"So that runners are not bound to simple records but can understand their bodies and find a healthy balance in life, Samsung Electronics will be a reliable health partner."
Choi Jun-il, executive director of the Digital Health Team in the MX Division at Samsung Electronics, held a media briefing on the 14th at Taepyeongno Building in Jung-gu, Seoul, and said this. Samsung Electronics held the briefing with former national marathoner Coach Kwon Eun-ju and introduced that by using the Galaxy Watch and Samsung Health, runners can train in a systematic way.
There is a reason Samsung Electronics is focusing on running. As "running crews," or amateur running clubs, spread, Korea's running population is estimated to have surpassed 10 million. One out of three adults uses a smart watch, and the culture of analyzing and sharing one's running records is spreading. Samsung Electronics said the advanced data of Samsung Health and the precise measurement technology of the Galaxy Watch are the optimal partners for runners. Samsung Health is a comprehensive health platform that connects with Samsung Electronics wearables to measure and analyze sleep and exercise data.
◇ Galaxy Watch used by marathoners
Samsung Electronics introduced that even top-tier marathoners actively use Samsung Health's running metrics. In fact, Jacob Kiplimo, a Ugandan long-distance runner with Samsung Electronics' Team Galaxy, wore the Galaxy Watch8 and set a world record of 57 minutes 20 seconds at a half marathon held in Portugal in Mar. The company said Samsung Health's running metrics helped set the new record.
The running metrics athletes use can be checked intuitively in the application (app) by general users as well. Samsung Health shows six key items that determine running quality: left-right asymmetry, ground contact time, flight time, regularity, vertical oscillation, and stiffness. Through this, users can check imbalances in body symmetry to prevent injury, and measure the time feet stay on the ground and the flight ratio to find the most efficient running rhythm. They can also minimize energy waste by checking body shake and elasticity while running.
Samsung Health precisely monitors even internal bodily changes. It provides the VO2 Max metric, which checks cardiorespiratory fitness with 10 minutes of running, and the Sweat Loss function, which analyzes changes in body composition to prevent performance decline due to dehydration.
◇ Personalized programs, a "coach on your wrist"
Since last year, Samsung Health has offered a personalized "running coach" service that presents an individualized running pace to systematically improve running ability. Coach Kwon participated in developing the running coach program. "The Galaxy Watch running coach prevents overpacing with real-time voice guidance and provides schedules suited to runners in their busy daily lives," Kwon said, calling it "a running partner optimized for the individual."
When users measure their endurance and pace through the "12-minute run test," they are automatically assigned a running level from 1 to 10. After the assessment, a tailored training plan is suggested from among about 160 professional programs, ranging from basic fitness improvement to high-intensity training, to match the individual's level.
Samsung Health also provides information on post-run recovery status to help users continue exercising without injury. In addition to daily indicators such as sleep, mental health, and nutrition, it offers an "energy score" that recommends rest tailored to that day's condition. It effectively guides users on "how to rest well," which is as important as how to run well. Kwon emphasized, "By analyzing sleep stages and blood oxygen levels during sleep, you can objectively assess fatigue from the previous day's training and prevent injuries or stress fractures caused by overexertion."