Understanding health records

What your watch's heart-rate, HRV, SpO2 and blood-pressure numbers mean.

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• Blood pressure and training: what active people should know before a hard session

  Blood pressure shifts with activity, emotion and health. Know your usual readings, train sensibly, and leave diagnosis and medication to a professional.

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV): What It Is and How to Audit Your Own Data

  HRV is variation between heartbeats. Learn what it reflects and how to check your own records for dates, units, and missing data before using it.

• How should your basal metabolic rate shape the way you fuel and plan training?

  Basal metabolic rate is the energy your body uses at complete rest. Treat it as an estimate and as context for fueling and recovery, not a target.

• Is a higher resting heart rate this morning a reason to skip hard training?

  Resting heart rate moves with fitness, sleep, stress and illness. A clear jump above your usual range is a cue to train lighter today.

• Should a lower blood oxygen reading on your watch change today's workout?

  Wrist SpO2 is a consumer estimate that cold hands, movement and fit can skew. Read it as a trend, and treat symptoms, not one number, as the signal.

• What Does an ECG Actually Measure, and Why Does It Matter for Your Training?

  A plain-English guide to what electrocardiography records, what the P wave, QRS complex, and T wave mean, and when ECG data is actually useful.

• What does your resting respiratory rate say about recovery before a workout?

  Resting respiratory rate is how many breaths you take per minute at rest. It moves slowly, so a clear change is a cue to ease today's training.