of the Wyze Watch 47c, but I was shocked at how little this tracker can do. The 47c can only track walks and runs. It has a dedicated widget, a small logo of a man running, and when you tap it, it begins measuring your pace, heart rate, calories burned and mileage. It does not auto-detect or auto-pause workouts and it doesn't differentiate between a run and walk. Most importantly, this device can’t track any other exercises. It’s basically a glorified pedometer.

The 47c was also my least favorite to sleep with, mainly because the square watch face is so large and heavy. Even if I did manage to sleep through the night with it on, it only gave me a basic sleep report.

Garmin vivofit 4

The Garmin vivofit 4 has a tiny display that is not a touchscreen and all navigation happens through one button. The watch face is impossible to read outdoors and the exercise widget is also very finicky. To start tracking a run, you have to hold down the main button and flip through some pages until you get to a moving person icon. Once there, you have to press the bottom right corner of the bar and hold down and if you press for too long or in the wrong spot, it’ll switch to another page, like a stopwatch. It’s incredibly frustrating.

Once you start a run though, it will start tracking your steps, your distance — and that's pretty much it. It does not auto-detect or auto-pause workouts. It doesn't alert you of any mileage or calorie milestones.

• Gordon Ramsay said fitness helps him balance his health and his culinary career.
• Ramsay competes in marathons and triathlons and said exercise keeps him resilient and energized.
• He does push-ups and quick cardio sessions on the rower and eats smaller portions.

At 58, Gordon Ramsay has built a career as an acclaimed restaurateur — but his biggest long-term investment is banking hours in the gym to stay healthy for years to come.

"Fitness is the foundation. Everything has to revolve around how I feel and how good it is to train," Ramsay said in an interview with Men's Health UK.

The celebrity chef said he was forced to reevaluate his routine in his 40s when seven-day workweeks left him "overweight and out of control."

Looking for a change, Ramsay started doing triathlons and said tackling those physical challenges became the most peaceful and relaxing part of his life.

He now aims to train at least four to five days a week and gets up at 5 a.m. to run.

"Without fitness, you have no longevity," he said. "I have no interest in retiring. I work smarter, not harder."

Here's what Ramsay has said about his go-to workouts and healthy eating.

Ramsay swears by doing push-ups every day

Ramsay is an avid endurance athlete and spends time running, swimming, and cycling. But the one exercise he can't live without doesn't require any equipment and can be done anywhere.

Everyone should do push-ups daily, he told Men's Health.

"There is so much to get from a simple press-up," he said.

Push-ups are a compound exercise that work multiple muscle groups at once, strengthening the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.

Ramsay recommends hitting a quick set of 25 push-ups every day after getting out of bed and doubling it on the weekends.

If you're new to the movement, work up to full push-ups or bigger sets by practicing scaled exercises such as incline or eccentric push-ups.

For a quick workout, he does 20 minutes of cardio

Ramsay said he aims to run for 30 minutes in the morning when possible and will hike, bike, or swim for as long as two hours on the weekends. Even 15 to 20 minutes of movement boosts his energy and helps him stay fit.

When he's in a rush, Ramsay said he'll hop on a rowing machine and do one-minute intervals of work followed by a minute of rest for 10 cycles.

A rowing machine offers the best of both worlds for strength training and cardio because it works your whole body, puts your muscles under tension, and spikes your heart rate. It's also ideal for high-intensity interval training to save time in the gym.

Ramsay cut his portion sizes to stay in shape

Eating rich food can part of a chef's job, so Ramsay doesn't cut anything out and instead limits his portions.

"I'll eat two mouthfuls of a delicious dish and then ignore it," he said.

Ramsay lost about 50 pounds in 2018 and told the "Today" show that eating smaller, more frequent meals was key.

He said his basic healthy-eating routine involves a protein shake for breakfast, scrambled eggs for lunch, and protein like poached chicken or fish with vegetables for dinner.