Six years ago, I saw my first Coros watch, the original Pace, at a press event at CES. Since then, I have tested almost every model on the market. From the start, these watches were convincing with their unrivaled battery life and the efforts made by the brand to ensure long-term software support. But I only wore a Coros watch for the physical activities I wanted to measure.
Over the past couple of years, Coros has released feature updates focused on general health and wellness. These updates make the watches more valuable for 24/7 use and data collection.
Details on the different phases of sleep
Sleep tracking now provides details on different sleep stages (there is still no overall sleep score though), walking is now an activity option, heart rate variability is now captured during sleep, and the free access exercise library continues to grow as people search for core workouts, such as running and cycling.
The new February 2024 feature update will begin shipping on February 1, and I’ve been beta testing it for a few weeks. Three main features are included in this update, as explained below, and they are slowly but surely convincing me that sticking with a Corso watch on a daily basis is becoming an option.
To predict your race time
The first new feature is a fitness test. Coros watches currently have a running fitness test that helps validate the run prediction feature. New Running Fitness Test requires you to mount a Coros Pod or Pod 2 to the center back of your waist, and follow the instructions displayed on your watch for 10 minutes, which include a 5-minute warm-up phase.
Screenshot by Matthew Miller/ZDNET
Once the test is complete, you can view the assessment details in the Coros app on your smartphone. The assessment will provide you with a score and criteria focused on your running skill, strength and balance. Details include stance time, angle of attack, stride ratio, balance between left and right foot, leg stiffness and maximum ground reaction force.
The results can help you improve your fitness and the overall process is much less expensive than a lab running test, right?
To assess your stress level
Stress is a parameter that is added now in many devices, including in the Oura ring. Given the impact of high stress on your health and well-being, it is very important to understand it. Coros has added **Daily Stress** to its watches, and this feature uses heart rate and heart rate variability as its primary input data. [santéetbien-êtreilesttrèsimportantdelecomprendreCorosaajouté**Stressquotidien**àsesmontresetcettefonctionutiliselafréquencecardiaqueetlavariabilitédelafréquencecardiaquecommeprincipalesdonnéesd’entrée
Matthew Miller/ZDNET
Your stress charts throughout the day can be viewed on your smartphone in the smartphone app and in the associated widget of the Coros watch, found by scrolling up its main dial. The assessment of your stress, as well as daily, weekly and monthly averages, are indicated. It’s interesting how meetings, traffic, and other events that aren’t workouts can impact your stress levels. This awareness should help you better manage your stress.
Be aware that enabling the stress rating feature will impact battery life. According to Coros, the battery life of the Apex 2 Pro will be reduced from 30 to 25 days. The new Pace 3 will go from 24 days to 17 days, and the flagship Vertix 2 model from 60 days to 43 days. Given the great autonomy of Coros watches, it is worth activating this function in order to better understand your body and improve your health.
To see your “well-being report”
The third new feature added in this update is the Wellness Check. Coros watches capture an incredible amount of data and transfer those details to the app along with your workout results. You can regularly review key metrics to check for trends or see how your body reacts in certain situations.
A specific maneuver is necessary to establish the well-being report from the Coros watch. You have to touch the digital crown with a finger of the opposite hand, then wait for the watch to enter your data in 30 to 60 seconds.
Once the check is complete, the Coros watch and app tell you your resting heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate, stress level, and blood oxygen level.
Source: “ZDNet.com”