Tech

How to measure stress levels with Welltory on your Apple Watch

If you want to know how your body is doing and what the best strategy for you to use to cope with stress is, download our app and start self-tracking.

by
Chris Smith
October 11, 2022

Apple watch and phone showing heart rate monitoring

Image: Welltory

Installed by more than 5M people, the health app by the US-based startup Welltory helps you manage stress and set healthy habits.

The app’s proprietary algorithms assess stress levels based on heart rate variability analysis. Research shows that heart rate variability and stress significantly correlate with one another.

Therefore, HRV can be used as a good stress assessment tool.

That is why Arizona State University and University College London, among others, have used the Welltory app as a scientific tool.

How Welltory works

You can take heart rate variability measurements by putting your finger over the camera and flash or using an Apple Watch.

Your smartwatch takes heart rate variability measurements automatically while you’re at rest.

You can also set the Breathe app (Or Breathe in the Mindfulness app, depending on your watchOS version) to three minutes and launch it to measure whenever you like.

Know all about your heart and body to manage stress

The chart message looks like a histogram – a chart that shows the distribution of the variation in time lapsed between your heartbeats.

Typically, a histogram with a sharp peak indicates slight variation – a sign of higher stress levels. Conversely, an even distribution indicates that you’re more relaxed.

Besides that, Welltory gives you nine heart rate variability metrics used by researchers – based on population averages established by The European Society of Cardiology.

The fuel tank shows you how your body is doing now – it’s a personalized interpretation of the heart rate variability metrics you see in your chart message based on Welltory’s proprietary algorithms.

There are three critical scores to pay attention to – stress, energy, and health.

These scores are visualized as a liquid at the top of the report, and at the bottom, you’ll find insights about how your body is doing.

Stress

Under how much pressure your body is in response to stressors: a workout, a cold, etc., it’s not the emotional stress that’s demonstrated — you might feel great post-workout, but your body could still be tense.

The report is based on the activity of your sympathetic nervous system — the body’s stress response mechanism.

measurements nervous system — Image: Welltory

Energy & energy trend

Energy is your capacity to take on physical and intellectual work without feeling wiped out. It’s based on the activity of your parasympathetic nervous system — the body’s recovery mechanism.

Your energy trend shows if you’re saving or using energy. It’s based on a combination of your stress and energy scores.

High stress drains energy fast, especially if your reserves are low. Low stress helps save up energy.

Health

Your body can maintain a stable internal environment, or homeostasis, based on your heart rate variability.

Pay attention to this metric if you’re sick — it shows how well your body is coping.

Use our special offer to start measuring your stress

If you want to know how your body is doing and what the best strategy for you to use to cope with stress is — download our app and start self-tracking.

To make your journey to a healthier and happier lifestyle more enjoyable, here’s a discount for a year of Welltory Pro.

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