My morning routine is what some people might call extensive. Although the first few steps are consistently the same, I try to do something different every day. I wake up, reach for my phone, and without fail, I open my Oura Ring app. In the past 10 years, technology has gotten wildly advanced and increased accurate ways to measure workouts, health, moods, you name it, there’s already an app made for it and possibly a device too! For my birthday this past year, I asked for an Oura Ring. I’ve always been the person who constantly has their Apple Watch updated or keeps tabs on what new phones are being released, so when I discovered what an Oura Ring was and what it did, I knew I had to get one.
If you know me, I rarely go anywhere without my Apple Watch on. I use it to track my steps, workouts, heart rate, and sometimes sleep. When I’m not wearing my watch, it’s usually because I’m dressing up for a fancy event. But what if there was a sleek, faceless ring that could do all that a fitness tracking watch does and so much more? If you haven’t seen this fitness tool on your social media pages or news, here’s the inside scoop to get your finger on the pulse… get it?
The first few weeks of having my Oura Ring were a discovery period for me as a first-time owner. The ring will take 3-6 weeks to adjust and learn your body! Everyone’s stats are unique to their body, so the ring takes a few weeks to learn and take data on what your typical vitals are. This confused me at first because it said my optimal bedtime was between 10:45 to 11:45, which, as someone who is always in bed by 9:30, I knew this couldn’t be right. But after the adjustment period, all of my suggestions for bedtime seemed accurate, with messages through the app to wind down for bed!
There are so many features this ring can perform that it’s hard to even know where to start. Here are my top three! First, the sleep feature is my favorite. It tracks how long I was sleeping, how long I was in bed, how efficient my sleep was, resting heart beat, restfulness, REM and deep sleep, and latency, which is how long it took me to fall asleep. When I wake up, this is the first thing I check in the morning. One of my priorities each night is to get 8 hours of sleep, so I look forward to checking to see if I met my goal. Second is my readiness score. A readiness score takes into account many things to measure your peak performance. These include body temperature, how well you slept the night before, respiratory rate, how hard you exercised, and your activity balance. Last but not least, the stress tracker. Like my morning routine, where I check how I slept, one of the last things I do before going to bed is check my stress levels. The app will notify you if your ring has tracked more stress patterns recently. Alongside this feature, it will tell you for how many minutes/hours you were stressed and for how many of those hours you “restored”. The restore features how much time you spent in a relaxed state compared to an engaged or stressed period. Other features like your body clock, daytime and nighttime resilience, heart health, cardio capacity, activity levels, and general heart rate features are also included!
One of my favorite parts of being a part of the Oura Ring “community” is seeing people in public with one on! I love being at workout classes or cafes and talking to others about their ring and what they like most. Sophomore and varsity tennis player Riley Schnieders has one, and she says it’s beneficial in understanding her body and how she handles stress, sleep amount, and activity! Schnieders’ favorite part of her ring is “definitely sleep tracking because I can see how well I sleep, my sleep patterns, and if I sleep poorly, I can see if I’m stressed as well.” Even though there is a 4-7 day charge life expectancy, the one thing that Schnieders says is a downside about the ring is that sometimes charging it can be annoying, and remembering to keep it charged. She says, “I check my stats everyday” which seems like a common trend for Oura Ring users, as it’s addicting to check how one slept, if they’re stressed, or for catching early signs of sickness.
Overall, the investment in buying an Oura Ring is worth it. Being able to easily track your sleep, stress, health, activity, heart rate, and so much more, all in one app and on one piece of jewelry, is ideal for many people’s lifestyles. Additionally, knowing what your body needs to wake up ready and refreshed, prevent sickness, and so much more is my favorite form of self-care and showing my body love!
