Smartwatches are an excellent way to monitor your health and fitness. Many come equipped with features like pedometers and GPS that encourage you to stay active, improving both physical performance and mental wellbeing.
Monitors also measure vital signs like blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels in the blood, among others. These can be especially helpful to those suffering from heart or lung conditions as well as athletes.
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Heart Rate Monitoring
Heart rate monitoring is a health feature most smart watches come with, and it can be an invaluable asset for anyone wanting to track their fitness progress. Whether you’re an avid gym goer or just enjoy doing physical activities, knowing your heart rate during exercise and comparing that with resting levels can be very useful information.
Heart rate monitors come in many varieties and all use similar technology to track your pulse. Some utilize photoplethysmography (PPG), which works by shining a light onto your wrist and measuring how much light reflects back from blood vessels. This data can be used to calculate both heart rate and related metrics like oxygen saturation levels in your blood.
For accurate heart rate measurement, wearing a chest strap is the most reliable method. Unfortunately, some people find that wrist-based wearables may not provide as reliable an accuracy as chest straps due to their potential to pick up too much movement and alter readings.
If you want to track your heart rate while wearing a smartwatch, be sure that the device is certified for wearability and doesn’t emit any hazardous radiation. Some devices even give notifications when your heart rate goes above or below what should be exercising at, which could be especially beneficial if you have any history of health issues.
Some smartwatches can detect irregular heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation. This is the only arrhythmia which has been cleared by the FDA for detection by some smartwatches and it could be an invaluable aid in recognizing signs of AFib before they escalate into serious issues.
Coupled with a heart rate app, it can be invaluable for sleep tracking as it alerts you when your heartbeats go above or below what is considered normal during sleep. This is especially useful for people suffering from sleep apnea or any other condition that causes irregular heart rates at night.
Blood Pressure Monitoring
If you’re searching for a convenient way to monitor your health on-the-go, consider investing in a smart watch that can track blood pressure readings. Unlike traditional blood pressure monitors that require using a cuff for measurement, these watches can be worn anywhere and often come equipped with built-in apps that make setting goals and receiving feedback easy.
In addition to monitoring your heart rate and sleep patterns, some smart watches also assist in tracking stress levels. This feature can be especially beneficial if you lead a busy life or work in an environment with high levels of stress.
Some smartwatches can also help you monitor your blood sugar, an essential step in managing diabetes. The best blood sugar monitors are FDA-certified medical devices and can be connected with your smartphone so you can share data and track progress over time.
Another way to measure blood pressure without using a cuff is photoplethysmography, or PPG. This technology utilizes an optical sensor which detects whether vessels are tightening or widening and then runs a series of algorithms to estimate your reading.
This method is one of the most common ways to measure blood pressure without using a cuff, but it comes with some drawbacks. First, calibration must be done regularly and may not provide as accurate a reading as a cuff-based device does.
Furthermore, it’s not as accurate at detecting hypertension (high blood pressure) than an upper arm cuff-style monitor, which is the most accurate type of monitor available. According to the American Heart Association, wrist-based blood pressure monitors that include a cuff for consistent and comfortable fit are the most accurate type.
Omron Healthcare’s BPDoctor Pro, for instance, features a quiet cuff that inflates within one minute to get an accurate reading. It can also monitor your heart rate and comes with its own smartphone app to check and update blood pressure and other health markers.
When it comes to blood pressure monitors and watches, there are plenty of choices depending on your budget and health needs. Some can be viewed online while others are more discreet so they won’t appear in notifications on your phone.
Sleep Monitoring
Sleep monitoring is an integral part of maintaining good health and wellbeing. Getting enough shut-eye is essential for physical, mental, and energy levels; it even helps prevent illness or disease. Thankfully, there are now various devices that can assist you with getting better quality rest.
These smart watches monitor your sleep and can detect issues like snoring and sleep apnea. If you think you might have a sleeping disorder, speak to your doctor about the symptoms and if a medical test would be beneficial.
A reliable sleep monitor should be able to record your movements while asleep and how often you wake up during the night. Depending on the device, you might even be able to log the duration of your sleep or its different stages (light, deep, and REM) for a comprehensive overview of how well you’re getting rested.
Some of these devices are wearables, while others use measuring strips that sit underneath your mattress. Sensors measure your heart rate, movement and temperature as you sleep; data which is then stored in an app that can be viewed later.
The Biostrap EVO wearable health monitor is a clinically-reliable sleep tracker that collects data every two to ten minutes. Powered by complex algorithms and machine learning, it accurately measures your sleep stages and displays them on the Biostrap mobile app.
One of the most accurate sleep trackers available, this device can help identify light, deep and REM sleep stages so that you can improve your overall quality of sleep. It uses infrared and red light-based PPG signals for deeper penetration into skin tissue with better accuracy than traditional green-light technology.
It can also help you recognize when you are waking up during the night and will notify you to any disruptions in your sleep pattern. Furthermore, it monitors oxygen levels to detect breathing abnormalities that could indicate sleep apnea.
Tracking your sleep with a smart ring like Oura isn’t just about tracking hours of rest – with one, you can set goals for both. This balance between activity and rest helps maintain healthy lifestyle choices while motivating you to move when ready, leading to overall greater health benefits.
Diet Monitoring
Diet monitoring can be an invaluable aid for those attempting to shed pounds, improve their fitness level or both. It’s especially beneficial for those suffering from diabetes, hypertension or any other health conditions that affect the heart and circulatory system.
Diet trackers are the ideal way to monitor your meals, water intake and suggest a calorie goal based on age, weight and other personal info. Some models even feature electrocardiogram (ECG) capabilities which can detect atrial fibrillation or other irregular heart rhythms.
Track your calories burned and miles walked with these devices, which can either function independently as a standalone wearable or be connected to your mobile phone via Bluetooth for a more comprehensive view of daily activity.
Modern smartwatches feature electrocardiogram (ECG), which can detect atrial fibrillation and other irregular heartbeats. These ECGs can be saved on your device and sent to your doctor for review along with any other relevant health data.
Another fascinating feature of these gadgets is their capacity to measure electrodermal activity – an advanced way of measuring stress levels and mood. This can give you valuable insights into your body’s response to different stresses, whether in fight or flight mode, and whether or not you’re getting enough rest.
Finally, for those interested in tracking their workouts, many of these devices also feature the capability to monitor heart rate, exercise activity and even blood oxygen levels. Brands like Fitbit and Garmin offer their own apps that can be downloaded onto a smartwatch to provide more detailed data on your fitness regimen.
Though not as technologically advanced as some of its rivals, the Samsung Galaxy Watch features an in-app barcode scanner for easy calorie counting. Plus, it boasts numerous helpful features like in-app step, sleep and exercise tracking that syncs with Lifesum app on your mobile device for a seamless experience.
