I never thought I’d be a smart watch person, but here we are. Isolation is doing weird things to everyone’s brains, and for me it’s “become a smart watch person.” Specifically, a Samsung Galaxy Watch Active person.
Samsung loaned me a Galaxy Active way back in June last year. Since then, they’ve released the Active2, which is similar but obviously more advanced with things like a bigger screen and a more streamlined look.
But whatever. I’m talking about the Active and YES this is a stale review, but it’s more about how a smart watch – whatever one you like – can help heaps with isolation life.
1. I’m Way More Bored And Therefore Hyper-Interested In Myself
I wanna know my resting heart rate. My active heart rate. How many steps I’ve taken in two hours. Everything you could literally know about yourself, I wanna know it.
Why? I’m bloody bored is why. I am so bored of isolation life, that I have become self-obsessed to the nth degree.
I wouldn’t say this is entirely a bad thing. For example, knowing how many steps you take a day will shame you into going for a run, or that government-sanctioned exercise walk instead of sitting in front of The Sims for eight hours.
2. It Yells At Me To Drink Water
Who ISN’T terrible at drinking enough water each day? And yet, everyone from supermodels to doctors tell us the myriad of health benefits being a good water-drinker gives us.
Basically, you can download an app called Water Drink Reminder, and it’ll work with your Galaxy Watch to remind you to drink water. Does what it says on the tin, basically.
This means a lil buzz to remind you, but you can also easily log the cups you DO drink, so you feel super smug at the end of the day.
3. I Can Track My Fitness, Duh
OBVIOUSLY, but as someone who never did that it’s been a revelation seeing my little bars (exercise, calorie burn and whether I’ve moved hourly) fill up.
I’m also competitive as shit. I want to nail my calorie burn/exercise minutes/movement per hour and BEAT the damn watch. Beat it, I tell you. Pummel it into the ground with my victory.
It’ll track fitness as you do it automatically, but you can also log specific types of workouts. I logged my run this morning, so I knew how many kilometres I ran, my pace, and even little things like how vigorous my running was (not very).
4. It Tracks Your Sleep
Holy moly, do I love knowing what my body does when I’m comatose, you guys. I love that if you wear the Galaxy Watch Active to bed, it’ll track your sleep for you. I mean your light sleep, your REM, all of that.
There’s also a stress tracker (what!) that’ll check your heart rate to determine if you’re going off the deep end, then coach you through breathing exercises. I don’t use this, but I like it telling me I’m stressed to the eyeballs.
For me, these four benefits have been so great in isolation. I’m learning a lot more about my health (I barely move, I’m a dehydrated bitch) but it’s also pushing me to be better at stuff like daily 30 minute fitness and getting to bed early.
I haven’t tried other fancy smart watches like Apple and so on, so I’m not saying “Galaxy is the best woo!” But for me, just having a watch that’s like a life coach has been so… nice, really.
Anyway, if you’re keen here’s a link for the Active and the Active2.
