🔗 Share this article

There's a feeling of anticipation. Apparent is the cold breath coming from my fellow runners as they perform the "about to run" shuffle on the start line.

A swift twitch of the hips.

I'm participating in my local 5km community parkrun and I mean business. It's almost time...

Hold on. I need to start my device. As does the runner alongside me.

The person in the line sighs. I refuse to go until… yes! GPS ready, away I go.

Amidst the crowd, it's difficult to see a arm without a wearable on it. And it's not just us runners who wear them.

It's a thriving, massive industry. Brands like Garmin dominate, featuring an wide range of diverse versions to suit a variety of needs. Based on how feature-packed the watch you choose, price tags can start from £100 to a significant investment.

"It drives me insane, I can't switch off."

"It provides solace… It feels like a friend guiding me."

"Stop telling me about a poor sleep."

Just some of the reactions I've received from like-minded device users when I inquire what they think of theirs.

The Data Dilemma

My feelings on my own device? Right now, frustrating. It's indicating I'm not hitting my target, causing me to question whether the trees I'm running below are blocking my satellite signal.

A vast number of us attach these small monitors onto our wrists and keep them on constantly, ostensibly unconcerned with the fact they're perpetually tracking us.

A distant memory are the days when we depended on them only to give us an estimation of our daily steps. Currently, they can track our sleep patterns, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), our recovery score.

It's a challenge to find a bodily function they fail to monitor.

But are they able to do what they say they do? And are the numbers we analyse a true reflection of reality? Do they boost our overall health, or do the multitude of measurements and motivational messages just add to our daily stresses?

Addiction or Aid?

"I find myself getting a quite fixated with mine," one user reveals.

While she appreciates how her device tracks her workouts, she finds some of its other functions "daunting" at times - a feeling first discovered during a significant period.

Prior to discovering she could put it into a specific mode, her smartwatch kept telling her she was being insufficiently energetic enough. Later on, the watch insists her she's had a bad night's sleep.

"I am caring for a young baby, there's no point to be told I've not slept," she says. "I'm acutely aware perfectly well."

Why doesn't she just take it off?

"I could, I suppose, but I have this complicated dynamic with it," she explains. "I appreciate it for its workout tracking, but I'm unsure whether the additional features it can now do is maybe overkill for me."

How Do They Work?

Each model of smartwatch has its own unique way of measuring your vitals and processing your data, but the vast bulk use sensors on the back of the watch.

They commonly emit tiny, coloured LED lights onto your skin which can monitor pulsation, recording your BPM. More advanced devices analyse changes in the skin conductance that passes over the skin to gauge your recovery state.

A Fine Balance

One expert says that for most people for smartwatches, it's a "fine balance" - while the ever-evolving tech could actually aid early diagnosis, "spotting abnormalities before we notice anything", it could also turn us device users into the "worried well".

He points out that newer wearables can conduct tests like medical-grade monitoring, which continuously monitor how healthy the heart is. They can notify if someone is experiencing atrial fibrillation (AF), where there is erratic signals in the heart causing an uneven pulse.

This does not automatically signal someone is on the verge of a heart attack, but it can give an advance notice they might be more at risk of a heart problem in the future.

But how to understand these numbers is complicated. The expert worries that as further capabilities are incorporated, people may find it hard to fully contextualise their data.

"I remain sceptical that the ability to monitor so many metrics is such a positive development," he says.

A clinical psychologist studying patient behaviour agrees. Her work into the effect of wearable tech on a set of individuals with health issues suggested a noticeable percentage of those who were given devices to monitor their heart health experienced heightened worry and were "far more likely to use doctor's time".

She noted a vicious circle with her patients - they saw a worrying figure on their watch. They felt anxious. Their heart rate increased. They got more worried. They checked again, and their reading increased again.

"When people are presented with stats about ourselves that we lack context for then, naturally, we are going to become concerned," the psychologist says. "We check, we re-check - it becomes a vicious cycle."