CrowdScience
Is my smartwatch good for my health?
Jan 31, 2025
Smartwatches are becoming a fitness staple, but how accurate is their health data? A skeptic voices doubts while a fan embraces the tech. The hosts conduct a gym experiment to test reliability. Experts weigh in on how these devices measure vital signs and their pros and cons. They discuss the motivational boost smartwatches can provide, even with accuracy concerns. Lastly, there’s a reflective look at the psychological impact of quantifying fitness and wellness.
27:44
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Quick takeaways
- Smartwatches provide motivating fitness data, yet their accuracy varies significantly, especially in calorie expenditure estimations which can be inaccurate by up to 150%.
- Users creatively combine smartwatch data with personal awareness, maintaining a critical view and not solely relying on these metrics to gauge their health.
Deep dives
Accuracy of Smartwatches in Fitness Tracking
Smartwatches collect various health and fitness data using technologies like photoplethysmography for heart rate and accelerometry for step counting. The accuracy of these measurements can significantly vary by the type of data being assessed. For example, while heart rate readings from smartwatches are generally reliable due to direct measurement through the skin, calorie expenditure estimations can be off by a wide margin, potentially ranging from 30% to 150% of actual values. These discrepancies highlight the need for caution when relying on smartwatches for detailed fitness tracking.
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