Buying an Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, or Xiaomi Smart Band feels like the first step toward getting fit. You strap it on, start tracking steps, and expect to magically get healthier… but then, nothing really changes.
The truth? Wearing a fitness wearable won’t make you fit. Using it correctly will.
Think about it. How many times has your watch reminded you to stand, move, or exercise, only for you to ignore it? Having data is great, but if you’re not using it to change your habits, it’s just another notification to swipe away.
The good news? Your smartwatch can be your ultimate fitness tool if you know how to use it properly. Here’s how in 3 steps.
Step 1: Gamify Your Fitness with Activity Rings and Daily Goals
One of the best things about smartwatches is how they turn fitness into a game. If you’ve ever felt the urge to close your rings on an Apple Watch Series 10 or hit your step goal on a Fitbit Charge 6, you’ve already experienced this.
Apple Watch: Close Those Rings!
Apple’s Activity Rings are simple but incredibly effective.
- Move Ring measures active calories burned
- Exercise Ring tracks minutes of moderate or intense movement
- Stand Ring encourages movement every hour
The system gamifies fitness, making exercise feel like a daily challenge rather than a chore. That small dopamine hit you get from closing a ring is what keeps you going. I always feel bad if I haven’t hit my daily goal (goals can be customized), so this motivates me to try to hit the goal the next day. By looking at the weekly overview, you can quickly tell if you have been active or not.
Make sure to check out our product review on Apple Watch Series 10 here: My Experience After One Month of Use
How to Make It Work for You
Set a realistic Move goal instead of aiming for an unrealistic calorie burn. Actually stand up when your watch reminds you. Consider using Apple Fitness+ for guided workouts that sync directly with your rings.
For even more motivation, use Apple’s Activity Sharing feature to follow friends and family. You can see each other’s progress in real time, send encouraging messages, and even compete in seven-day challenges, where you earn points based on activity levels. Nothing like a little friendly rivalry to push you to hit that last workout.
Pro Tip: Set up a friendly challenge with a reward, like whoever loses has to buy the next round of coffee.
Fitbit and Xiaomi Smart Band: Mastering Step Goals and Streaks
Not an Apple Watch user? No problem. Fitbit Charge 6 and Xiaomi Smart Band 9 also use gamification techniques like daily step goals, heart rate zones, and active zone minutes to keep you moving.
How to Make It Work for You
Adjust your step goal to something achievable and increase it over time. Focus on Active Zone Minutes rather than just hitting 10,000 steps. Track streaks to stay consistent, since missing one day makes it easier to miss the next.
Step 2: Get a Virtual Coach and Train Smarter
If you have a Garmin watch, you’re not just wearing a fitness tracker, you have access to a full training system designed to keep you moving and improving. Garmin Connect offers a variety of structured training plans tailored to different fitness goals, including running, cycling, and triathlon. These plans aren’t just random workouts; they are carefully designed progressive training programs built by world-class coaches to help you improve steadily and safely.
Garmin Training Plans: Your Built-In Virtual Coach
Garmin’s training plans work by gradually building intensity so you can progress without overtraining. Once you find a plan that fits your goal, you can add it to your Garmin Connect calendar and even sync the workouts directly to your compatible Garmin device. Your watch then acts as a virtual coach, guiding you through each session, tracking your effort, and providing real-time feedback to keep you on track.
A limited number of plans, such as Garmin Coach, can also be accessed directly from the Garmin Connect app, making it even easier to follow structured workouts. Whether you’re training for your first 5K, a long-distance cycling event, or just want to improve your overall endurance, Garmin’s training plans help you stay consistent, motivated, and injury-free.
Pro tip: Pair your Garmin training plan with heart rate-based training to ensure you’re working at the right intensity. Too easy? Pick up the pace. Too hard? Adjust your effort to avoid burnout.
By using Garmin’s virtual coaching tools, you’re no longer just tracking workouts, you’re following a structured plan designed for real results.
How to Make It Work for You
Open the Garmin Connect app and set up a Garmin Coach plan. Choose your goal, select a coach, and follow the structured workouts.
Pro Tip: Pair Garmin Coach with heart rate-based training to maximize efficiency. If your heart rate is too high, slow down. If it’s too low, push harder.
Make sure to check out our in-depth Garmin Venu 3 Review: The Ultimate Smartwatch for Fitness and Everyday Living
Whoop 4.0: Recovery-Based Training
Unlike traditional fitness trackers, Whoop 4.0 focuses more on recovery and performance readiness than step counts. It tells you when to push and when to rest based on your body’s signals. WHOOP Recovery measures how ready your body is to take on strain, giving you a daily readiness score based on heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate, sleep performance, and more. A green recovery score means you’re primed to push harder, yellow signals a need for balance, and red means it’s time to rest and recover.
With WHOOP’s personalized recommendations, you can optimize training, avoid burnout, and improve overall health. Track your habits with the WHOOP Journal to see what boosts or hurts your recovery, from hydration and sleep to stress and nutrition. Whether you’re an elite athlete or just looking to feel your best, WHOOP empowers you to train smarter, recover better, and perform at your peak every day.
How to Make It Work for You
Pay attention to your Recovery Score. If it’s low, prioritize rest. Use Strain Coach to find the optimal training intensity for the day. Track your HRV (Heart Rate Variability) to monitor fitness progress over time. For more info, check out: How Does WHOOP Recovery Work.
Step 3: Actually Use the Data Your Watch Gives You
Most people focus on tracking, but acting on the data is where the real transformation happens.
If your Fitbit or Whoop tells you your sleep quality is poor, adjust your bedtime routine. If your Garmin or Apple Watch shows an elevated resting heart rate and low HRV, consider adding more rest days. If your fitness tracker provides VO2 Max and training load, mix in different workouts instead of doing the same routine every day. For my Apple Watch Series 10, I am using a mix of apps to evaluate my readiness to take on the day. Traning Today app helps me give a “training readiness score” to determine if I am ready to push myself or not.
Smartwatches and fitness trackers provide a ton of data, but the real value comes from using that data to make smarter decisions about your health.
Final Takeaway: Your Smartwatch is a Tool, Not a Shortcut
Your Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, Xiaomi Smart Band, or Whoop 4.0 won’t magically make you fitter, but it can make fitness easier, more engaging, and more effective if you use it correctly.
The difference between people who just wear a smartwatch and those who actually see results is simple. They use the data. They take action.
So next time your watch nudges you to move, close your rings, or hit a training session, don’t ignore it. Act on it.
Now it’s your turn
Sources:
https://www.whoop.com/eu/en/thelocker/how-does-whoop-recovery-work-101/?srsltid=AfmBOor8QbF_hFf3dlEdOmCQDMAZ7gAZidu8wXBPoc8zp4sV4EsZafhq
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you. This helps support WearableWhiz and allows us to continue creating helpful content. Thank you!