Not to start this dispatch on a dour note, but as I inch toward the half-century mark of my journey on this beautiful planet, my motivation to exercise has been driven less by wanting to “look good” or “feel good” than a desire to merely survive. A little jogging here, a little weightlifting there, maybe some impromptu stretching as I talk to my wife in the kitchen. You fit it in where you can.
Or at least that’s been my blasé approach to fitness, which has me thinking it might be time to get more serious on this front, perhaps by way of a performance coach — and if I can strap that coach to my wrist, all the better.
With Father’s Day on the horizon (hint hint, honey), I have my eye on one of the leaders in the wearable-fitness-tracking-and-health-optimizing space: Whoop. You’ve probably seen the device on the wrists of Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas or Nelly Korda, who use it to monitor such vitals as their heart and respiratory rates, along with how effectively their bodies recover from physical and mental strain, or how well they’re sleeping. (To wit: In the wake of McIlroy’s 2026 Masters win, Whoop shared some of his performance data, which showed that after he blew his tee shot into the trees on the 72nd hole, his heart rate jumped to 135 beats per minute, but then dropped to 121 BPM on the recovery shot, a sign, Whoop said, of “rapid composure.”)
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This kind of data matters a lot to world-class athletes, but I’m pretty sure it can and should matter to suburban dads, too. I may not need to know my BPM when I burn toast or leave behind my phone on the train, but I can most certainly benefit from better understanding my sleep needs or tracking my blood pressure or even knowing my heart’s health by way of electrocardiogram readings, all of which Whoop can provide.
I think what most appeals to me, though, about Whoop’s capabilities is the Strength Trainer function, which computes the stress you put on your muscles, bones and joints during strength training. The trainer also will help you build a custom workout that caters to your specific fitness needs and goals. I also like that Whoop syncs with Strava, a running app I’m fond of.
All this tracking doesn’t come cheap. The straps start at $199/year for the base package and scale up to $359/year if you’re seeking the blood pressure and ECG readings. But if you’re committed to using the tech to improve your well-being, it’s money well spent. Or, better yet on Father’s Day, your kids’ (or partner’s) money well spent.
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