The deadliest part of your workday isn’t your commute—it’s your chair. However, smartwatches can become the unexpected heroes in this battle against our increasingly sedentary lives.
It Can Warn You if You’re Sitting for Too Long
You might have heard the saying, “sitting is the new smoking,” and while that might sound dramatic, many doctors and current research agree with this stance. You’re not supposed to park yourself in a chair for more than two hours at a stretch. But let’s be real, with almost everyone working desk jobs, from writers to coders, receptionists, and more—all of us are sitting more than 1/3rd of the day.
When I’m in the flow state writing an article, I can easily clock 2–3 hours without moving an inch. That’s where a smartwatch comes in clutch. For instance, I personally use the Galaxy Watch, which has an inactivity timer that gives me a gentle nudge every 50 minutes of—inactivity. The Apple Watch also has something similar called the Stand Reminders.
What makes watch alerts actually better than phone notifications is their subtlety. Instead of loud, jarring alarms, you get gentle vibrations that won’t throw you completely out of your zone. They’re significantly less distracting than phone notifications, and since they’re literally strapped to your wrist, they’re pretty hard to ignore.
Now, I know what you’re thinking—won’t these reminders kill your productivity? That’s exactly what I worried about at first. Breaking the flow state for health seems like a cruel trade-off. However, I’d urge you to trust the process and give it some time. I’m still clocking 3–4 hours of work broken up into 50-minute chunks. I’m usually able to get the same amount of work done as before, sometimes more. The bonus is that I’m not ending my day feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck.
That said, there’s one annoying limitation—you can’t customize those 50-minute intervals. Both Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch are weirdly strict about this. If you want the sedentary reminders to go off every two hours or 30 minutes, I’d suggest that you use regular timers instead—specifically Pomodoro timers. My current workflow combines both Pomodoro timers (I use the Focus To-Do app) and Sedentary reminders to maximize their benefits.
For research work, I rely on Pomodoro timers—those 25-minute chunks are perfect for focused reading. During the quick 5-minute breaks, I’ll stretch, hydrate myself, and step onto my balcony for some fresh air. The longer breaks become opportunities for snacking or walking to the living room to chat with family. When it comes to writing, though, I rely on the 50-min sedentary reminders—because let’s be honest, 25 minutes is barely enough time to get in the zone, let alone write anything worthy of reading.
It Can Be Your Walking Companion
Walking is my favorite form of exercise. While I try to squeeze in 60 minutes of GYM time every week—albeit not always successfully, I am much more consistent at reaching my daily step count thanks to my smartwatch. I just load up my Galaxy Watch with audiobooks (Audible is perfect for this), and head out for long walks around the neighborhood—currently listening to Alan Watts narrate You’re It. Alternatively, you can download an entire Spotify playlist and carry that with you in case you just feel like zoning out while you reach your daily step count.
This next use case might be a bit niche and specific to me as a writer, but if you also do your best thinking while literally on your feet, then a smartwatch can be an excellent walking companion. You know that moment when you’re walking and suddenly hit gold with an idea? I used to end my walks at that moment to jot down the idea and start working on it. But now, I store it on my watch and keep building my step count.
You’ve got options for taking notes on your smartwatch. You can either jot down quick notes right on the watch, which is good enough for short notes, especially with swipe typing. However, if you’re like me and find typing on a tiny screen infuriating, use voice notes instead. In fact, with all the new AI transcription tools, voice notes have become my go-to method for capturing ideas on the move.
It Can Automatically Track Important Health Metrics
Tracking your progress and actually seeing yourself improving is the best way to stay motivated and stick to your new healthy habits. But let’s be honest—who has the time or patience to log all this data every single day? Well, that’s where your smartwatch really shines. Both Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch are basically your personal health assistant, tracking everything from basic steps to continuous heart rate monitoring, sleep patterns, blood oxygen levels, and more—all day, every day, every second!
I must emphasize that you don’t get hung up on the daily figures. Smartwatches aren’t medical devices, and there are a lot of variables that can throw off the readings. For example, if your watch is loose or when there’s too much movement, the watch might not be able to track the exact health metric.
That said, we don’t want to know the exact health metric! We just want to know if this week (or this month), those metrics are better than they were last week. Are you healthier this week than last? Have you been stuck in a rut for a month? We can then use these trends to make informed decisions about our health. If you see gradual improvements, it should tell you that you’re on the right track and keep doing what you’re doing. However, if the curve doesn’t improve, you need to up your game.
Also, using your smartwatch to track this data automatically has the added benefit of comparing your progress with that of your friends and family. Apps like Strava can add a social element to your fitness tracking, which can provide that extra motivation to ensure you meet your daily fitness goals.
It Can Be Your Health Journal
While automatic tracking is great, manually logging certain health metrics can give you an even more complete picture. Again, a smartwatch is perfect for this because it’s always right there on your wrist. It’s not like a paper journal you might misplace, nor a smartphone that might distract you with social media the moment you open it.
I’ve turned my Galaxy Watch into a pretty effective health-tracking system, starting with meal reminders. I had a bad habit of skipping meals and then gorging in a single sitting, so I set up Google Calendar events with dedicated meal times and what to eat—to avoid decision fatigue. I know this is an over-engineered solution, but it works. When the watch buzzes, I eat—simple as that.
To make this work, I’ve pre-portioned all my meals with noted calorie counts. This makes logging super quick on the watch, and when combined with the automatic exercise tracking, it gives me a clear picture of my daily calorie balance. The system is perfect for staying on top of my weight management goals.
And there you have it—a complete guide to transforming your smartwatch from a simple timekeeper into your personal wellness companion. From gentle nudges to getting up from your desk to tracking your daily health goals, your smartwatch is packed with powerful tools to help you build a more active, healthier lifestyle.