The popularity of smartwatches has increased more and more with the diversification of functionalities and autonomy that the tool brings, often replacing the cell phone. Technology has improved and today smart watches can show much more than just your pulse, the number of steps taken and calories burned.
In addition to sports monitoring, devices have increasingly come with built-in applications and offer the possibility of making everyday life easier with just a small display. See tips on how to use smartwatches.
Record physical exercise practices
Often the main reason for purchasing smartwatches and smartbands is to monitor a healthy lifestyle, recording progress in sports and the user’s vital signs.
The tools can identify different types of physical activities, from yoga to boxing and dancing. If this is the focus, it is interesting to analyze the most interesting components to adapt to use before purchasing. For example: for races, it is recommended that the watch has GPS — so you don’t need to carry your cell phone during practice — in addition to basic functions such as heart rate monitoring and a stopwatch.
Even for those who don’t play sports, the smartwatch can have uses. On some models, it is possible to set alarms that warn the user if they sit for an hour without moving or remind them that they need to drink water.
Furthermore, it is possible to use the smartwatch to take measurements such as bioimpedance — common in nutritionists’ offices —, electrocardiogram — a test that monitors the heart —, monitoring oxygen and glucose levels in the blood, body temperature, among others.
Make calls and read messages
In times when it is not possible to reach your cell phone, the smartwatch can provide functions such as calls and messages. On devices that have a microphone and speaker, calls can be made exclusively through the accessory. For those that don’t have it, recognition and the option to ignore can still be done on the watch.
Text messages can also be controlled through the smartwatch connected to the cell phone via Bluetooth. On some models it is possible to type on the keyboard directly on the device screen to send responses, on others only reading is available.
Some users report that frequent message notification causes them anxiety. To solve this problem, the alternative is to remove the option to read them directly on the smartwatch display, receiving only the sender’s signaling and identification.
Monitor your sleep
A feature often found in smartwatches is counting hours and monitoring sleep cycles. Using the LED behind the device, changes in blood flow and body movements are recorded, information used to define the user’s resting time.
The device can tell approximately how many hours were slept, the patterns in sleep phases, whether there was a change in heart rate during the night, whether the user woke up and other observations.
The tool does not replace medical exams, but can be used to analyze long-term rest, considering not just one night’s sleep but patterns over time. Since the need for rest hours is not the same for everyone, analyzing these records can be interesting to discover the ideal one for whoever is using the watch.
Topics that can be analyzed with the data: if you sleep better on days when you exercised, when you didn’t drink coffee in the late afternoon, when you read a book before bed instead of watching TV or when you stopped using your cell phone for hours before going to bed.
Take notes
Watches from many brands already come with an application for recording built-in notes. Those that do not have this function, it is often possible to access external applications, such as Google’s Keep, created for this purpose.
Small displays can make typing difficult, while voice recording features can meet the need to record reminders and notes more quickly. The smartwatch can also facilitate access to lists previously made on the cell phone, by installing applications that exist for both devices.
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