Pros and Cons of Wearable Tech
Should you ditch your smartwatch, Oura, and Whoop?
I’m a nerd. I’ve collected tons of data about my health and fitness on GitLab and Google Drive. But in recent weeks I’ve ditched my smart watch and only use a chest strap heart rate monitor (HRM) during training sessions.
This wasn't an intentional experiment. The charging cable for my Garmin Vivoactive 3 decided to stop working. It's a cheap replacement, but for a few days I didn't wear the device at all.
Then, that turned into few weeks. Surprise, I don't really notice a difference in my health, fitness, output, etc. That brings up the question of, how much do you really need to or even benefit from tracking steps and sleep?
Similar to food journals (calories, macros, etc.) there's a time and place for that like during a competition prep or a specific experiment where that data is warranted. However, sometimes simpler solutions are just as effective.
"Do I need to be more active?" can be replaced by:
Are you gaining weight?
Could you eat a little less?
Could you walk a little more?
Do you really need to know how many hours or deep, REM, and light sleep you had (assuming those measures are accurate in the first place), or could your training journal include:
When did I go to bed / wake up?
Do I feel rested and ready in the morning?
There were plenty, and arguably more, healthy people doing badass physical feats long before the advent of iPhones and FitBits. However, that's not to say we shouldn't use the tools we have available. It is to say that "signal vs. noise" is an ongoing evaluation.
I do still use a Morpheus HRM during training sessions to evaluate my recovery and monitor output, however, that's in direct conjunction with managing intensity. So, there is a direct effect on training outcomes.
Whether or not I achieved an arbitrary step count for the day... much less so.
On the technical side, optical devices -- like Oura, Whoop, and watches -- are far less accurate than chest strap types of HRMs. To add insult to injury, some of them charge a subscription fee as well and the device itself being significantly more expensive.
The Morpheus app is free, no subscription, and the device is regularly on sale for $100. That's a lot more valuable data for a substantially lower price point.
To come full circle, the oversimplification of "eat less, move more" only applies if you've already developed a healthy lifestyle and eating habits. If that's not the case, then there is a lot of value in "calibrating" your intuition and judgment.
For example, how much do I really eat / move in a day? It may be a lot more or a lot less than you think. But, if those habits have been consistent for years and you're satisfied with the outcome, there isn't a reason "fix what's not broken."