End of the first week with Whoop.
So I’ve gotten to the point where the Whoop Strap has unlocked the strain coach, day 5, and the sleep coach, day 7. Rather than research the hell out of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and hope that after much consternation I’d come up with decision if HRV was even right for me much less if the Whoop Strap was, I went for it. After some limited education on both HRV and Whoop I decided that I would get to it. Less thinking, more doing! Perhaps I could be of benefit to you in that I think I am more like you than the reviews and articles we all might read. I mean, here’s a good article from Shape on HRV and Whoop, read it and make your own decision. no reason to waste your time with me. See my previous post So it’s here, Day One. for an understanding of who I am and what insight I hope to provide.
For Whoop to be a worthwhile purchase, you need to put in the work.
Every day I’ve gained added appreciation for my Whoop. There is a constant voice in the back of my head that is telling me “you could get an Apple Watch 6 for the price of 18 months of Whoop and in the end… have a watch!” Wait, that’s actually my wife yelling in from the living room. But seriously, this is a lot of money. So before I go any further, I can say that for this to be worth more than a simple HRV feature on a training watch you need to put in some work. Now if you’re like me, that is going to be hard. I practically take intuitive to mean it puts itself onto your wrist. So seriously, if you are not going to put in the time to understand how the hrv biofeedback is analyzed and what you should take away from it, let me save you the time and money…. get the Apple Watch.
So that is the thing that is probably most important. That you read the support articles on even the simplest things like how to edit your journal, or why one day you might be green on your recovery, put in a hard day, get what should be the right amount of sleep and wake to see your now yellow. And how you should adjust for the day.
Accountability
One of the most encouraging things I’ve experienced is the accountability Whoop puts in front of you. Not only through analytics but by the way it actually makes you think. Knowing that I will be asked by the journal about my late night eating & drinking as well as time in bed and if with tech has caused me to make some alterations to habits and choices. Now if personal history and just human history is any indication this will wane and end with me going back to the way I was, but who knows. By the time that occurs Whoop may be at a point where there is enough data, journal and history for it to make truly accurate assessments. With results, you would imagine that interest would remain. “Tracking HRV may be a great tool to motivate behavioral change for some. HRV measurements can help create more awareness of how you live and think, and how your behavior affects your nervous system and bodily functions.”-Heart rate variability: A new way to track well-being.
As Whoop continues to track my HRV and use the information I provide more features will unlock. Next is the weekly performance at day 14. In the meantime, I will continue to use my strap and hopefully maintain the interest I’ve shown over the first week. I will also be continuing to educate myself to the benefits of HRV and how to get to the most out of my Whoop. And yes, doing the research you would have expected at the start. Is Whoop the best choice?