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I like having something more useful than “I think I feel better” to look back on. That’s why I’ve ended up with a small collection of health-tracking gear. None of it gives me a complete picture, but each device answers a different question.
Whoop 4.0: strain, recovery, and workouts
My Whoop is the thing I wear most consistently. Its strain score estimates the load of the day, especially cardiovascular effort, using heart-rate data. Recovery compares overnight measurements such as heart rate variability (HRV) and resting heart rate with my usual baseline, alongside sleep information. It’s a guide to patterns, not a medical assessment or permission slip to push through feeling unwell.
I also connect it to FitIQ for another view of the data. The Strength Trainer is a welcome addition for gym sessions and home workouts, where heart rate alone doesn’t tell the whole story.
The vibrating alarm is handy too. It doesn’t always wake me up, which is why I have a backup. More on the band in my Whoop 4.0 review.
The rest of the setup
- Eufy Smart Scale P2 Pro: the app reports 16 metrics. Weight is the direct measurement; things like body fat and muscle mass are estimates. I’m more interested in longer-term trends under similar conditions than in a single morning’s numbers.
- Omron X2 Smart Bluetooth blood pressure monitor: a separate way to check blood pressure. Using the cuff correctly and taking readings at rest matters more than having another graph.
- Google Nest Hub, second generation: contactless sleep tracking and my backup alarm. Its sleep estimates are another perspective, not a sleep study.
- Xiaomi Watch S1 Active: the occasional watch for a run or event where I want a timer on my wrist.
Bloodwork gives me a different baseline
I recently had bloodwork to check my liver values before starting AG1. My results were good. That’s useful context, but it won’t tell me whether a supplement improves my health on its own. Which tests make sense, and how often, is something to discuss with a clinician rather than turn into another gadget habit.
I’ve written about my supplement journey too. I’ll cover individual pieces of gear separately as I spend more time with them.
If you’re interested in Whoop, here’s my affiliate link. It can support the blog; check the destination for the current offer.
Archive note: restored from my 2023 notes. The publication date is approximate, and products and routines reflect that period.