I Have Diabetes and Finally Found a Fitness Tracker Made for Me

One other fascinating improvement is how I’ve began connecting the subtlest preliminary bodily sensations of impending low or excessive sugar to my readings. These earliest signs (like feeling a teeny bit faint or having a quickened heartbeat with low blood sugar, and a slight tinge of nausea or dehydration with excessive blood sugar) can mimic a number of the results of exercising, so it’s trickier for me to discern what’s blood sugar-related or not throughout a exercise. Checking that real-time information level towards how my physique is feeling extra steadily has been useful for studying extra about what these sensations are indicating.

The Venu 2S has actually turn out to be useful throughout exercises outdoors the home, too.

Whereas I largely train at house, I’ve additionally used the Venu 2S whereas climbing within the mountains or at health studios within the metropolis. It makes checking my blood sugar much less of a trouble and extra refined—I can do it whereas in downward canine or on a Pilates reformer, as an example.

Earlier than the Garmin, I’d usually go away my cellphone in my bag throughout courses and take a look at my blood sugar on my pump. Whereas I normally give the trainer a heads up that my insulin pump could beep throughout class, I nonetheless get side-eye from individuals (who maybe assume I’m checking my cellphone), and generally the trainer forgets and says one thing, too. That’s not on me—and nobody ought to ever really feel like they need to conceal their medical expertise—however I do like having a extra discreet possibility that’s there if I need it.

The Venu 2S can be a terrific diabetes administration device outdoors of train.

My greatest shock is how the Dexcom-Garmin integration has grow to be a helpful element of my diabetes care outdoors of figuring out, too. There are such a lot of instances through the day the place glancing down at my wrist is just extra fast and seamless than consulting my cellphone or insulin pump. (Sporting my Garmin practically across the clock is simple given the spectacular battery life—as somebody with a behavior of letting my gadgets die, I like {that a} full cost lasts 4 to 5 days.)

I’ve discovered the watch helpful whereas driving, strolling, showering, reserving it by the airport, and even getting a therapeutic massage. It’s additionally been clutch in sure social conditions—whereas out to dinner with a good friend, at a film, or on a date, as an example. (My cellphone is usually in my bag and my pump tucked in my again pocket or bra, making it a bit of awkward to fish out.). Plus, I like not having to take out my cellphone mid-conversation.

One thing else I respect is how the customizability of the Venu 2S lets me take what I would like from a smartwatch and go away the remainder behind. I can flip off quite a lot of the notifications that really feel extreme and pare down the information seen on the screens so I’m not overwhelmed by metrics. I’ve solely scratched the floor of this watch’s monitoring capabilities, however the actuality is that I’m already required to quantify and monitor a lot in the case of my well being for the sake of diabetes administration, that including extra of that to the combo is simply not a precedence.

And general, it’s normal health tracker—although there are a couple of drawbacks.

Exterior of the CGM performance, I actually like this watch as a normal health tracker. The contact display, facet buttons, and accompanying app are all easy and intuitive to make use of. Whereas I haven’t utilized a number of the Venu 2S’s extra superior health monitoring capabilities, I nonetheless discover probably the most primary metrics priceless. I like seeing my coronary heart fee stand up there after I’m actually pushing myself, in addition to my coronary heart fee vary breakdown after my exercise—it enhances my sense of accomplishment greater than I assumed a quantity would. I’m a giant walker, so I just like the step depend operate too. And the gap tracker was useful whereas climbing.