In recent years, everyone that runs consistently can likely be seen wearing one thing other than shoes: a smart watch.
But how good is it for your health?
Can it detect heart attacks? Well, we’ve deep dived into the science behind smart watches or ‘fitness trackers’ and taken a look for you.
The following information was pulled from the British Heart Foundation.
I’ve succumbed and got myself a Garmin Venu 3 smart watch. Not for jogging.
20 mins on my wrist, and it’s telling me off! Blimey, it’s very, very judgemental 😖
— Nick Thompson (@NickThompson3) March 16, 2025
What can fitness trackers monitor?
Also known as smart watches, fitness trackers can monitor a variety of health information:
- Heart rate, oxygen levels, steps and sleep.
Some devices also include blood pressure monitoring and single-lead ECGs (a simple type of electrocardiogram with one electrode sensor), which can read heart rhythms and rates.
These are not as reliable as proper medical tests.
What are the benefits of fitness trackers?
They can be useful for tracking physical activity or helping people to get more active. Many people do not realise how little movement they’re typically doing in a day until they start using a fitness tracker.
They can also help people set and achieve fitness goals, keep motivation high, and make it easier and more fun to move more often.
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Can fitness trackers detect heart problems?
They cannot replace medical tests and are not designed to give a diagnosis. They are primarily intended to help monitor fitness.
However, they can be helpful for monitoring health, so if you start to see numbers or trends that worry you, let your doctor or nurse know so that they can look into it.
