Wearables or fitness trackers seem to be all the rage these days!  Counting steps, tracking workouts, sleep, heart rate, HRV, performance, readiness, etc!  So much information - what do we do with it all?

It all depends on which data is most valuable to you.  For example, I bought the Whoop and wore it for about 3 months to try to track my performance and recovery.  I wanted to know if I was over-training.  However, I found (for me) the Whoop did not give me accurate information.  There was a huge lag in calculating my sleep data and on days when I felt run down from the days previous workout, I often still had a high recovery score.

SO … 

I switched to the Oura ring.  While the Oura ring isn’t geared toward athletes in the same way the Whoop is (in my opinion), I feel the sleep data is more accurate and the readiness score is more in line with the way my body feels.  It shows I struggle with deep sleep, am very restless at night, and it provides a readiness score based on stress on the body and sleep. Using this data, I am constantly trying to improve my deep sleep. I also don't look at my sleep score until after I have been awake for a few hours and determine how I feel energy wise.

I also wear a Garmin to track my distance and pace for runs, swimming, cycling & hiking. 

If I’m honest, this is kind of data overload for me but I like knowing if there are areas of health I need to work to improve (like sleep and overtraining).

So tell me, do you use a device to provide data related to your performance and recovery?  What has your experience been?

My piece of advice, just like stepping on the scale, don’t let something on your wrist or finger dictate your day and your mood. Allow the data to help you fine tune your performance and recovery!