For years, the narrative around fitness trackers was simple: close your rings, hit 10,000 steps, and burn more calories than you consume. It was a linear, often punishing approach to health that treated the human body like a machine.
But as women, we know our bodies are not machines—they are ecosystems. We are cyclic beings, influenced by fluctuating hormones, stress levels, and emotional landscapes.
As the founder of Deep Health Collective, I believe that true vitality comes from balancing our core pillars: Nutrition, Movement, Sleep, and Stress Management. Fortunately, the technology landscape is finally catching up. We are moving from “tracking for punishment” to “tracking for empowerment.”
Here is how you can use today’s consumer tech to support a Deep Health lifestyle, rather than just obsessing over numbers.
1. Honour Your Cycle: The Fifth Vital Sign
For a long time, medical research treated women as “small men,” ignoring our infradian rhythms (our biological clock, which runs longer than a day, i.e., the menstrual cycle). Today, tech lets us turn our cycle into a superpower.
The Tech: Flo, Clue, and the Oura Ring or Apple Watch.
The Deep Health Application: Instead of just tracking when your period starts, use these tools to practice Cycle Syncing.
Use Oura or Apple Watch to track basal body temperature trends. A rise in temperature confirms ovulation—a sign of metabolic health.
Use Flo to predict your phases. In your follicular phase, you might have high energy for HIIT workouts. In your luteal phase, your body needs more rest and magnesium-rich foods.
Tip: If your wearable says you slept well, but you feel exhausted, check your cycle day. Your body works harder during the luteal phase (raising your BMR), requiring more recovery.
2. Sleep: The Foundation of Repair
You cannot out-diet or out-train poor sleep. Sleep is where your body regulates hormones (like cortisol and insulin) and clears out neurotoxins.
The Tech: Oura Ring, Fitbit, Whoop.
The Deep Health Application: Look beyond hours slept. Focus on Deep Sleep (physical repair) and REM Sleep (emotional processing/mental repair).
3. Stress Management: Measuring the Invisible
We often don’t realise we are stressed until we are overwhelmed. Technology can now give us an early warning system.
The Tech: Oura Ring, Apple Watch, Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer, and Fitbit.
The Deep Health Application: Focus on Heart Rate Variability (HRV).
HRV is the variation in time between heartbeats. Generally, a higher HRV indicates your nervous system is balanced and ready to handle stress. A low HRV often signals that your “fight or flight” mode is stuck in overdrive.
When you see your HRV drop on your Fitbit or Oura, prioritise breathwork. Even 5 minutes using the Calm app or the Apple Watch “Breathe” function can shift your nervous system back into “rest and digest” mode.
4. Movement: Intuition Over Algorithms
The “close your rings” mentality can be dangerous if you are sick, recovering, or in a high-stress period. Deep Health means moving in a way that gives you energy, not drains it.
The Tech: Gentler Streak (app), Apple Watch, Garmin.
The Deep Health Application:
I love apps like Gentler Streak (which integrates with Apple Health). Instead of pushing you to beat yesterday’s record, it analyses your heart rate and sleep data to suggest a workout intensity that matches your current capacity.
If your Garmin Body Battery is low, swap the run for a nature walk. The goal is longevity, not just burning calories today.
The Bottom Line: You Are the Expert
Wearables are powerful mirrors – they reflect data back to us that we might miss in the busyness of daily life. They can validate that you need rest or confirm that you are strong enough to push harder.
However, data should never override intuition.
Use these tools to learn the language of your body. If the device says you’re “ready” but you feel depleted, rest. If it says “rest” but you feel vibrant, move. True Deep Health is found in the intersection of biological data and your own inner wisdom.
Data is powerful, but only if you know how to read it.
If you are staring at your health data and feeling more confused than empowered, let’s chat. Drop a comment with your favorite health app, or send me a message if you want to learn how to build a lifestyle that supports your physiology, not just your step count.
Photo by: @justdushawn
