Whoop to add stress tracking & deeper workout insights, cuts prices
Users have begun to notice some new features in the Whoop smartphone app. The company has started to add stress tracking and granular workout insights for heart rate zones.
The company appears to be hard at work improving its software. They teased a strength training feature in a future update via an email a couple of weeks ago. The app will be able to assess the effectiveness of your strength training workouts as well as the strain they place on your body.
Breathing exercises were also mentioned in that email. Some users have already begun to notice this aspect of the new functionality.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
This seems to be gradually rolling out. Companies implement software rollouts in stages to reduce risks and ensure a smooth transition to the new features. That way they can identify and fix issues before they affect a large number of users. The goal is to lessen the effect of potential bugs on the user base.
Stress tracking and breathing exercises
Stress tracking, as the name implies, keeps track of how your body is activated. For example, if your resting heart rate is higher than usual and your heart rate variability is lower than usual, this can indicate that you are stressed.
The metric ranges from 0 to 3 and is displayed on two separate charts. The first shows your current value, while the second displays a daily chart. This can help people become more aware of their stress levels throughout the day, leading to enhanced overall well-being. You will also receive alerts if the wearable detects that you are under stress.
Another feature that is being added is breathing exercises. They were developed in collaboration with neuroscientist and human performance expert Dr. Andrew Huberman, according to Whoop. There are many to choose from, and they focus on improving your sleep, reducing stress, and keeping you alert.
Detailed heart rate zone information
Another aspect of the update that some users are beginning to notice is detailed breakdowns of heart rate zones you were in for individual workouts. To see if it has arrived on your device, go to the Home Screen and select any workout. If your app has been updated, it will appear.
The information helps provides context for an exercise session. Perhaps this is a precursor to similar information about weightlifting that will be released soon. Regardless, Whoop is doing a good thing by adding more granular information about workouts to the app.
Here’s the before and after screenshot. You could only see your average and maximum heart rates for a specific exercise previously. Following the update, you can now see detailed information on heart rate zones.
Whoop has also announced they have dropped prices of their 12 and 24 month memberships. The first will now cost $239 (down from $300) or $19.9 per month. The second comes in at $399 (down from $480) or $16.6 per month.
Check our our full review of Whoop 4.0. In terms of the breadth of its recovery insights, the device is unique. This ultimately helps you train smarter. Other brands are attempting to match Whoop’s recovery stats, but they still have a long way to go.
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