With the rise of wearable technology, monitoring your health has never been easier or more convenient. From smartwatches to fitness trackers, these devices offer many different benefits that can help you lead a healthier and more active lifestyle. In this guide, we'll explore 12 ways how wearables can positively impact your health and well-being.
Fitness Tracking
One of the most obvious benefits of wearables is their ability to track your physical activity. Whether you're running, cycling, or simply walking, these devices can monitor your steps, distance traveled, and even calories burned. You can set and achieve fitness goals more effectively by keeping tabs on your activity levels.
For instance, Huawei Watch GT 2e offers 85 different workout modes, letting you try activities like parkour, rock climbing, skateboarding, or street dancing. It gives accurate, real-time tracking for 15 sports like running, swimming, climbing, and cycling. Plus, it uses both GPS and GLONASS to map your routes precisely during outdoor exercises.
Heart Rate Monitoring
Many wearables come equipped with built-in heart rate monitors which allow you to keep track of your heart rate throughout the day. If your heart rate is unusually high or low, or if it beats irregularly (arrhythmia), it might signal a serious issue.
Many people don’t notice these symptoms, so problems often remain undetected. Wearables can send alerts for irregularities, prompting you to consult a doctor. It's handy during workouts too, helping you judge exercise intensity and stay within your target heart rate range.
Sleep Tracking
Quality sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, and wearables can help you optimize your sleep patterns. These devices can provide insights into your sleep habits and suggest ways to improve your nightly rest.
Certain smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, not only monitor your sleep patterns but also sync with your iPhone to assist in establishing a bedtime routine. They offer detailed analysis of your sleep stages.
Huawei smartwatches come equipped with HUAWEI TruSleep™ 2.0, which allows for scientific tracking and identification of six common sleep problems. It provides recommendations for improving sleep quality. Additionally, the watch monitors heart rate and analyzes breathing during sleep, assigning a score for overall sleep quality.
Stress Management
Some wearables are equipped with stress tracking features that monitor your stress levels throughout the day. They identify periods of heightened stress and offer breathing training to release stress and adjust state at the right time. This way, you can take proactive steps to manage your stress levels through relaxation techniques or mindfulness exercises.
Health Monitoring
Beyond fitness-related metrics, wearables are increasingly incorporating health monitoring features such as blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure monitoring, and even ECG capabilities.
Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) is a vital sign indicating the body's oxygen levels. Low SpO2 levels can lead to symptoms like fatigue and dizziness. Wearable devices can also produce ECG data, similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram. This data can be important for doctors and reassuring for users. These features offer useful health insights and can alert users to potential medical concerns.
Calorie Counting
For those looking to maintain or lose weight, wearables can be valuable tools for tracking calorie intake and expenditure. You can log your meals and workouts in these devices which help you get a clearer picture of your overall energy balance and make more informed dietary choices.
Activity Reminders
Many wearables offer customizable activity reminders that encourage you to move throughout the day. Whether it's reminding you to take a short walk every hour or encouraging you to stand up and stretch, these gentle nudges can help break up long periods of sedentary behavior.
Workout Guidance
Some advanced wearables offer guided workout programs tailored to your fitness level and goals. These programs can help keep your workouts varied and challenging, reducing the risk of boredom or plateauing.
Cycle Tracking
Many wearables have innovative sensors that track your temperature while you sleep. They use this info to give you a look back at when you might have ovulated, which can be handy if you're planning for a family.
Emergency Services
Wearables such as the Apple Watch can detect severe accidents or falls, alert emergency services, share your location, and inform your emergency contacts. For example, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 includes an 86-decibel Siren audible from up to 180 meters away.
Community Support
Many wearables come with companion apps or online communities where users can connect with others, share their progress, and provide support and motivation. This sense of community can be invaluable on your health and fitness journey, helping you stay accountable and motivated.
Personalized Insights
Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of wearables is their ability to provide personalized insights into your health and fitness. It analyzes data collected over time so that it can offer tailored recommendations and suggestions that will help you reach your goals more efficiently.
Do wearables actually improve health?
Yes. The benefits of wearables actually extend far beyond mere convenience. From fitness tracking to stress management and beyond, these devices offer a wealth of features designed to help you lead a healthier and more active lifestyle. Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or simply looking to improve your health and well-being, incorporating wearables into your daily routine can be a game-changer.
