Have you ever bought something, and been instantly obsessed? You wonder how in the world you functioned in life without it. This is so much better than when you buy something and have immediate buyer’s remorse, or worse, you use it and realize it was a massive waste of money. Well, Jeremiah and I recently made a purchase that rocked our ever-loving world, and I’ve got to tell you all about it. It’s been one of the best investments we’ve made to better our health and wellness in a crazy long time. Are you ready to hear all about it? Alright, here we go. Will you give it up for, (insert dramatic pause), The WHOOP Band?
I’m not sure if I was hiding under a rock, but I had never heard of a WHOOP Band until our health coach told us we had to have one STAT. It’s what would be used to track our data as they took us on an intense focus on our health and wellness. After a health scare with Jeremiah in 2021, we knew it was time to get serious. We had to be more intentional with our whole-body wellness. The bands arrived in the mail, we strapped them on, and I’m happy to say that over a year later, there’s no turning back. The WHOOP Band is a staple in our lives. Not only have we been consistent with wearing the bands, but we’ve also not missed a day of reviewing the data collected. Looking back over the last year plus, I’m shocked at how a strap on our wrist has kept us this laser focused. I know it sounds like I’m giving myself a little pat on the back, because, well, I AM. This is a massive accomplishment for me to stick with something and I feel like I need to shout it from the rooftops so it can help others as much as it’s helped me and Jer.
What is a WHOOP Band?
The WHOOP Band is a device you wear strapped to your wrist that measures data throughout the day and night. This data is stored on a website and app for you to review. I go over all this in detail below. I take mine off when I shower, and this is typically when I charge it up. I don’t wear a watch, so it had been a while since I had something strapped to my wrist. It did take me a few days to get accustomed to it. Now I don’t even realize it’s there. There are a variety of strap colors you can buy to change out to match what you are wearing for the day. I stick with the basic black band, but Jer, oh my, he’s got every shade known to man.
What Data Is Being Collected?
I start my morning by checking my HRV (we will go into this more in future posts) and my sleep from the night before. I do a deep dive into Tracking Sleep With The WHOOP Band and share every single aspect of what is recorded and how we analyze it. Sleep has been a huge area we’ve focused our attention on since we started our journey. There are many things these bands track, but I love how you can zone in on one aspect of your wellness journey and see how it makes a major difference in your numbers.
Basic vital signs are measured and recorded. Your heart rate during the day and resting heart rate at night. Your respiratory rate and oxygen saturation. Your baseline body temperature is recorded, and you are alerted if it deviates from that number.
I look at these numbers daily to see if there are any major fluctuations. As I mentioned above, you are alerted if there’s a major increase in these measurements. It stays in the green zone if you are good, the yellow zone means, ummmm hey, there’s a slight issue here, and the red zone is WARNING, WARNING, are you okay??? What’s wild is, many times right before I come down with a cold or something, my numbers will take a slight upward trend. Because I know my baseline so well, I can up my supplement routine, or try putting two and two together to find the issue.
I’m not only watching to see if there are increases from my baseline but decreases as well. For instance, when I began implementing breathing exercises into my day, instantly my resting heart rate at night lowered. It BLEW MY MIND. When you see the line on your graph drop and stay consistently lower as you embrace a new way of life, it inspires you to keep at it.
Detailed information about your sleep is recorded. What time you go to bed and wake up. The amount of wake time, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep is measured. Your RHR (resting heart rate), oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate during sleep. It rates your sleep performance. Tells you how much restorative sleep you received. Gives you a suggested sleep and wake time, based on your strain from the previous day and any sleep debt you may have accrued. You can set an alarm for your band to vibrate to wake you up at a specific time. It considers any naps you take during the day. It’s seriously the best. Again, if you want to be nosy rosy, you can view my numbers in Tracking Sleep With The WHOOP Band.
Strain and recovery are measured each day to give you a good indication of how your body is handling stress. The strain is measuring how much stress you are putting on your body. This could be working out and even “everyday” stress. If it’s making your heart pump faster and work harder, then your strain increases. Recovery is how your body is responding and handling the strain and stress.
One of the main numbers I’m personally working to improve is my HRV (heart rate variability). This is a bird’s eye view in a way of the autonomic nervous system. It is taking in all the information recorded and telling you how your body……
How Has The WHOOP Band Helped Us?
What I love most about the WHOOP Band, is it has helped us stay accountable, gives us measurable data to review, and informs and educates us on our wellness journey. You don’t know what you don’t know. Seeing the data and numbers in front of you allows you a glimpse into what’s going on inside your body. Over time, you begin to recognize how your body feels as it relates to certain numbers. For instance, when I have a super low recovery because I stayed out later than normal, my body feels it too. I realize this is a no-brainer. Stay out late, you feel more tired the next day, duh. However, there’s something about attaching that low percentage to a feeling. It makes me make a better decision the next time I must choose between hitting the sack or binging a few more series of a show late at night. Plus, I’m super competitive and I like my numbers going in an upward trend, not a downward trend.
I could go on and on and on about our love for the WHOOP Band, but I’ll save it for future writings here at Love, The McLeans. It is a staple item in our lives, so be prepared to hear about it often around here. I’m often asked how this compares to other devices out there that are similar. I’ve only used WHOOP. Our health coach trains top athletes and many major league teams. He is over the top in using the best of the best. If it’s what he recommends and uses, I trust his judgment. I am sure there are other great alternatives out there, but this is the one we’ve decided to run with on our journey.
If you’ve had your eye on your own WHOOP Band, or I’ve talked you into one of the best decisions of your life, then I have some great news for ya. WHOOP is allowing me to give you a free band and your first monthly membership free. (Just utilize any of the WHOOP links shared here and you will be hooked up.) This is how I got started and let me say it again, the best decision, and one of the best investments we have made on our wellness journey. There is a small monthly membership fee, extremely small, and it is worth every single penny you will spend. You have my word.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments. I also would love to know if you have a WHOOP Band or tell me when you snatch your band up. We want to give you a high five and welcome you to the crazy amazing WHOOP adventure. Are you on Instagram? If so, be sure to check out my WHOOP Highlight. I will be updating and sharing tips and ways we use our bands. I am so excited for you to kick up your game a notch when it comes to your health and wellness. Game on.
