Get into the habit of exercising this hot summer! A story about how I discovered a smart band that can quantify my walking and tennis activities.

For your health today and someday

The item I came across was a smart band called "OPPO Band 2." The concept of this item is "Design your health." I think that the operation methods and functions vary depending on the smart band, but "OPPO Band 2" is specialized in health support. It can be said to be a health partner that you just wear on your wrist. When I actually wore it, I had a strange feeling that my own "health" was close to me, or rather, right next to me.

Photography: Rika Matsukawa (Hige Kikaku)

I think that everyone has their own way of thinking about and understanding "health." To be honest, I'm not the kind of person who is particularly diligent, and I've never measured and recorded my physical condition, such as my heart rate or blood oxygen level, every day. However, I think many people believe that moving the body, or "exercising," is connected to their health now and in the future. In fact, I feel that exercising refreshes not only my body but also my mind, making me feel healthy in both body and mind. Yes, it makes me feel that it will bring about some kind of change in my body from tomorrow onwards, and lead to physical health.

Supports the development of exercise habits

I think I am quite physically active. I play tennis regularly and I also enjoy walking every day.

As an active person, I was most surprised by the OPPO Band 2's rich sports mode. This mode supports over 100 types of exercise and can record calories burned, heart rate, and workout time. This was actually quite interesting, and I got completely hooked.

When I started wearing this band, I wanted to try out various sports modes, and I started doing exercises that I don't usually do, other than tennis and walking. I was completely taken in by this band... Yes, I think this band is perfect for creating an exercise habit, and it works like a game. Thanks to it, I think I'll be able to create an exercise habit.

To talk a little more about this mode, the range of exercises is very wide. There are many options for "exercise" ranging from really easy to hard.

Those who think, "I don't usually exercise..." should try it out, even if it's a gimmick! Try to find an exercise that you can do from the wide variety of sports modes, even if it's just a little, and try it as if you were playing a smartphone game. This wide variety of modes lowers the hurdle to exercise, so I think you can get enough exercise throughout the year. By the way, I'm currently using the tennis, dog walking, and walking modes heavily on a daily basis. I love the "dog walking" mode.

Photo by author

[Pro Tennis Mode]

I think some of the readers of this series play tennis. When I first discovered this band, what interested me the most was their "Pro Tennis Mode."

"Pro Tennis Mode" is a function developed by OPPO, the developer and distributor of this smart band. It can recognize serves, forehand topspin, forehand slice, backhand topspin, and backhand slice, and can measure the number of shots and swing speed. It also measures the activity time, heart rate, and calorie consumption associated with them.

When I usually play tennis, I often hit the ball against a wall with an auto tennis racket rather than playing on a tennis court, and I always swing the racket with 100% of my strength, but I've always wondered how fast my swing is. Unfortunately, I still don't know how knowing my swing speed will change my performance when hitting the ball against a wall, but just knowing the quantitative data has given me a strong desire to swing the racket faster and faster. In other words, it's increased my motivation.

Racket used: HEAD/SPEED MP (photo by author)

Next time I'd like to try it on a tennis court.

When hitting the ball against a wall, you hit a specific shot repeatedly in succession, but on a tennis court, you can't do that. You'll hit a variety of shots. Recording that information and learning your own playing style could be one of the joys of playing tennis.

[Dog walking mode]

I was surprised to see that "dog walking" was included in the sports category. And I was genuinely happy. By recording my daily dog walks, I feel like I'm taking more "high quality" walks with my dog than usual, even though I haven't changed the route I take. Well, it's just for my own satisfaction...

However, I feel like even just lifting my spirits in this way is connected to my own "health". Exercise isn't necessarily just about sweating. Walking along a familiar walking route, matching my dog's stride with mine and feeling a deep sense of love for him, is also a great workout.

More than anything, spending time with my dog is my favorite time because it is very relaxing and refreshing. When the weather gets a little cooler, I would like to try taking long walks with this smart band.

Photo by author

Another feature I use every day is the "hydration reminder." I tend to forget to drink water when I'm not exercising or engrossed in my hobbies.

During the extreme heat of this summer, we know that we should not forget to stay hydrated even when we are indoors, but it is difficult to discipline ourselves and continue to hydrate. That's where this feature comes in.

If you set it to drink 2 liters a day, the band will periodically remind you to drink water. This is very helpful. In fact, I have succeeded in drinking more than 2 liters of water every day. It helps prevent heat stroke, and hopefully it will lead to some kind of "beauty". No, I'm sure I'll be more beautiful tomorrow, so let's think positively.

Enjoy easy and casual healthcare with OPPO.