Ryan Dube · March 4, 2020 · 9 min read Staying healthy isn’t easy, but when you own a smartwatch you’ll have an advantage. Smartwatches let you track nearly everything about your health with the apps and the sensors that are embedded in the watch.
If you happened to buy the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, which we reviewed earlier, then there are some great health apps you might want to check out. To add health apps to your Samsung Gear S3, you’ll need to install the Galaxy Wearable app on your Android or your iPhone.
There aren’t a lot to choose from, but the ones that are available are quite good. The following are 9 Samsung Gear S3 apps that’ll help you improve your health.
Samsung Health: General Health Tracking
Of all health Gear S3 apps, Samsung Health is, by far, one of the most versatile and useful.
It integrates well with the sensors that matter, like the heart rate monitor and accelerometer. The main display shows you an overview of the most important health metrics like calories burned and your activity levels throughout the day.
You can scroll down through the menus to see more details, and choose anything to track. A few examples include:
- Tracking your steps and calories (automatic)
- Record a workout like running, walking, cycling, treadmill and more
- Record your sleep quality (automatic)
- Track water consumption
- Track caffeine consumption
Every activity tracking screen is customized for the activity. For example, choosing weight training lets you select from a long list of weight machines. You can enter the weight and number of reps to log your workout.
The companion Samsung Health app you install on your phone keeps a record of everything. You can see a history of your heart rate, food and drink consumption, sleep quality, and more.
Download the app from Google Play or the Apple Store.
There are very few health tracking apps out there that beat Samsung Health. But if you’re against using Samsung’s own app, there are additional options below.
MapMyRun: Running Routes and Time
If you’re an avid runner or even new to the running scene, the MapMyRun is a godsend. Installing the app on your Samsung Gear S3 lets you log a run easily any time.
Thanks to the GPS in your smartwatch, you can leave your phone in the car during your run. Your Gear will track and display distance, duration, calories, and a constant display of your current heart rate.
Once you return to your phone, the workout will sync and get logged by the MapMyRun app on your phone.
The MapMyRun app on your phone keeps a log of every run or walk you’ve tracked with your Samsung Gear S3. Tap a log entry to see a page with the route on a map, elevation gain, distance, and time.
You do have to deal with some ads, but they aren’t very intrusive.
You can download the MapMyRun app on Google Play or the Apple Store.
Run4Gear: Track Running, Hiking, or Racing
If you don’t want to install an app on your phone to track your activity, then Run4Gear is for you. This Gear S3 app lets you track activities like running, hiking, or biking.
The app tracks your heart rate, speed, elevation, distance, and time. Everything gets displayed on the main face, and you can tap each number to switch between data points.
All of the data and analysis stay right on your watch. You can look through the logs to see your performance analysis and your workout stats and graphs.
You aren’t stuck keeping your data on your watch. The app offers exporting to third-party apps like Strava, Dropbox, Fitnesssyncer, Runalyze, and email.
Strava: Monitor Your Run, Walk, Or Ride
Strava is one of the most full-featured activity tracking Gear S3 apps. The tracking functions you can choose from on the main screen include activities like running, biking, hiking, biking, and even nordic skiing.
Activity recording will stop automatically when you pause your workout. Strava sends all of your activity data to the Strava app on your phone.
This is where Strava stands out. The app is very community focused, so you’ll find lots of challenges you can take part in with people around your area.
On the app you can see all of your stats for past activities. Set weekly goals, and see the routes where you’ve worked out with each activity log. Tap the menu to explore the menu of challenges in your area.
Download Strava for your Android from Google Play, or for your iOS device from the Apple Store.
Speedometer: Monitor and Improve Your Speed
One thing that can be very useful when you’re running or biking is knowing your speed. This can help you with keeping a constant pace to improve your endurance.
The Gear S3 app is very simple. Just tap the screen to start monitoring your current speed. This is especially useful on your Samsung Gear S3 watch while you’re biking, because you don’t have to worry about pulling out your phone to see your current speed. Just glance at your wrist.
Swipe left to see the log of your past speedometer logs. You’ll see the date, the top speed and average speed of your activity, and the total distance.
Eat Slowly & Healthy: Learn Conscious Eating Habits
Eating slowly will improve your digestion, keep you more hydrated, and lead to easier weight loss since your brain will have time to register being full. However, getting into the habit of eating slowly isn’t easy. This is why the Eat Slowly & Healthy Gear S3 app is useful.
Just scroll to the food image with the calorie count that generally matches the food you’re eating. Then tap Next at the bottom of the display.
When you’re ready to start eating, just tap Start. While you’re eating, your watch will vibrate once 15 seconds is up. This tells you when it’s okay to take your next bite.
Considering the fact that people tend to shovel food into their mouths every 3 to 4 seconds, this app can help you pace your eating without having to keep track of the time.
Once you’re done eating, you’ll see a summary, including number of bites, the time that elapsed, and the estimated total calories of your meal.
Locus Map: Record Your Running Tracks
Locus Map is a decent running tracker, but it isn’t quite as robust as the others listed earlier in this article.
It’s a good alternative if the earlier options don’t work for you, but keep in mind that some users have reported the Gear S3 app crashes on their watch. We didn’t experience this during our testing on the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier.
The app is simple. Just pick the activity and then tap the green arrow to start recording your activity.
The activity screen includes elapsed time and distance (although you can customize this to show speed instead in the app options menu).
All the activity logged by the Gear S3 app on your watch will get logged to the companion Locus Map app on your phone.
The app logs data like distance, time, elevation, and pace for each of your workouts. It also includes the tracks of your workout on a map.
You can download the Locus Map Free app on Google Play. The app isn’t available for iOS users.
EyeRestminder: Protect Your Eyes From Strain
People often forget that they need to take care of their eye health too. And with so many screens in front of our faces these days, eyes are under a lot of strain.
An important method to protect your eyes is to give them a break from those screens at regular intervals. This is where the EyeRestminder Gear S3 app can help.
The app is simple, but useful. You simply scroll down to the working session time you’d like to use, and tap the checkmark at the bottom of the display.
EyeRestminder will vibrate your watch whenever your work session is over and it’s time to give your eyes a break. Take a walk, or just sit back for a few minutes and close your eyes.
EyeRestminder helps you avoid long, painful working sessions in front of a computer screen that can overstrain and hurt your eyes.
There are also lots of great mobile apps for reducing eye strain too.
LapsClicker: Stop Losing Count of Laps
Running laps around a track is a good way to get in exercise if you live somewhere where a track is your only option. The only problem with running a track is that it’s not always easy to keep track of how many laps you’ve completed.
Your mind can wander, and you end up losing count.
That won’t happen when you install LapsClicker on your Samsung Gear S3. This app lets you tap a big green plus simple every time around the track to keep track of total laps.
You can enable recording so that your workout session is logged, keeping a record of the days you worked out and the distance in laps.
It’s a simple Gear S3 app, but very useful.
Using Samsung Gear S3 Apps For Health
A smartwatch is great for a lot of things, but one of the most common is healthier living. The apps listed above will help you eat better, protect your eyes, track your health statistics, and keep a log of all of your exercise.
If you own a Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, take advantage of all of these apps to improve your health. And don’t forget that there are lots of great health apps for just your smartphone too.
