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Wearable tech is a fitness trend that isn't going anywhere. With a mission to help us stay healthy, you can track all kinds of things – steps, distance, pace, calorie burn, even your sleep patterns. But with so much data available, getting started and sticking with it can be pretty overwhelming. Wearable technology doesn’t automatically equate to fitness success, but watches and wristbands are a great way to keep key health goals at the forefront of your mind and act as a friendly reminder to move more, have a healthy heart, and get enough shut eye, amongst many other things. Here are a few important areas your fitness trackers should be monitoring:
The fitter you are, the lower your resting heart rate. This is because exercise trains your heart to be more efficient with each beat. A normal resting heart rate ranges from person to person, but a healthy guide is approximately between 60 and 80 beats per minute. Resting heart rate can also give you insight into other aspects of your life as the number can be influenced by stress, lack of sleep and some prescription medications. You can also use your resting heart rate to calculate training zones, allowing you to track your intensity throughout a workout.
TOP TIP: Take your resting heart rate first thing in the morning before getting out of bed as you need to be completely relaxed and still. Track your results over time to see the influence of your training program on your fitness level.
Sitting for too long has a whole host of health consequences including rounded shoulders, tight hips, and poor blood sugar regulation. It’s clear we need to move more throughout the day, but staying motivated to do so can be a challenge.
Wearable technology is a great way to track your incidental exercise and hit that infamous 10,000 steps per day. However, keep in mind that this type of exercise is unlikely to get you incredibly fit if you’re already quite active.
Moving more, regardless of your fitness level, is beneficial for overall health – helping with weight maintenance, increased productivity at work, and reduced risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
TOP TIP: Whether it’s a fitness device or reminder on your phone, the key is to find as many opportunities to move. This can be walking instead of driving, taking the stairs wherever possible – whatever works better for your schedule.
We all know gains from the gym are made when we recover, and sleep is an essential part of that. However, long days at work, a jam-packed social schedule and squeezing in your early morning run or weights session usually means missing out on optimal amounts of shut-eye.
Wearable devices can give you information about what happens during those (hopefully) restful hours including the amount of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, as well as the number of times you wake throughout the night. A good night’s sleep consists of five to six sleep cycles, however, the exact number of hours you need to feel rested is as individual as your shoe size.
TOP TIP: Wearing a wristband or watch to bed can be uncomfortable, and you don’t necessarily need a device to tell you how tired you are. Instead of getting wrapped up in the numbers, focus on practising good sleep hygiene by avoiding checking emails or scrolling Instagram feeds, going to bed at the same time, and making sure your room is cool and dark for optimal comfort is your best bet for restful night’s sleep.
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