Do Smartwatches make you healthier?
It’s a new year; did you make a New Year’s resolution to become a healthier, more fit version of you? If you did like most of the world then the number one thing you need to kick start your new health journey is a smart watch! With the modern technology forever changing our lives it is hard to believe a watch can help with your health, read on to find out how…
Track your activity:
We all know we need to move our body to stay healthy! Does 10,000 steps or 5 miles sound crazy to you? A smart watch will track how many steps you take daily and believe it or not 10,000 is an average day for most people! When you see that number it is an easy way to make a goal for yourself. Whether you are just starting out or you are training for a big event knowing where you’re at daily is the only way to know if you are getting better or closer to you goals! My apple watch that I don’t think I can live without now also tells you how many flights of stairs climbed, and converts your steps into miles!
Not only can your smart watch track how many steps you take but also how many calories you are burning as the day goes on. For me this was a game changer! I love to see the ring come to a close and if its not getting close to where I want it to be I know to get moving!
Heart health:
The normal pulse for healthy adults ranges from 60-100 beats per minute. The pulse rate may fluctuate and increase with exercise, pain or stress. With these amazing watches you can check your heart rate at any time and notify you if it seems your heart rhythm is going into Atrial fibrillation (AFib). Also, the newer Apple watch series 6 or 7 it can detect your blood oxygen levels! The Apple Watch and other smart watches can be a useful tool for fitness and monitoring your heart but please remember this is not a replacement for medical care.
Working out/GPS tracking:
This is my favorite fitness tool with the watch! Not only can you tack your calories burned when you are working out but there are also apps you can download on your phone to your watch to track that specific work out, like Beachbody on Demand! Another great feature that I use often is the workout app that came on the Apple watch, you can open the work out app and chose from a wide variety including but not limited to; outdoor walk, yoga, HIIT, Barre, outdoor run, outdoor cycle, hiking, paddling, dance and the list goes on and on! My family and I hike and run ALOT and what is amazing about this feature is that when you select the hike or run work out on the watch it will not only track your calories burned but it will tack your elevation gain with your steps by referencing GPS information! When you are a hiker, runner, or climber this is something you really start to rely on, it really helps track how far you have gone if you aren’t using a map app.
Just breathe:
Unfortunately it seems so common now days for everyone to be overwhelmed, over worked, stressed and run down. Taking time for yourself to de-stress from the day is not always in the schedule but with apples breathe app you can take just 1 minute (as many times a day as you want) to do just that; breathe! Meditation has been proven to help calm the mind and body, I think we all could use a little more of that but I too am guilty of not taking the time! My watch will remind me, it only takes a minute literary and really does help me relax! If your anxiety is getting the best of you then give it a try!
All & All:
In my opinion short answer is yes, smart watches definitely do help you have a healthier life! Obviously all smart watches are different and great in their own way but they will all have similar features and apps to help start living a healthier lifestyle. These are not the only examples of helpful tools with a smart watch they can also help monitor your sleeping patterns, track your menstrual cycles and help diet by tracking calories. Not to mention all the other advantages like answer phone calls and text messages, have reminders with your calendar, set alarms and newer models also have a help feature if you have fallen or get injured. The possibilities are really endless I just wanted to point out my four top reasons for using my smartwatch to better my health and hope it helps you too! I love my apple watch and think you will too!
As always feel free to reach out with questions or comments,
Until next time,
Kat
2 responses to “Do Smartwatches make you healthier?”
As someone who loves to see numbers and track trends through data, I am very intrigued by the things that smart watches can do these days! I used to wear a fitbit, but found that it was too cumbersome for my lifestyle. I think that a smart watch would provide all the benefits of an activity tracker, but much more rich data like heart rate! Do you have a favorite entry level model to recommend for android users?
Hi, yes I love the heart rate factor! I too didn’t care for the fit bit. I don’t have personal experience with it but I have heard great things from my friend who has a Samsung Galaxy Watch to go with an Android!