What is your wearable device actually telling you? In this episode of Health Recoded, we break down how wearable devices like Whoop, Garmin, Oura Ring, and Fitbit track your health data and what that information actually means. If you use a smartwatch or wearable device and want to better understand your heart rate, HRV, sleep score, and other health metrics, this episode will help you learn how to interpret your data with more clarity and less anxiety. Many people don’t realize that wearable devices are not providing exact medical data. Instead, they track trends over time. Without that context, it’s easy to rely too heavily on the numbers or assume something is wrong. In this episode, we explain how wearable technology works, what each vital sign means, and how to apply that information to your daily life. We cover: - The vital signs your wearable device tracks (heart rate, HRV, sleep, SpO2) - What each metric actually means in the body - The difference between wearable data and clinical vital signs - How to interpret your wearable health data accurately - When to pay attention to your numbers and when not to worry If you’re looking to better understand your wearable data, improve how you use your device, or reduce anxiety around your health metrics, this episode will give you a clear starting point. Subscribe for more conversations that help you better understand your body. New episodes weekly. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:53 What your wearable device is tracking 01:18 How wearable technology works 01:55 Are wearable devices accurate? 06:09 How to interpret wearable health data 07:29 When is low heart rate concerning? 15:44 What is HRV? 19:15 Is high blood pressure bad? 23:55 How to interpret SpO2 26:15 How to interpret your sleep score 29:29 Key takeaways This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice from your healthcare provider. Resources: American Heart Association. (2024). Target heart rates chart https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates American Heart Association. (2023). Understanding blood pressure readings https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/understanding-blood-pressure-readings Pew Research Center. (2020). About one-in-five Americans use a smartwatch or fitness tracker https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/01/09/about-one-in-five-americans-use-a-smart-watch-or-fitness-tracker/ Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Heart rate variability (HRV): What it is and why it matters https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21773-heart-rate-variability-hrv Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Blood oxygen level: What it is and how to increase it https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22447-blood-oxygen-level Bent, B., et al. (2020). Investigating sources of inaccuracy in wearable optical heart rate sensors https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-020-0226-6 Shcherbina, A., et al. (2017). Accuracy in wrist-worn sensor-based measurements of heart rate https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2588768 Harvard Health Publishing. (2021). Tracking your sleep: What works and what doesn’t https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/tracking-your-sleep-what-works-and-what-doesnt de Zambotti, M., et al. (2019). Wearable sleep technology in clinical and research settings https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/42/5/zsz048/5420819 Topics covered: wearable devices, smartwatch health data, how to read wearable data, heart rate, HRV, sleep score, SpO2, wearable accuracy, how wearable technology works, Garmin, Whoop, Oura Ring, Fitbit, health tracking, vital signs, how to interpret health data
