As smartwatches are becoming increasingly popular, many users out there naturally end up using these devices simply as a timepiece or fashion accessory - we are guilty of this ourselves in the OzStraps office to be honest.
However, with the time we’ve spent recently in various COVID lockdown situations at home; we have grown to realise that our smartwatch devices can actually be extremely useful during these times when used for various tracking activities in order to get fit.
With this in mind, we thought why not share our findings with you - regardless of whether you have an Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy, Garmin Fenix/Vivomove or Fitbit Charge device, many of the functionalities that these devices support that you may not be utilising might actually be useful to help you achieve your fitness goals!
Sleep Monitoring
The importance of sleep is something that is quite often overlooked in our daily lives, many of us are used to "always feeling tired" and accept that this is just how it needs to be while living a busy and fulfilled life. What we don't realise however, is that our smartwatch devices can be used to help us monitor both the length and quality of our sleep every night.
Various sleep monitoring apps are available on most smartwatches out there, with some having this functionality built in (e.g. Fitbit, Apple Watch). Being armed with the data collected during your sleep from your watch may assist you in determining what actions you can take to achieve a better night's sleep.
Some benefits of sleeping well include the following:
- Prevention of weight gain
- Heart health
- Stronger Immune System
- Work Productivity
- Improved Memory
Movement / Breathing Reminders
One of the "annoying" features of the various smartwatch devices out in the wild right now are the various health reminders that a user is presented as they go about their day. But what if we told you that your smartwatch was actually looking out for you?
For example, my Apple Watch that I wear everyday constantly tells me to take a minute of my day to "Breathe". While initially I ignored this notification to continue working, I decided to give it a chance one day and found that it actually helped me feel more relaxed and focussed afterwards. A mini yoga instructor on my wrist - quite cool actually.
Another functionality that smartwatches provide are movement reminders, it knows that you have been glued to your desk all day, why not take the opportunity to go for a quick walk to clear your mind?
Just A Bit of Friendly Competition
It is often said that the best way to get fit is to share the journey with a friend. One feature of the latest smartwatch devices that is not always used is the ability to log your workouts. The next time you go for that run or gym session, make sure that you log and track it on your wearable device. This is important as most of these fitness trackers will also have an online leader board of sorts, allowing you to both track and compare your results against your workout partner - there really isn’t anything better to motivate you than a bit of friendly competition!
Music To Your Ears
For all the runners out there, this one is for you! Did you know that in many cases you can use your smartwatch as a music player while you’re out for a run? Either load music into your smartwatch manually or fire up a music streaming service such as Spotify or Apple Music. Once paired with a set of Bluetooth headphones you’ll never have your bulky phone or music player dangling around in your pocket anymore.
Conclusion
And there you have it, our recent discoveries on how the watch we have been wearing on our wrist can actually be used to help achieve our fitness goals! How about you? Are there any other smartwatch fitness tips and tricks you have found out recently? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below!
