There are many smart watches on the market. All prices and all makes and models. Many activity monitors from twenty or thirty euros. But it is not enough to measure kilometers or steps, much more is needed if you want to train seriously. If you are looking for a smartwatch to train you should look at a number of aspects. If you don’t know where to start, there are 7 things you should look for in your training smartwatch.
Brands like Garmin or Polar have high-quality models that we can take into account if we want something specific for training and not general activity bracelets that go over any data. Training rhythms, recovery time, VO2 Max, intervals… What is all this? Functions that you should look for in your smartwatch and we will explain what they are, what they are for or why they are essential when you buy one.
Waterproof
You may only run or ride a bike, but water resistance is essential. It is not only useful if you decide to go further with sports and swimming, for example. It is also because we are not always going to control the weather conditions and it will be convenient for us to withstand any situation well. If it rains, if it gets wet. Even if you’re going to shower, it’s uncomfortable to have to continually take off your watch in case it’s going to break. It is a basic feature.
cardiac control
This is basic and practically all watches on the market have it, even the cheapest ones. But make sure that the measurement is continuous and that it is reliable. Heart rate monitoring is not only interesting at the level of health in our day to day, but also to see the different zones that we go through in training. To see the intensity of effort during an activity. In many cases we can customize them according to our personal characteristics since it will depend on our age, our physical shape…
training pace
When you go to train, you will need to know the rhythms. There are smart watches capable of measuring steps, minutes of activity or kilometers traveled. But that’s not enough if you want a sports watch and you’re going to wear it for training. Yes if you simply want to walk or start with the most basic. But it is recommended that you let know the training rhythms in the race. That you know the cadence, the average pace, the VO2 maximum…
Recovery time
We will not find it in all activity watches but in those focused on training and sports. How long do we have to rest until the next high intensity training, for example. An interesting function is the estimation of the recovery time until you are well again. Or, in other cases, it will measure how you are recovering after training or a competition and how you are progressing.
interval training
That your watch includes interval training function will be very useful. It will be the one in charge of telling you when to go faster or when to loosen up. There are many models on the market, dedicated to sports, that allow us to do this. You simply have to configure them previously so that they indicate you during training.
GPS
If you are going to train, it is essential that your watch has GPS to be able to store the routes. You will see the route and at what times you have gone faster or slower. In addition, some models on the market include multisport profiles. If, for example, you want to do a duathlon or a triathlon. It will be enough to press just one button for the complete training and the different changes of discipline to be marked, but you will have the final result thanks to GPS.
sleep monitoring
This is a basic function that practically any smart watch has, so it will not be difficult for you to find it when choosing your smartwatch. A good workout not only implies an active part but also getting a good rest. And most sports smart watches let us know how we have rested and even do a detailed analysis of all the phases we have gone through while we were sleeping. Or we receive advice to have a good rest routine to help us progress.
