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Doctors Say You’re Tracking the Wrong Smartwatch Data—Here’s What Actually Matters

If you wear a smartwatch or smart ring to keep tabs on your health, you’re not alone. Nearly 40% of Americans now use some type of wearable. As reported by Reuters, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he wants every American wearing one within four years as part of his Make America Healthy Again agenda.

But according to experts interviewed by The New York Times, the numbers your wearable collects aren’t equally valuable. While some can help identify real health concerns, others are better viewed as wellness tools than medical data.

The Health Numbers Your Doctor Is Actually Looking For

Your smartwatch tracks dozens of health metrics, but doctors say only a few really matter. According to The New York Times, the most useful include AFib detection, daily step count, and basic sleep habits.

Erica Spatz, MD, director of Yale’s preventive cardiovascular health program, told The New York Times that some smartwatches can accurately flag atrial fibrillation, a potentially dangerous heart rhythm. One Apple Watch study found irregular pulse alerts matched medical-grade ECG results 84% of the time.

Doctors also look at how much you move. Research reported in NYT has linked walking about 7,000 steps a day with a lower risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and dementia.

Sleep data can help, too. Cheri Mah, MD, a sleep physician and adjunct lecturer at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center, told NYT that total sleep time and a consistent sleep schedule are more useful than detailed sleep scores. By contrast, metrics like blood oxygen, blood pressure, VO2 max, heart rate variability, biological age, and stress scores aren’t yet considered reliable enough for most medical decisions.

Related: The Next Big Longevity Trend Isn’t a Supplement

The Simple Way to Make Your Wearable Work for You

Instead of monitoring every statistic your device provides, focus on these habits:

  • Aim for about 7,000 steps a day.
  • Pay attention to changes in your resting heart rate or heart rhythm, especially if you have symptoms.
  • Focus on getting enough sleep and keeping a consistent bedtime routine.
  • Review weekly or monthly trends instead of checking your stats throughout the day.
  • Share ongoing changes, not one-off readings, with your healthcare provider.

As Dr. Spatz told NYT, wearable devices can help tell your health story. But researchers are still figuring out which numbers doctors can confidently use to guide medical care.

Related: The Real Secret to Visible Abs After 40 Isn’t More Sit-Ups

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Author: Joseph Arangio

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Walmart’s Ozark Trail Label Makes a $20 Rechargeable Headlamp That’s ‘Perfect’ for Camping Trips and More

Men’s Journal aims to feature only the best products and services.  If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

In This Story

Why It’s a Good Deal

When you think about stores that’ll get you ready to brave the great outdoors, your mind might not go to Walmart. However, the mega retailer has a pretty robust line of affordable outdoor gear as part of its in-house brand, Ozark Trail. And while it’s not a household name, you can rely on Ozark Trail for useful and affordable camping equipment, including this headlamp that’s under $25 right now.

The Ozark Trail 1000 Lumen Headlamp is on sale for $20, which is $3 off the original $23 price tag. This item boasts over 70 five-star ratings at Walmart and is part of the superstore’s current rollbacks. A $3 price drop might now seem like much, but when you consider the fact that name-brand models can get up into the $50 to $150 range, $20 doesn’t look so bad at all.

Ozark Trail 1000 Lumen Headlamp, $20 (was $23) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

What Shoppers Should Know

  • Light Output: 1,000 lumens
  • Weight: 0.26 pounds
  • Power Type: Battery
  • Best for: Camping, backpacking, hiking

Whether you’re trying to use the restroom at night at your campsite or need a basic headlamp for working in dark places around the house, this Ozark Trail option is a solid choice. It can produce up to 1,000 lumens—that’s equivalent to the brightness of a 75-watt light bulb—and has an impressive reported runtime of about 6 hours when on the lowest light setting. The beam is also focused and great for late-night tinkering, while the strap is adjustable and cozy, allowing you to wear it for prolonged periods.

