Until recently, I wasn’t a watch wearer. But when my partner treated me to a smartwatch for my last birthday, I’ve become a smartwatch convert. Being able to track everything from steps to sleep and get all kinds of data about me on my phone is a real gamechanger. Especially since I’m keen to get more exercise and take care of myself. But the lure of putting off a workout until tomorrow is strong!
So, I was more than ready and willing to try two watches from the HUAWEI WATCH GT Series - the WATCH GT 3 and WATCH GT Runner. But road testing them came with another perk – I got to meet Olympic legend (and Huawei Wearables Ambassador) Sir Mo Farah and get some fitness tips. Could the combination of Huawei Watch and Sir Mo help me lead a healthier lifestyle?
Week 1
I started on a couple of runs to test both watches in turn. While both the WATCH GT Runner and WATCH GT 3 can give you a lot of the same stats, I found that the GT Runner was my favourite. With that big 1.43-inch AMOLED screen, I could clearly see the display – even when cross eyed with exhaustion.
And getting instant feedback on how far I’d run, my pace and how hard I was working was a real boost. Out of the box, the watch even has a little voice that told you how you were doing. That was fine for outside runs but hitting the gym I turned it off out of embarrassment! That said, you can always pair your watch with Bluetooth speakers – which means working out to your go-to motivational playlist.
After running, you get an option to track your recovery over a minute or two. The only proviso is that you have to keep still to get an accurate reading. I think that’s fine if you’re on a gym machine, but I didn’t fancy standing on the spot after a run on a cold morning. So, it was about finding the features that worked best in each situation.
Downloading the Huawei Health app, it was mind boggling to find all the info you can access. But how was I going to use all that to form healthy habits? I needed some expert help…
Meeting Mo
Talking to Mo, I came away with lots of great fitness tips. But what was going to help me?
1. Make a plan
Going for the odd run was fine, but I needed to set some goals and then work towards them. Otherwise, I felt like I’d slip into bad habits.
2. Training is more than just exercise
There’s more to getting fit and healthy than just getting out and exercising. Even getting out there can be a mental battle, so keeping an eye on stress and making sure I’m sleeping enough could be a big help.
3. It’s not all about running
I like the occasional run, but it’s not something I can really stick to. I like to do lots of different activities to keep things fresh, like using rowing machines and cycling. So, finding the right mix of activity would stop me from getting bored.
Week 2
What I took away from my chat with Mo was that exercise was only one part of getting fit and healthy. I needed to take care of my health in other ways too. Fortunately, I found some really great features on the Huawei Health app.
Healthy Living
Under the Health menu in the app, Healthy Living is like a dashboard that brings together all the stats about you that count. It’ll give you a run down of how you slept, stress levels, steps, daily activities and whatever else you want to add. You can control what info gets displayed and set a daily task for each and what time to get sent a reminder.
Goal setting
Since I love cycling, I decided to make that my main activity. And rather than just going off for a cycle, I used the Huawei Health app to set a goal. I decided on a 10km cycle, but I could also choose calories burnt or distance. As Mo said, it’s important to set a goal and work towards it. And with my workouts record displayed on the app, it reminded me of the positive steps I was taking.
If you’re a runner, there are loads of Running plans that can help you – everything from a 3K beginner plan, a HIIT Run, right up to a Marathon PB plan. I’d like to see something similar for cycling, as this is a great feature.
Sleep tracking
The difference in my mood is all about what kind of night’s sleep I’ve had. After a good night’s sleep, I reckon I could climb a mountain. After a patchy night’s sleep (which is more likely) I’m generally not looking forward to the day in front of me – and definitely don’t feel like exercising.
It was good to know at what time I got to bed and got up and the other data on the app is useful, but sleep tracking didn’t always seem to reflect what kind of night I had. It often takes me long to get to sleep but I generally lie still until I do. Almost every sleep tracker I’ve tried reports that I’m asleep when I know I’ve been awake.
That said, the watch has a nice Breathe app that just gives you some guided breathing. So, when I felt tense about trying to go back to sleep, it was a really handy exercise to have on my wrist.
WATCH GT Runner or WATCH GT 3?
For working out, I’d go with the WATCH GT Runner. Both have a bottom button where you can quickly access various workouts, but I’d have to go with the big screen on the GT Runner. It’s just too good to pass up when you want to check how you’re doing mid workout.
That said, if I wanted a more general smartwatch, the GT 3 would be my preferred pick. It’s a sleek black watch, and definitely something I could wear every day – with all the apps smartly laid out on a smooth touchscreen. Both come with a great 2-week battery life – so you can focus on your training and not have to worry about regular recharging.
While the hard work is all down to you, having a mini personal trainer like this on your wrist will help you stay on track. Whether it’s increasing steps, drinking more water or smashing that personal best, you get some great tools to help you set goals, track your progress and get that feel good glow when you hit your target!
