What Useful Health Information a Regular Person Can Learn using a Galaxy Watch?
Is a Galaxy Watch a useful tool for a regular person from the health data point of view? A great question!
Let’s check what useful health information (from my point of view) it can provide to a regular person (so, sport related features are not included in the list):
Steps Counting
Walking is one of the simplest, most affordable way to maintain your health and improve your shape (for this, walking must be combined with a proper diet). Therefore, keeping daily steps on a good level is important.
(read more about required amount of daily steps in the article “How many steps per day do you really need?”).
You could also compare your results with other people of the same age group
Activity Reminder
Again, sitting for hours is not a healthy type of behavior. We all know this, but it is so easy to forget about the time. Inactivity reminder built in in the watch is a great tool to avoid that.
Hearth Rate Monitoring
Not very useful as such, but alarming when configured limits are crossed (too high and too low) is helpful for people who’s hearts do not work that great anymore.
Resting Heart Rate
This is an important (and often underestimated) metric shown state of your “Heart and Circulatory System”. It makes sense to keep an eye how does resting HR changes over time (in months and years, not days).
Oxygen Level Monitoring During Sleep
This helps to detect apnea symptoms and allows to act early enough if needed.
Stress Level Monitoring and Breath Exercise
I hear you — “I know when I’m stressed and I know how to breath!”.
Not fully correct, “physical stress” (heart rate variability) is not always that visible.
And breathing exercises have multiple benefits. Read is what American Lung Association says about them — “Breathing Exercises”. And this is just one of the examples.
Detection of Atrial Fibrillation Symptoms
An ECG feature built in the watch can detect atrial fibrillation symptoms. Galaxy Watch is not a medical device and does not replace a proper check in any way. But if the watch detects symptoms, it is a good idea to discuss with a professional. This could help to diagnose atrial fibrillation early enough.
Note: this requires a Samsung phone and is enabled in selected countries (but this can be workarounded).
Irregular HR Monitoring
Since the end of 2023 Galaxy Watch can also detect if you have an irregular HR.
Note: this requires a Samsung phone and is enabled in selected countries (but this can be workarounded).
Sleep Analyses
This is a tricky one. I cannot imagine how one can use sleep phases information. However, the watch motivates to keep regular sleep schedule and provides some common sense good sleep habits.
Quit a lot for a so small and not a health-dedicated device!
Weekly Summary
Unfortunately, Samsung health app behaves rather passive in term of health information — it does not provide an aggregated metric like Garmin’s body battery. It does not inform you if about significant values/trend changes either. However, Samsung Health provides weekly health reports — which is a simple way to get an overview if you do not want to check details.
PS: I did not mentioned blood pressure measurement, blood oxygen measurement, and body composition in the list above, because I believe that these features are not that valuable for a regular person and not that easy to use.
