Your smartwatch alerts you to move, tracks your heart rate, and even tells you if you're overtraining. But is it actually coaching you? 

 

If you've ever been nudged by your smartwatch to "Stand Up!" or "You're in peak zone!" you've probably asked yourself, "Is this thing just tracking me… or is it actually training me?" 

 

Wearables have come a long way. What used to be step counters have now evolved to be health companions, tracking your sleep, heart rate, workouts, water intake, stress, and even oxygen levels.  

 

Whether you're using a smartwatch from Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin, or even Polar, these devices and the apps they can connect to, like AIA Vitality on the AIA+ app, offer more support than ever. 

 

But here's the question: Can your smartwatch replace a real-life fitness coach? Or is it just giving you a bunch of numbers and hoping you know what to do with them?  

 

Let's unpack what these wearables are doing and what they're not. 

Today's smartwatches are designed to do more than just log your workouts. It now has the capability to utilise health data to help shape your day. 

 

You're not just seeing numbers on your smartwatches. You're now getting prompts to recover when your sleep has been off, reminders to hydrate, and suggestions to hit your step goal before the day's over. It's like a digital accountability buddy, always watching you (if you permit it to, of course). 

 

Here's what many smartwatches and fitness trackers can help with: 

 

✔️ Track heart rate zones so you can train at the right intensity 

✔️ Monitor your sleep and offer recovery tips 

✔️ Provide real-time cues during workouts 

✔️ Log daily wellness habits like food, water and stress 

✔️ Estimate VO2 max, blood oxygen, and more for performance-focused users 

 

It's no longer just about collecting data. It's about turning that data into smarter actions.

Short answer? Not quite. 

 

Let's start with what smartwatches do well.​     ​ 

 

 

✔️ Stay on track 

With nudges, reminders and easy-to-read dashboards, your smartwatch helps you stay accountable. It doesn't magically keep you in check because you still have to engage with the data. It does, however, give you the information you need to keep going. 

 

✔️ Train with more awareness

You get feedback on how hard you're working out, your recovery period, and whether you're hitting your goals. If you use it right, it can be empowering. 

 

✔️ Build better habits

From sleep reminders to breathing prompts, many smartwatches support a more well-rounded approach to wellness, not just workouts. 

 

 

❌ No human connection

A smartwatch doesn't know what you're struggling with or when you need that extra bit of motivation. A trainer or friend picks up on your energy, adapts, and cheers you on. That emotional nudge? It's still human territory. 

 

❌ Not great at context

Your watch might alert you with a message, "You didn't close your move ring" or "You're undertraining", but maybe you're exhausted from work or haven't slept well. It doesn't always understand why you're skipping a session, and sometimes, the push may just feel off. 

 

❌ Can't adjust for recovery or injury

A coach adapts your exercises and trains you based on how your body is feeling. A smartwatch follows patterns, which is helpful but not intuitive. 

 

So, while your smartwatch can help you move more, sleep better and push yourself, it won't give you everything a human coach can. 

If your goal is to train more efficiently and not just harder, heart rate zones are a great place to start. 

 

Smartwatches and fitness trackers in Singapore now track your heart rate real-time, so you can understand what "training smart" actually looks like. 

 

Here's a quick breakdown: 

So, whether you're using Fitbit's "Fat Burn, Cardio, Peak" labels or Garmin's colour-coded zones, the idea is the same: to know how hard you're working and when to pull back or push harder. It is also worth noting that tracking heart rate zones will not prevent you from overtraining (which is something your personal trainer is trained to identify). Still, it can help you spot the signs earlier, pace your workouts, and train in a way that's sustainable. 

Smartwatches and fitness-tracking devices are fast becoming wellness tools, tracking your overall lifestyle and encouraging you to take small, daily steps toward better health. 

 

Most smartwatches today can: 

 

✔️ Track your sleep quality across light, deep and REM stages 

✔️ Offer stress management tips based on heart rate variability 

✔️ Monitor blood oxygen levels and even detect irregular heart rhythms (on certain models) 

 

While these insights are helpful, you must always remember that they're not diagnostic tools. The data from these devices may give you a general picture, not the whole story. 

 

As a healthcare expert from Fullerton Healthcare Group Pte. Ltd., an AIA Vitality partner, puts it: "Smartwatches can help individuals to stay mindful of their daily habits by prompting them to move more, sleep better, and manage stress. However, these devices should not replace professional medical advice as the data they provide should be interpreted in context, in consultation with a qualified healthcare professional, especially when health concerns arise." 

Not anytime soon, but it's pretty close to being a coach in your pocket if you know how to use it well. 

 

And if you're an AIA Vitality member, it gets even better. You can now link your smartwatch or health apps to the AIA+ app to track your steps and workouts, and conquer Weekly Fitness Challenges, turning everyday movement into tangible rewards! 

 

Because, at the end of the day, building a healthier life isn't just about one killer workout, it's about the daily choices, the quiet wins, and the little reminders on your wrist that say, "You've got this.". Also, always listen to your body. If it's telling you to rest, take a break and come back stronger. Let's all #LiveWithVitality!