I’ve tried many of the fitness tracking gadgets (do people say gadget still? as in go-go gadget! No? I’m just old.) Well, I found the Fitbit not to give me enough info. A good ol’ pedometer can be cheated too easily and of course, I have the tried and true Apple Watch. I still wear it occasionally, but I kept getting overwhelmed by ALLLL the notifications. However, I still wanted the data. So, as the OURA rings has evolved over the last four years of me wearing it, call me Alicia Keys because I’ve fallen more and more in love.
The OURA ring offers a holistic approach to tracking and optimizing your health. I mean, it’s super easy to neglect the fundamental wellness such as sleep, exercise, and stress management; and if you’re a woman, tracking your cycle. So, here’s why I love it.
- Sleep Tracking: A Necessity for Optimal Health
Quality sleep is the foundation of good health and well-being. Yet, many of us struggle with erratic sleep patterns and insufficient rest. The OURA ring’s advanced sleep tracking capabilities make it an indispensable tool for those seeking to improve their sleep quality.
By monitoring key sleep metrics, including heart rate, body temperature, and movement, the OURA ring provides a comprehensive analysis of your sleep patterns. It accurately distinguishes between different sleep stages, such as deep sleep, REM sleep, and light sleep, allowing you to gain valuable insights into your sleep quality. It even gives you a sleep and readiness score each morning with personalized recommendations on how to get these scores improved — it’s pretty cool.
- Natural Hormone Cycle Tracking: Empowering Women’s Health
For women, understanding and tracking their natural hormone cycles is pretty important. Like, when am I in follicular phase or luteal and why do I care? Since it tracks your temperature you’re able to monitor and analyze hormonal fluctuations throughout your menstrual cycle with a pretty accurate estimated cycle date. You’ll better be able to plan and prioritize based on your body rather than just guessing.
- Curbing Alcohol Intake Before Bed: A Recipe for Better Sleep
Many people indulge in a nightcap before bed, thinking it will help them relax and sleep better. However, alcohol can disrupt sleep patterns and lead to poor sleep quality. This was a big one for me. OURA ring’s activity tracking and sleep monitoring features can help you understand the impact of alcohol consumption on your sleep.
By tracking your sleep patterns and correlating them with alcohol intake, you’ll gain a better understanding of how alcohol affects your sleep. Like for me, it jacks up my heart rate and tanks my REM sleep. (see pictures at the bottom of the post for a comparison of no alcohol vs date night shenanigans sleep)
- Exercise Tracking: Achieve Your Fitness Goals
Staying active is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and the OURA ring can be your fitness companion. Its built-in motion sensors accurately track your daily activity, including steps taken, calories burned, and active time. Moreover, it recognizes various types of physical activities, from walking and running to yoga and weightlifting. You can get real-time feedback on your activity levels and set daily targets to keep you motivated.
- Stress Management: Your Personal Stress Monitor
In today’s hectic world, stress management is crucial for maintaining both mental and physical health. The OURA ring doesn’t just track physical activity; it also monitors your stress levels through heart rate variability (HRV) and other stress-related metrics. Recognizing patterns and triggers that contribute to stress reminds me to take a walk, stretch, take advantage of the mediation in the app, or do some square belly breathing.
Why does any of this matter? Why care? Sleep is pivotal for good health — mental health, physical health, and even your relationship health. “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” – Vince Lombardi When we are tired we aren’t the best version of ourselves and Quality sleep allows your body to repair and regenerate cells, support a healthy immune system, and help prevent chronic health conditions. It also aids in weight loss by regulating hormones that control appetite and metabolism, reducing cravings for unhealthy foods, and promoting better self-control and energy levels. So why not get really good at sleeping?! It’s starts with understanding the how and why of your habits.
No alcohol or heavy meal before bed.
Date night = Heavy meal and alcohol before bed.