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As I hurtle towards turning 40, I’ve started to become obsessed with longevity.
As I approach my fifth decade in a few months, my fitness tracker indicates my ‘Whoop age‘ is 33, and my aging pace is decelerating.
The Whoop MG band alongside new Life membership updates have aided me in ‘bio-hacking’ my habits, adjusting my routine, enhancing my lifestyle, and I’m feeling all the better for it. Indeed, I’m the fittest I have ever been.
I started using the latest wearable tech in May, and since then, my VO2 max has risen to 43, my HRV (heart rate variability) has increased, and my sleep has drastically improved, even with two small nighttime disruptions. That’s quite the accomplishment.
By following Whoop’s guidance, I’ve upped my step count, spent more time weight training, and extended durations in my maximum heart rate zone during high-intensity exercise. I also go to sleep as advised by Whoop, ensuring adequate recovery and rest. I’ve developed a habit of reading my Kindle before bed, as I noticed it enhances my sleep quality.
The insights regarding the menstrual cycle have been invaluable; I don’t just track my cycle. The Whoop app allows me to comprehend bodily changes in each phase, helping me decide when to exert myself and when to rest.
There’s no more guesswork and if I have a question, I can ask the Whoop Coach, an AI-powered tool, for an answer that’s tailored to me, whether that’s what specific foods I should try incorporating more of during the luteal phase, to when I can go all out with effort in training.
Sarah nearly 40 has a ‘biological age’ of 33
With the prospect of perimenopause on the horizon, knowing what is normal for me and being alerted to any changes in my skin temperature, cycle length or sleep patterns during my period gives me confidence I’ll be able to identify the time when it comes and be prepared.
The Healthspan, menstrual cycle tracking and the sleep monitors are features that I utilise the most but there is considerable data to analyse based on what your goals are.
I’ve become meticulous about filling out the journal on a daily basis tracking how certain habits affect my overall wellness and it can be quite confronting seeing just how that late night glass of wine manifests as extra stress on my body during sleep.
The Whoop MG band and the new updates as part of the Life membership has helped me ‘bio-hack’ my habits, tweak my routine, improve my lifestyle and I’m feeling all the better for it
The Whoop MG band
I’m well aware that the Whoop isn’t a medical device and the markers aren’t scientific like you could get if you consulted specialists analysing your DNA for a true biological age, but there’s no doubt I’m fitter than I’ve ever been by following its guidance and tweaking my routine.
Whoop unveiled two new updated pieces of wearable tech earlier this year in what was labelled ‘a new chapter’ for the brand incorporating ‘medical grade’ features.
The latest evolutions of the band are the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG, featuring new, in-depth tracking metrics like the Healthspan feature, menstrual cycle tracking and step counter to name a few.
The Healthspan feature shows how different habits affect ‘ageing’
– Aiming to get more sleep and improve my sleep consistency
– Improved sleep hygiene
– Upping my daily steps & strength training (3-4 times a week)
– Spending more time in HR zones 4&5 during cardio training (twice a week)
– Tuning into my cycle for training
– Drinking more water and less alcohol
– Rest when I need to in order to recover fully
The MG function band boasts an ECG monitor and it also has a blood pressure tracker, although you do need to manually put in the initial reading. Both functions are interesting and innovative, but after recording an initial ECG reading with no red flags I haven’t used it again.
The updated bands boast an impressive 14 days battery life and as you can charge it while you wear it you don’t miss a moment of the 24/7 tracking. Maybe I’ve become too obsessed, but I challenge you to try the band and not become fascinated with the insights. For the competitive, you can join different teams with other users and track your performance or goals against other members in the Whoop community.
The faceless health tracker initially launched in 2015 has exploded in popularity in recent years and bands have been spotted by sports stars like footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and golfer Rory McIlroy as well as Prince William.
This membership includes the Whoop 5.0 band, and features available include menstrual cycle insights, VO2 Max, HRV, heart rate, Whoop Coach and you can journal 160+ behaviours to analyse impact.