Best of all, the lithium-ion battery comes included and is rechargeable to boot. That’ll prevent you from having to run to the store all the time and playing musical chairs with other batteries in your TV remote or gaming controllers. 

Sometimes, battery-operated headlamps are necessary, and for things like long backpacking trips, we wouldn’t recommend this. For situations like that, we’d look at the $10 750-lumen Ozark Trail headlamp that runs off AAA batteries.

Related: Walmart’s Ozark Trail Label Makes a $30 Survival Kit With 21 Essential Pieces of Outdoor Gear

What Shoppers Are Saying

Shoppers enjoy the fact that they don’t have to change the batteries on this headlamp all the time. “This is the perfect headlamp,” one reviewer began. “I love that it is rechargeable, as I don’t have to worry about physical batteries. It has so many different settings of brightness for different situations.”

Another shopper said this product is ideal for the great outdoors and indoors. “This headlamp is absolutely perfect for both outdoors and projects at home that require some light in the hard-to-reach places where you need to use both hands,” they said. “I love that the brightness of lights is adjustable and there is even a red light option, perfect for use at night.”

The Ozark Trail 1000 Lumen Headlamp is just $20 at Walmart. Shop for it ASAP before the dazzling deal dims down.

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Author: Daniel Donabedian

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Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica’s World Cup Best Bets Today — Match Day 22

“Bear Bets” are real wagers that Chris “The Bear” Fallica is actually making. It’s still the Round of 32, but after these first few days of the knockout stage, I can’t wait to get to the Round of 16. That’s how much fun this thing has been so far. Here’s what I’m eyeing for Match Day 22. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. World Cup Best Bets — Thursday, July 2 Spain vs. Austria Spain hasn’t conceded in the tourney and I don’t think it will here either. I don’t hate a Spain HT/FT, as I think it will get an early goal and then control the ball the rest of the way to see it out. Austria played that wild match against Algeria and netted three to get here, but this is a completely different animal. Portugal vs. Croatia Portugal has been non-threatening against everyone outside Uzbekistan. I see no reason that won’t continue here against a veteran Croatia side that has been through all the battles. There is an immense amount of pressure on Portugal here after failing to win the group and give it an easy draw. I get the sense there’s a lot going on behind the scenes which we do not know about, and we’ll eventually learn after the tournament. That said, no result would surprise me here, and I’ll just default to a tight, feeling-out first half in which neither team wants to make a critical early error. Switzerland vs. Algeria I keep thinking Switzerland is better than it actually is. It just feels like it should be winning knockout stage matches and making deep runs, but we haven’t seen it. The Swiss get a pretty good draw here against an Algeria side that doesn’t have too many offensive options, despite Riyad Mahrez’s brace the other night. This feels like a stereotypical knockout stage match that won’t see much action or goals.

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England Star Harry Kane After World Cup Brace: ‘Feeling As Good As Ever’

