Challenge yourself and move more? Huawei Virtual Training Partner Test

With the changes this spring has brought to our lives, I am committed to moving more. Unlike many other times, this time I slowly but surely started to realize this commitment. When I started exercising regularly, I repeatedly found myself thinking that a smart assistant would be helpful, which would allow me to follow what has been done, but – the offer is wide, there are many possibilities and there is no it was a lot of clarity I really used, except for the step count. After three weeks with the Huawei GT 2 Pro, I understand that a smart watch can be not only useful and competent, but also a stimulating and motivating virtual training partner.

What have I learned about my daily workouts?

During these three weeks, the watch faithfully followed my daily routines and individual workouts with the trainer at the gym. Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro has more than 100 training modes (with 19 professional training programs), of which I use indoor walking, functional and strength training, outdoor walking and swimming in the pool. The possibilities of the watch are limitless: in the training modes you will find jazz dance, cycling, kite flying, golf (the mode will also allow you to analyze the posture and movement of the stroke), hiking, triathlon, rowing and dozens of other activities. Innovations in this watch include skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. So we can only hope that this year we will have a really good winter to practice these opportunities.

What did I like? The watch makes it easy to track your exercise time, heart rate and calories burned, but the data available in the Huawei Health app allows you to explore in more detail how long, for example, the most fat burning time. effective or how your virtual partner evaluates training performance and recovery time. time is recommended until preparing for the next workout.

In this period, for the first time, I tried to train alone, without a coach. I was looking forward to the results of my virtual partner and were pleasantly surprised: I had consumed 400 calories in an hour of training alone and the duration of fat burning was 40 minutes, which is equivalent to working out with a trainer.

For outdoor activities, the watch also provides VO2MAX measurement (the walk must be at least 5km long), which is the maximum amount of oxygen that can be used during a strenuous workout. This figure of 26ml / kg / min after walking outdoors, which is considered a poor figure for women aged 35 to 39, only reassured me once again that I need to exercise more and more regularly. to improve my “fitness age”.

Test in the pool

Scrolling through the wide range of training offerings and seeing “Swimming in the pool”, there were no two thoughts – this should definitely be tested in practice. Before getting into the pool, I slowed down a bit, because the warning I heard a lot in my childhood that swimming with a watch is not very important, but the 5 ATM water resistance specified in the watch specifications is a guarantee. that swimming in the pool will not harm him.

Before starting the swim training, I entered the length of the pool and off you go! During training, the Huawei GT 2 Pro allows you to track your heart rate, calorie consumption, distance and time, but then the data in the Huawei Health app seemed more interesting to me, for example I learned that I did 509 strokes in a 400-meter swim, consumed 406 calories, and mostly swam in a freestyle (which actually means something between “doggy” and “breaststroke”).

The fact that I still have great opportunities to progress in swimming is confirmed by the SWOLF indicator: it is an indicator of swimming efficiency, which is obtained by adding the number of strokes taken to the distance. According to the Internet, a good SWOLF indicator for a distance of 25m is between 35 and 45. According to the observation of a training member, my average SWOLF indicator was 128, but the best – 78. Splash, not training for swimming, in short.

By the way, if you are alone in the pool or swimming in open water, you can use the music function of the watch – an unusual sensation.

There is enough oxygen in the blood and other useful measurements

Among the measurements made by the smartwatch that intrigued me the most were the stress indicators. Within three weeks, the average stress level was rated as normal, but on a daily basis it often rose to average. I am proud and shoulder to shoulder – it has never reached the “high” mark. Interestingly, the only time the stress level reached average was on the day I walked around Kurzeme. Arguably, this can be explained by visiting several abandoned objects, which alone is a rather scary activity.

I have also studied sleep indicators with great interest. During three weeks, the average quality of sleep was rated with 82 points, the average time spent sleeping – 7 hours and 41 minutes, which corresponds to the recommendations on the duration of sleep, but I wake up on average once a night. A less sympathetic indicator is the regularity of bedtime – their 0-point smart watch rated it as low. Perhaps this is the right signal to change habits and try to implement the much planned, but always postponed, time to go to sleep?! By the way, the smart assistant has once again confirmed the long-known: much better sleep quality at night after a day spent in physical activity.

Currently, a very relevant indicator is the level of oxygen in the blood (SpO2): if it is low, it can be a signal of respiratory and lung diseases or other diseases. With the Huawei GT 2 Pro, blood oxygen levels are easy and convenient to measure anytime, anywhere, and I did it diligently even during this time – my SpO2 reading ranged from 95 to 99% in three weeks, which it’s normal and, I wouldn’t hide, it has also helped to reduce anxiety from time to time. However, keep in mind that a smartwatch is not a medical device and you should consult a professional if you are concerned about your health.

Won’t it be too big?

Considering choosing this watch can be confusing in terms of size. Yes, the Huawei GT 2 Pro is great, but it is surprisingly light and comfortable. There have been times when the exercise, by bending the wrist, the training was interrupted or stopped accidentally, but the vibration of the watch does not allow to lose it. By the way, the training recognition function is very useful: if you went for a quiet walk, but did not activate the training mode, the watch itself reminds you.

If at first it seemed more suitable for men, within three weeks I made sure that it fit elegantly and organically into my daily routine. To be fair, it should be noted that at the moment there is no social gathering at the theater or party events, so the watch had to “live” with the daily routine, the gym and the wardrobe for nature walks.

Since it must be worn on the joint 24/7 to use the watch effectively, the comfort of the watch and the material of the band is very important, and in this sense the Huawei GT 2 Pro has been all height of expectations. No less important is the duration of the watch, and this is a true “survivor”: titanium case and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal complete with battery life (up to two weeks), adjustable dial, barometer and altimeter with forecast function of time, ‘GPS Route Back’ navigation function and other features of the smartwatch make it perhaps the most enduring workout and daily routine companion.

Obviously the watch won’t take you by the hand and won’t drag you out for a walk or exercise well in the lobby. True, from time to time he will remind you in a friendly way more often to get up and move and hit you on the shoulder when the goal is reached, for example, you will walk 10 thousand steps a day or fulfill another commitment. And for that we already need reliable training partners, right?