This membership tier includes everything in One as well as Whoop Healthspan which calculates your ‘age’ and pace of ageing.
As well as all of the benefits of One and Peak, Life membership also includes the Whoop MG band which includes advanced functions like the on-demand ecg readings to detect potential signs of AFib and blood pressure insights once you’ve logged a baseline reading.
Users can now purchase one of three 12-month membership tiers starting from $299, Whoop One, Peak and Life and receive the band for free. One and Peak users will get a Whoop 5.0 while the Whoop Life members get the MG device with the added features.
Even the priciest membership of $629 is reasonable compared with other wearable tech options. An Apple Watch series 10 is $679 and I like that my Whoop isn’t constantly buzzing with text or email updates throughout my day.
I like that it doesn’t have a face to show my heart rate while I’m working out, I’m present in the moment, not checking my stats but I can concede that if you’re a runner and want to know pace, this is where the Whoop falls short. There is no running or GPS tracking so without a separate watch you don’t know how fast you are going.
To improve my running, I’ve been using the Garmin Forerunner 965 Running Smartwatch, to keep tabs on my speed and push myself when necessary. I only wear this when I’m running or performing another trackable activity, like skiing.
There’s no doubt that the Whoop has become an integral part of my daily life, and I as move into a new decade I look forward to continuing to use it to improve my fitness, sleep and overall wellbeing.
To shop the Whoop range on Amazon, click here.
TOP AMAZON WELLNESS BUYS
The watch tracks a wide variety of activities and I’ve used it when playing netball, swimming and even skiing. The Forerunner captures how fast you’re travelling on the slopes and the GPS navigation system is impressive to help you find your way. This is particularly useful when following a trail or route when running.
It boats a bright AMLOED touch screen that is visible in all conditions and the health trackers are extensive and impressive. I particularly like the body battery metric which helps me decide whether to go for a long run, shorter sprints or to rest. If you’re looking to improve your running this is the watch for you.
These trainers are insanely comfortable and feel like running on clouds. Very lightweight, the Pegasus 41 boasts ReactX foam and the thicker heel is good for heel strikers. They’re supportive and extremely durable.
Track bodyweight, lean muscle mass, BMI and more with this Renpho scale. You can weigh yourself anytime without your phone and the data syncs to the app so you can track progress.
Currently on sale with 40 per cent off.
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound stored in muscles and used as an energy source during short, intense bursts of activity. This powder was easy to mix, flavourless, and convenient to add to water or a post-workout protein shake.
Getting to bed earlier has seen me spending more time on my skincare routine. This snail mucin essence is incredible for hydration and will leave you glass skin. It lives up to the hype and it’s currently on sale with 49 per cent off.
Reading before bed is so relaxing and with the new Kindle Colorsoft I can pick my next read thanks to the paper-like colour display. It’s super lightweight easy on the eyes and has oodles of memory to download multiple books.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t convinced I’d fall in love with a fitness tracker, but the Ultrahuman Ring Air (in Air Gold $679) has barely left my finger in the month I’ve owned it.
For starters, it actually looks chic which is very important to me. I wear gold jewellery every day, so this blends in seamlessly and doesn’t scream ‘tech gadget’ the way some bulky watches do.
Comfort-wise, it’s so light I forget I’m wearing it, yet it packs some seriously impressive features.
It monitors my sleep, stress, movement, temperature, recovery, caffeine windows and even my period, spitting out daily insights via the Ultrahuman app (with no subscription fee, by the way).
The ring looks chic and packs a series of impressive features
Another great thing for the more forgetful-types like me is the battery – it lasts up to five days between charges, and it’s water resistant to 100m meaning I never worry about showers or my regular sea swims.
Made from space-grade titanium, it’s strong, but I have noticed a few small surface scratches which is slightly annoying but only because I love shiny things.
It feels more like fancy jewellery than wearable tech, but the data is keeping my competitiveness with fitness and sleep on track, so it’s been worth every penny so far.
