EVEN at the peak of my fitness journey, I would use only a fraction of what the Garmin Fenix 7S multisport GPS watch has to offer.
Extensive and all-encompassing, its drop-down menu shows sports I don't even know of. Its HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is subdivided into Tabata, Amrap, Emom and custom exercise. If you run, there is outdoor, track, treadmill, virtual, even an ultra-distance option that is over 50km, so you get the drift of whom this watch is meant for.
Whether you are a runner, climber, biker, skier, swimmer or diver, this watch will help you achieve your fitness goals.
My upgrade, from the Forerunner 55 to Fenix 7S, feels significantly luxurious in function and form, and I love every minute of it. At 63g, compared with Forerunner 55's 37g, this feels significantly heavier on my left wrist, since I'm the type of person who wears the smartwatch 24/7.
But that extra weight is nothing compared with how quick, adaptable and smart this piece of machine is.
FOR THE FITNESS FAN
I'm not a hardcore exerciser but I work out regularly. It's my version of me-time and I get agitated if I don't run or train. In a week, I will run, swim and do weight and resistance training at the gym at least once for each discipline. Sometimes, I sneak yoga in, especially when I feel guilty for not warming up and down before and after my runs.
What this watch helps me with is monitor my recovery so I know when to take it easy and when to train hard again.
At 45, my exercise cycle has changed significantly than when I was in my 30s. I feel that I work out more effectively with two rest days instead of one and sleep better at night if I don't push myself too hard.
According to its maker Garmin, this watch features the best of its "fitness and outdoor watches, blending cutting-edge design and performance with 7-day-a-week wearability".
RUNNING BUDDY
When you start running with the Fenix 7S, it automatically lights up so you can keep up with your statistics even when you are running at night or in the wee hours of the morning.
I love that it's in sync with my body and gives my real-time heart rate. Some watches don't catch heart rate fast enough so even when you are breathless, the number on your watch doesn't match how you breathe.
This one gives real-time heart rate so when I am jogging up the hill, my heart rate matches my breathing. I appreciate this most of all. I need to know when to push and when to stop.
Exercise is a great remedy for many ailments, but I believe what's more important is understanding the parameters of safe workouts and conditioning yourself to get fitter and slowly changing those parameters.
When you are training, this watch allows you to view your advanced training metrics that include running dynamics, heat-and-altitude-adjusted VO2 max and trail running adjustment, among others.
There's also a real-time stamina display. You can use this data to track and manage exertion — and help avoid overexerting at the start of your session.
After each workout, the recovery time adviser lets you know when you'll be ready for another hard workout. And it's not just based on that particular session. The advisory takes into account training intensity and other factor like stress, daily activity and your sleep quality.
VALUABLE HEALTH MONITORING
You don't have to be a fitness fan to appreciate this watch. Aside from exercise, I enjoy the health monitoring features it offers.
It has a wrist-based heart rate monitor that gauges activity intensity as well as heart rate variability to calculate stress level. It also tracks underwater without a heart rate strap so you can swim with it and monitor your exertion.
If you have your heart rate on your watch's face, then you can monitor it. The watch will beep if it detects unusually high heart rate so you can sit down and relax or do breathing exercises that the watch suggests.
And then you have the Pulse Ox sensor, which has a similar function as your oximeter, a Covid-19 must-have home device. You can take its reading when you want to, but if you need closer monitoring, you can even schedule it to take readings while you sleep.
If you have Covid-19 and if you feel unwell, I suppose this is a good tool to have for you to decide if you can still quarantine at home or need medical help.
IN MY SLEEP
My favourite feature has got to be its sleep score and monitoring. I use it religiously and even go to bed early because I have set my bedtime. I realise that if I go to bed unrested, then my body will be in stress mode when I sleep.
As a result, even when I sleep more than eight hours, my sleep score is only "fair" and I don't wake up feeling refreshed. The next night, I wind down earlier and stop checking updates on social media to bring my stress level down before I go to bed.
True enough, my sleep score is "excellent" and I feel fresh in the morning.
You get a full breakdown of your light, deep and REM sleep stages and you can view them on a dedicated widget that includes your sleep score and insights.
So if you like to monitor your health, don't be put off by the watch's reputation as a high-end GPS sports watch. It can do more than just train you in sports.
Its tagline — get better at whatever — just sums up how smart and cool this watch is.
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