Why I, who dislike wearing watches, wear an Apple Watch and Fitbit Air: meiseki OS #8
Diet, exercise, and sleep. Because these are all complex and closely linked, optimizing your biology requires integrating these factors to make decisions and choose your daily actions.
This series presents the design philosophy and development story of meiseki OS, a 'system (OS)' that consolidates fragmented healthcare data to help you see your own condition clearly. This episode is about how I became unable to part with my Apple Watch, even though I don't like wearing watches.
Starting with a personal story
Until a few months ago, I hadn't worn a wristwatch for over 10 years.
I actually like the product category of wristwatches themselves.
I bought three of this exact same model.
The reason I bought three of the same watch is that I'm not good at wearing watches; when they bother me, I take them off wherever I am, set them down, and forget them there.
This is the result of repeating that.
I struggled with it, but it's incredibly useful.
I didn't want to lose another one and thought my phone was enough, so I lived without a watch for a while. However, after I started strength training, I developed a desire to measure various things with an Apple Watch, so I bought one.
Now, heart rate during strength training and walking, heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep, and resting heart rate (RHR)—the data I get from the Apple Watch are all important to me, and the latter, in particular, is something I would truly be in trouble without.
When it comes to that, the discomfort of wearing it is something I can manage.
Now, I also wear a Fitbit Air on my other wrist and an Oura Ring on my finger.
What are HRV/RHR?
To be honest, I didn't even know the term HRV until I bought the Apple Watch.
A higher number is better; the number represents the magnitude of fluctuation between heartbeats, and it's better for your condition if the rhythm of your heartbeats is irregular.
At the time, rather than understanding the logic, I just incorporated it into my dashboard with the understanding that 'a higher number means I'm in better shape.'
Now, I rely on these numbers so much that I can't decide when to deload, keep my RPE for all sets to 8, or determine if today is a day to push myself without looking at them.
However, since the Apple Watch has long intervals for acquiring HRV, you need to be careful when handling the data.
HRV immediately after sleep can show sudden spikes, and if you include those when calculating the average, you will misinterpret the overall picture.
Resting Heart Rate (RHR) is also a bit tricky; the resting heart rate you see in the Apple Health app displays measurement results for
"at rest" = "sitting quietly" + "during sleep"
.
What I want to see is the degree of recovery, so I only want to see data from during sleep, but to do that, I have to build my own program (unless there is a dedicated app for it).
Even so, it is well worth the effort to acquire the values and turn them into a dashboard.
I have summarized the content I researched and organized regarding data handling into a guide article.
An OS that subtracts, not adds, apps
Wearing a watch I dislike to collect data.
Data collection is not the end; it is about how you interpret it.
It requires the kind of modest understanding and effort I wrote about this time, such as "why this value is considered good" and "how to handle spikes."
As the number of devices increases, the amount of data you can acquire increases.
However, continuing to interpret all that increased data in your own head becomes a new burden in itself.
What meiseki OS aims for is not to "add" functions.
It is an OS that "subtracts," so to speak—taking on the ever-increasing data from disparate devices in the background and displaying only the form truly necessary for decision-making.
Even if the things you wear on your arms increase, there is no need for the burden in your head to increase as well.
That is one of the reasons why I am building this system.
▷ See the philosophy of meiseki OS
※ This article is based on my personal experience and general physiological information, and does not recommend any specific diet or treatment. If you have concerns about your physical condition or weight management, please consult a medical institution or professional.
meiseki OS