Harry Kane delivered for England once again, not that any of his teammates doubted he would. Even though England trailed for the opening 75 minutes of its round of 32 match against DR Congo on Wednesday, Kane remained confident. While big names like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have garnered most of the headlines, Kane has quietly been playing at the top of his game. That was clear on Wednesday, as the 6-foot-2 forward came up big when England needed it most with a pair of late goals to solidify a 2-1 win and send England to the round of 16 to face Mexico in Mexico City. Kane said the key to playing at the highest level is bringing consistency to everyday training. “That’s why you do all the work from behind the scenes, you know, the things that you guys don’t see when we’re training, when we’re at home doing recovery, doing ice baths, treatment, all the little details that make you be consistently at the highest level for as long as possible,” Kane said. “Guys like Messi, they’re the pinnacle of that.” DR Congo gave England all it could handle, but substitute Anthony Gordon, who assisted both goals, never had a doubt. “I never thought they were going to beat us. I knew we would win because I trust everyone on our pitch, and I know how hard we’re working and training,” Gordon said after the game. “We play the way we train, and we play hard … I just tried to be direct, tried to make [DR Congo] more tired, and give the ball to ‘H.’” Kane’s goals were his fourth and fifth of the tournament, upping his total to 13 as England’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer. His teammates needed everything he had on Wednesday. Gordon lifted a cross from the left, which Kane headed past Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi for England’s first goal of the day. Just over 10 minutes later, Gordon found Kane a second time at the edge of the box, where he sent his shot into the top corner of the net. Gordon started celebrating as soon as it left Kane’s foot. “As soon as he hit it, it was golden. I was already celebrating,” Gordon said. “Anyone can score a good goal, anyone at this level can put the ball in the top corner. It’s the consistency that he does it every day, training every game, is phenomenal. He plays at such a high, high level.” Sixteen years into his professional career, Kane is beaming with confidence as England looks ahead to a challenging match in the Round of 16. “I’m feeling as good as I’ve ever felt, and ultimately, when I get onto the pitch, I know all the work I’ve done behind the scenes will make me ready for big moments, he said. “That’s exactly what happened out there today.” Reporting by The Associated Press.

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DR Congo Goalkeeper On World Cup Performance: ‘I Offered My Body To Science’

Lionel Mpasi blocked shots with his right hand, his left hand and even took one a bit below the belt. At one point, England midfielder Jude Bellingham gave him a hug of respect with Mpasi sprawled on the World Cup turf, the ball safely in his grasp. In the end, though, the Congo goalkeeper couldn’t stop Harry Kane. The England striker scored two late goals, the winner in the 86th minute, to prevent the upstart team from Africa from pulling off one of the greatest shockers in World Cup history. England is moving on to the round of 16 after a 2-1 victory on Wednesday, while Mpasi will have to console himself with one of the great defensive performances in a tournament filled with stellar play from the keepers. “I offered my body to science,” he said through a translator, managing a wry smile. “But we knew Harry Kane is a super striker and that we had to center on him. Too bad that twice we paid a little less attention to him.” Indeed, the Congolese couldn’t hold off one of the world’s most dangerous goalscorers. Still, it didn’t diminish what Mpasi and his teammates nearly pulled off. “It is my job to help the team and make saves,” Mpasi said in French. “Happily, I was able to make some during the game. I would have loved to save the two that turned into goals.” Already, this was a historic tournament for a country whose only other World Cup appearance came in 1974, when the nation was known as Zaire. That was a quick three-and-out, the squad failing to even score a goal in its defeats — the most embarrassing of them a 9-0 blowout by Yugoslavia. There was nothing to be ashamed about at its second World Cup. Much of the credit should go to the 31-year-old Mpasi, who plays club soccer in his native France but represents the country of his parent’s birth internationally, a nation best known in sports circles for Muhammad Ali’s “Rumble in the Jungle” upset of George Foreman in 1974. While a round of 32 victory over England wouldn’t have been as impactful as that landmark heavyweight bout, it showcased a country — and a keeper — eager to make their mark on the international scene. “I’m just proud — proud of my country, proud of my team,” Mpasi said. “We fight until the end of the game.” He finished with five saves, the most painful of them coming near the end of the first half when he flung his body in front of a shot by Kane off a cross at the right post — appearing to take a ball somewhere between, uh, his waist and upper thigh. “He made some incredible saves,” Kane said. “It looked like it was going to be one of those days.” It was reminiscent of Mpasi’s performance in a group game against Colombia, when he blocked eight shots in a 1-0 setback to the South American powerhouse. “He’s been phenomenal for us all tournament, especially the game against Columbia. He really kept us in the game,” Congo defender Axel Tuanzebe said. “Credit to him, the work he puts in, and just the togetherness that we have as a group. We’ve been together for a while now and the relationship is there, and the communication is there. I just look forward to playing with him and having my back for many more games.” Mpasi, too, looks forward to using this tournament as a building block for Congo soccer. “I am filled with pride in how we represented Congo,” he said. “We fought with all we had, but unfortunately. it didn’t work out. Now, we will rest and then work hard to make sure we can do things like this again.” Reporting by The Associated Press.

