Better than the apple watch
OK, so I wasn’t a huge fan of fitness wearables, I think most are glorified pedometer's, but I am happy with these two; one more than the other. Here's why
Apple Watch
Exercise / Stand Move calories
Calories
Steps
Activity Tracking
Estimated Heart Rate
Resting Heart Rate
Exercise Heart Rate
Trends after 180 days of data
Water-resistance + water lock
Bonus - less screen time.
I'm on my phone less - each time I was reaching for my phone, I checked the time and or weather, which would lead to an Instagram or Facebook hole. My screen time is way down because I now have the two things that started that trigger easily accessible. In this case, Apple Watch wins. Less screen time = more productivity in other areas of life.
As an activity tracker, I prefer Whoop. However, the rings on the Apple Watch spark my competitive spirit - I want those rings closed daily :) You can set the number of move calories you'd like to burn, as well as the minutes of exercise you’d like to target daily. The stand ring is all about getting up and moving each hour. However, the exercise ring is interesting and does help understand what is and isn't classified as exercise.
I think most people discount their activity and don't see the other half exercise that isn't hard - they didn't go hard or complete a training routine that they didn't exercise.
Apple counts exercise with every full minute of movement that equals or exceeds the intensity of a brisk walk counts toward your daily Exercise and Move goals. For wheelchair users, this is measured in brisk pushes. Any activity below this level counts only toward your daily Move goal.
And lastly, the activity reminders and awards. I like these a lot. The more you wear and use the apple watch, the more it understands you and can help you. Say if you're a regular AM exerciser and ahead of your move and exercise goals by 11 am and you're not there today, it will ping you. Deep into work and have been sitting for too long, it will remind you to stand - I love this. Based on how many minutes you exercise for one month, it will provide a new net month goal.
The bottom line, the Apple Watch, is excellent if you're only interested in exercise output. As a lifestyle health coach, I can tell you that this product is good for the reason listed above but misses the big picture snapshot of optimal health and performance. That's where Whoop steps in.
WHOOP
Strain
Sleep Recommendation
Sleep Performance
Stress (NEW)
HRV (Heart Rate Variability)
24/7 Heart Rate
Day and Activity Strain
Resting Heart Rate
Blood Oxygen
Activity Tracking
Skin Temperature
Respiratory Rate
Calories
Recovery
Recovery Impact Analysis
Behavior Journal
Trends after 60 days
Rate of Perceived Exertion
Weekly and Monthly Performance Assessment
Waterproof monitor and battery
Whoop is unlike any other fitness tracker because it is a fitness tracker, not a watch or pedometer. It goes much deeper than anything on the market.
As mentioned above, Whoop steps in above all other fitness trackers and delivers the big picture snapshot of optimal health and performance.
Every morning, upon waking and you pressing “process” WHOOP spits out your "recovery," score, %, plus color indicator (Red, Yellow, Green). Your WHOOP recovery is calculated based on 4 physiological markers: Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Resting Heart Rate (RHR), hours of sleep, and respiratory rate.
The % is reported on a 0-100% scale - 0 to 33% would put you in the RED - 34 to 66% would put you in the YELLOW, and 67 - 100% would put you in the GREEn. These metrics are calibrated for your baseline, which means your recovery is personalized each day.
Read that again. "Personalized each day."
Based on your personal Recovery score, a Strain target is calculated to inform you how far you could push it that day, giving you the option to push it if your feel good or opt for a restorative day which would promote recovery and a possible better readiness the following day.
For those unfamiliar with WHOOP jargon, Strain refers to the exertion you put on your body. Your daily Strain is the total Strain accumulated over the course of the entire day, including (e.g. workouts) and non-activity (e.g. sleep, stress, or chores) Strain - basically anything that gets your heart rate up for significant duration. Strain gives you valuable insight into how and what impacts you; and by understanding this you can better mitigate stress, manage your energy against your recovery score, and rest more effectively.
WHOOP really is a personalized fitness coach. Which by the way, as a health and performance coach, when I first read “ Your Personal Digital Fitness and Health Coach” on their site I rolled my eyes. It’s real. They aren’t lying. Just shy of 1,000 Recoveries recorded, you could say I listen to my WHOOP coach regularly":)
No other fitness tracker personalizes anything for you.
That is why I love WHOOP. In today's world, work hard play hard has gone next level, and lines between the two have been blurred. Stress is at an all-time high along with other societal markers, yet the majority continue to add unwanted stress to a body that isn't recovered and ready.
In the health and fitness world, sleep and recovery methods are undervalued and overlooked feedback markers. With WHOOP, the data is there to help you evaluate your daily habits and learn to unlock your potential with adequate sleep, fitness, and nutrition habits that aid in your recovery, readiness, performance, health, mood, attitude, and energy.
BTW, WHOOP does not count steps. They say, "We do not count steps because we believe they are irrelevant to your physiological performance and overall health."
The bottom line, WHOOP, is for the serious health and fitness enthusiasts who want to optimize their health and performance with well-rounded feedback and data.
👉 👉 If you feel like WHOOP is the fitness tracker you’re looking for, Get your WHOOP 4.0 and a FREE MONTH on me when you use this link, https://join.whoop.com/ambitious 👈 👈
