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How Smart Rings and Watches Are Changing the Way We Move
Modern wearables provide data that can inform, motivate, and sustain healthy behaviors.
One of the first things I do every morning, sometimes before I grab my vital cup of coffee, is check my Oura ring app.
How did I sleep? What is my readiness score? How active should I be today?
I have exercised for over 20 years and have been a physical therapist for 10. I have a good understanding of exercise, recovery, and how my body feels and responds to activity. Despite this, I still benefit from the feedback I get from the ring.
This is not a commercial for the Oura ring. While I love my ring, it’s not the only way I've used to track my activity. Before I got the ring, one of the most-used apps on my phone was my health app. I routinely checked my step count. And like my ring, it influenced my behavior.
I aim for 10,000 steps a day. That isn’t a magic number that everyone needs to hit. It's a good target, but research suggests that 7,000 should be the minimum threshold to aim for. But steps alone aren’t enough. You really should be aiming to meet the physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity) plus 2…
