Before Buying A Fitness Tracker, Here's Everything We Need To Know About SpO2

Living a fit life is not an easy task, we decide goals, join gyms and make meal plans but it¡¯s not easy to keep track of the number of calories we burn or how active we have been throughout the day.

Up until a few years ago, the only way to measure our level of health and fitness was through a routine medical check-up, but since we got our hands on our handy-dandy fitness trackers, our world changed and rightly so.

We have come quite far in technology since the launch of the first fitness tracker. Initially, all it could do was count steps and keep track of the calories burned, but today every fitness tracker or watch comes built-in with multiple fitness modes from cycling to running to aerobics, they are water-resistant enough to go swimming, plus they also help control music.

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And while all those features are fantastic, the one benefit that was truly a marvel was the addition of SpO2.

But what is SpO2 and why is it a blessing in disguise?

SpO2, also known as oxygen saturation, is a measure of oxygen carried inside your blood cells. The body needs a certain level of oxygen in the blood or it will not be able to function properly and this keeps a track of the same.

SpO2 levels are expressed in percentages and a normal level should be about 95-100%. There are different ways to test this but the most common one is with a pulse oximeter. We have all used one during our doctor¡¯s appointment where they put our finger on a small machine that calculates and displays the percentage.

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So, why does having it in your fitness tracker help? Well, when Samsung, Apple and Fitbit first introduced this, the plan was to help us keep track of every possible thing in our body. In order to do that, these tech marvels added Optical SpO2 sensors that use red and infrared light sensors to detect your oxygen levels to our tracker, their main goal was to sense changes in those levels by looking at the colour of your blood.

While all the tech behind it is interesting in its own way, the main reason as to why it is important to have a SpO2 sensor in the fitness tracker you buy is because it displays your overall health. For example, SpO2 when monitored during sleep can help indicate how well the body absorbs Oxygen and is also indicative of the environment when you are sleeping.

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Plus, if you are a hiker or mountain climber, it can easily detect a drop in oxygen in your body which can help in monitoring your body as you climb higher.

It also provides valuable assistance to people who suffer from sleep apnea, asthma, heart and lung conditions which makes it truly beneficial to have on your wrist.

One of the biggest benefits of having continuous SpO2 in today¡¯s time is that it can be a solid indicator of pre-COVID symptoms. One of the best ways to know if you have any COVID symptoms is to check your oxygen levels because they will drop as soon as your body starts experiencing the effects of the virus. This tracker can help you get tested early and get in front of it which is a god-send.

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All these benefits make this feature sound super expensive right? In most cases, it is, the high-end fitness watches that come fitted with SpO2 tracking generally cost more than 8-10k but OnePlus found a way to put it all in a reasonable package.

The recently launched OnePlus Band is equipped with SpO2 monitoring, 13 exercise modes including Yoga and Cricket and a compact 100mAh battery which provides efficient power consumption to last up to 14 days, all for the price of Rs. 2,499.

Yes, you read that right! There is no longer a need to break your wallet when planning to buy a fitness tracker because the OnePlus Band does it all and more. So, if you want to get your hands on it, the Band is live on OnePlus¡¯s official website, OnePlus Store App, Amazon, and Flipkart.