Since the Apple Watch Series 6 is much like the previous model, let’s start with the runner-friendly features that carry over this year. There are some good changes unseen, however, but how do they rate for runners? I’ve been testing the Series 6 for a week now, so here’s an initial look at the updates. On its surface, the 6 isn’t a huge leap forward from what we’ve been using.
Last year, I said the Apple Watch Series 5 could “generously be described as a minor update to Series 4.” The same holds true this year, to be honest, when it comes to the Series 6’s performance as a running watch over the 5. Price: From $399 (40mm) and $429 (44mm) add $100 for cellular version The battery still lasts only 18 hours, but recharges faster.A new S6 chip improves performance-apps launch 20 percent faster.The new blood oxygen sensor is a general wellness tool, but runners might find it most useful to indicate how well they’re adapting to a change in altitude.When you begin running again, an exercise tracker will show you that your heart rate gets higher at a much slower pace than before, that you don’t run as far nor as fast as before, and that your total calorie burn is much less,” Quebbemann explained.The RW Takeaway: Apple refreshed its smartwatch to be faster and brighter, and packed in a blood oxygen sensor, which runners may not find as useful as other Watch users.
“Say you’re running 5 times per week for 3 months, and you get sick and skip a month. With regards to individuals who may slack on their workouts but claim they’re still in great shape, Quebbemann said “you can’t fool your Fitbit.” But they are less accurate at comparing one exercise, push-ups for example, to another, say bicycling.” You ‘can’t fool your Fitbit’ “They are good at comparing the intensity of your exercise meaning they can tell you that your run today was more intense than your run yesterday. “You can compare the intensity of your workouts over time and the changes in your cardiovascular fitness,” he said. Quebbemann added that WATs also help track fitness. “They help you track trends, consistency, approximate intensity level, and effort.” “They are definitely not gimmicks,” Quebbemann said. When asked if these devices are gimmicks or fads, he confirmed they do help. Program and author of “ Dietary Rebuild,” described WATs as “moderately accurate.” “They are a form of external feedback, which we know is beneficial for motivating positive health changes,” Ferguson said.ĭr. What wasn’t surprising, he added, was that activity trackers produce a positive change in physical activity. “What was a nice surprise is just how helpful they were for such a wide variety of people, including all ages, healthy people, and those living with a variety of chronic conditions,” said Ferguson. Their findings indicate that WATs encourage people to walk up to 40 minutes more each day or roughly 1,800 more steps, and resulted in an average weight loss of 1kg (2.2 lbs) over 5 months. The studies involved people of any age who used an activity tracker including a pedometer, accelerometer, activity monitor, or a step-counting smartphone application, to encourage more exercise. UniSA researchers reviewed nearly 400 studies involving about 164,000 participants worldwide using WATs to monitor their physical activity levels.
“We realized now was a great time to pull all this knowledge together and see if there is an overall message on their utility as health tools.”Īctivity trackers motivate positive health changes “Since activity trackers are becoming so widely used in society, research into their effectiveness has grown rapidly,” lead researcher and UniSA PhD candidate Ty Ferguson, told Healthline. The large-scale review, recently published in The Lancetby University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers, shows that WATs “consistently outperformed controls for physical activity outcomes.”Īccording to researchers, the global market for WATs has grown “tremendously,” with the number of activity trackers shipped worldwide increasing by over 1,000% between 20. New research affirms that wearable activity trackers (WATs) like Fitbit or Garmin really do encourage people to exercise more. According to researchers, wearable activity trackers may also fuel unhealthy behaviors in people with anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder and should be used with caution.Experts say that while these devices do help improve health, there’s more to weight loss than ‘calories in, calories out,’ as a person’s ability to lose weight is often genetic.New research shows that wearable activity trackers promote positive health changes, helping a wide variety of people move more and lose a modest amount of weight.