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1981 Hit Named One of the Greatest Drum Solos of All Time – And It Still Rocks

The greatest rock songs of all time are led by iconic guitar riffs and solos, but bolstered by the best percussionists of their time.

Among those is Neil Peart, the drummer of Rush, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest drummers of all time. Many of the lists of the greatest or most iconic drum solos of all time point to Peart’s work on YYZ as the gold standard, but he has another iconic work in Rush’s catalogue of classics.

Peart revealed he got lost in Tom Sawyer, which led to a new discovery for the sound.

“That song finds us at a time of such confidence that we were learning to make a song that was only six minutes instead of 12, 15, and use the same standards of arrangement,” Peart explained.

“The drum is so detailed, but when we go into the middle to the odd time part. It was improvised. I got lost and I punched my way out of it and somehow came back to the one. And that improvisation became a new part…. It’s one of those key parts that I love and it was absolutely a mistake that I just got lucky and got out of.”

‘Tom Sawyer’ Named One of the Greatest Drum Solos

Fan ranking site The Top Tens showed that fans all agree Tom Sawyer includes one of the best drum solos of all time, listing it at No. 3, just behind Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick and Avenged Sevenfold’s Beast and the Harlot.

“Neil Peart is FAR more diverse and skilled than John Bonham. Bonzo was good but he pretty much just had speed (which Neil certainly has as well). He is highly overrated. I know it’s not “cool” to like Rush but give some credit where it is due,” one fan said.

Another offered, “Creative and complex and yet every time I have seen Rush Neil Peart plays it to perfection; not an easy task. The entire album is Peart at his best.”

Tom Sawyer reached No. 24 on the Canadian charts and No. 44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 while reaching No. 8 on the U.S. Mainstream rock charts.

Related: One of the Greatest Drum Solos of All Time Belongs to 1969 Classic – And It Still Rocks

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Author: Andrew McCarty

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England, Kane Survive And Advance, Thanks To ‘Keep Pounding The Rock’ Mindset

The comeback is complete and the Three Lions are moving on, England defeated DR Congo 2-1 to advance to the round of 16 against Mexico. Trailing 1-0 up until the 75th minute, star striker Harry Kane found the net twice to keep their tournament run alive. Kane nodded to the talent that DR Congo and their keeper brought to the pitch, but a post-hydration break surge was a big factor in their win. “It was amazing to be honest. It was a crazy game. First and foremost, (DR Congo’s) a tough team,” Kane said after the win. “(We were) going behind, but I thought that after that first hydration break we upped the level, we looked good. I mean their keeper made some unbelievable saves in that first half.” An early goal from midfielder Brian Cipenga and goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi’s five total saves kept DR Congo in the game. But a pair of goals from Kane was no match for a DR Congo upset. England’s tournament campaign brings high stakes, with sights set on their first World Cup title since 1930. In coach Thomas Tuchel’s first World Cup, England has been a candidate to make a convincing run. The Three Lions most recently reached the semifinals in 2018, but fell 2-1 to Croatia. Kane also spoke about the mentalities that the Three Lions had when they needed to make something happen — pound the rock and hero moments. “It was just about pounding the rock, keep pounding the rock, and our moments will come. We spoke about people having hero moments, it could be anyone on the team,” Kane said. “Whether it’s me, a save from Pickford, a block from the defenders, whoever it is, we have hero moments. And for me, it was a day.” In terms of heroes, Kane, who is England’s all-time World Cup goalscorer with 13 total goals, has been a force in the attack and continues to deliver. Through four games, Kane’s recorded five total goals and is in a tight Golden Boot race, next to Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappé. The Three Lions’ move on to face Mexico in the round of 16 at Mexico City Stadium on July 5.

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