You know that annoying friend who won’t shoosh about reading self-help books? They’re probably the same friend who listens to too many inspirational podcasts, and always seems to be raving about some new health supplement or fad that’s definitely going to change your life.
Well... I’m totally (and shamelessly) *that* friend.
I’m always looking for the next thing I believe is going to transform me into some superhuman version of myself – whether it’s a new fitness trend, productivity hack, or phone app. But most of the time, the hype on these things wears off pretty quickly and nothing in my life really… changes.
I’ve been trialing the new Samsung Galaxy Watch4, thinking it would be just another one of my brief obsessions. However, this smart-watch-turned-best-friend has really knocked my socks off, and unlike all the self-help books and fish oil supplements I’ve been consuming this year, I think it might actually be making me a better person.
Before I get into all the cool things it can do and why it's reached best friend status so quickly, I have to take a moment to appreciate the tech itself.
I mean, wow. She really is quite a good-looking watch, and unlike some other wearables, the Galaxy Watch4 doesn’t give off major Spy Kids vibes: you can definitely get away with wearing it on a dressy night out, as well as wearing it casually to work, or to the gym.
The interface is super easy to use and understand, and the watch integrates seamlessly with the Google ecosystem, meaning you can access all of your favourite apps like Spotify and Google Maps right from your wrist.
Super handy for a woman on the go.
One of the best features I've loved is that the Galaxy Watch4 comes with cellular connection, so I was able to leave my phone at home more without feeling worried that I’d miss out if something urgent came up. You can still make calls, answer notifications, and even pay for coffee on your watch without having your phone nearby.
This feature is seriously great if you’re like me and think that the world will literally end if you’re away from your phone for more than 5 minutes, because god forbid I miss a single Instagram notification or call from a friend.
I found myself pulling my phone out less just to check for notifications, as I knew that if something timely came my way, it would just appear on my watch. That feature definitely make me feel like I could be more productive and feel more present.
I mean, let’s be real, I was mostly just wasting time checking my phone to see if someone texted me back, not actually doing anything important. (Spoiler alert. He didn’t.)
This was also great for the gym, as the Galaxy Watch4’s Spotify compatibility let me workout with music, but without distractions.
This brings me to my all-time favourite feature: the smart tracking capabilities.
I always describe myself as, “the laziest ‘fit’ person you’ll ever meet."
What does that actually mean? I love a sweaty gym sesh, but heck, you will not catch me walking there if there’s the option to drive.
I’m also a qualified Pilates instructor, but you’d have to pay me to take the stairs over the lift. Essentially, outside of ‘workout’ specific activities, I’m not really active in my day to day… or so I thought.
THIS. WATCH. TRACKS. EVERYTHING.
It tracks your steps, exercise minutes, heart rate and even your stress levels.
You also have the ability to challenge your friends in a workout, with more than 90 different exercises supported, which was a fun little competition to do every time I went to the gym.
And another best of mine? Even on days when I wasn’t doing a dedicated workout and thought I was having a ‘lazy day’, my watch was still picking up all the everyday, incidental movement I was doing and counting it as exercise. Because of course, it still counts.
For example, picking up my mildly chonky cat from the floor counts as a weighted squat right?
And turning my house upside down to find my car keys is surely equivalent to some form of circuit training? Well, the Galaxy Watch4 seemed to think so, and according to my activity levels this week? Umm I think I might be an elite athlete.
(See also: me vacuuming for the first time this month and my heart rate being elevated to that of a “light jog”.)
It was honestly encouraging, knowing that even on the days I felt lazy for not doing a ‘proper’ workout, that these incidental activities were still contributing to my health in a way.
One day I hit the target step count from a big sprint session on the treadmill, but another day I hit step count from grocery shopping and wandering around for ages to find where the cat food was because they reorganised the shelves.
Every little bit counts, and sometimes we need that kind reminder to ourselves.
The Galaxy Watch4 also tracks your sleep, and as someone who struggles to fall and stay asleep, this data was really interesting to look at.
It measures things like your total sleep time, your time spent in different sleep stages, amount of calories burnt, funnily, during sleep (which I didn’t even realise was a thing?!) and even how many snoring minutes you have (thankfully I sleep alone because one night there was apparently over 45 minutes of loud snoring. Yikes). It motivated me to set up better sleep habits because it felt good to wake up and see that I actually got enough hours of sleep.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 may not have made me superhuman, but I think I got to know myself a little better along the way and develop better habits because of it. It’s kind of become my new best friend, helping me on my journey to become my best self.
Check out the all-new Samsung Galaxy Watch4, the companion to your journey towards a healthier you.
Feature Image: Supplied.