Are Your Smart Watches and Headphones Distracting Your From Your Body? A Runner's Perspective...

Dr. Lexi Lain

2 days ago

3 min read

Yesterday, as I was walking up to the gym for my evening swim, I realized that I had left my #GarminWatch at home on a charger.

My first emotion was annoyance and then a feeling of being lost without my device.

The plan was a 45 minute swim followed by a deep stretch class, but without my watch, I had no idea what the details were.

What were my intervals?

How was I going to track my distance?

What about my performance metrics?

What would you do without your smartwatch or headphones, especially on a long run?

This experience led me to make a post on my TikTok with a simple question:

When you leave your smart watch or headphones at home, what do you do?

A. Go home and get your watch or headphone?

B. Do the workout from memory or a similar workout.

C. Call it a wash and try again tomorrow?

Interestingly, everyone who commented on my post said that they would go home, get their device, and do the workout.

Well, I lived 30 minutes away from the gym and I wasn't going to drive an hour round trip just for a watch!

So I pulled up my #TriDot app, reviewed my workout, memorized what I could, and got on with it.

And that's when I had an interesting realization.

Are our fitness devices disonnecting us from our bodies?

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Garmin!

I love tracking my workouts, reviewing my metrics, and seeing my progress.

But here's the ah-ha moment I want you to consider.

Are we becoming so dependent on our smartwatches and headphones that we're forgetting how to listen to our own bodies?

When you're running with music blasting in your ears, focused on hitting a certain pace, or completing the workout your watch tells you to do, how much attention are you actually paying to how your body feels?

Your breathing?

Your cadence?

Your energy?

Your stomach?

What Does This Have to Do With Runner's Gut?

Quite a bit, actually.

When you're training for a #halfmarathon, #marathon, or #ultramarathon, your body is constantly giving you feedback, and some of that comes from your digestive system.

Maybe you're experiencing:

Bloating during your long runs.
Nausea after taking a gel.
Stomach cramps when you increase your pace.
Diarrhea or an urgent need to find a bathroom.

Now, imagine you're so focused on hitting your pace or completing your intervals that you overlook those early warning signs.

You keep pushing.... and pushing....until your your gut says..

ENOUGH!

Exercise-induced gastrointestinal symptoms can have several causes, including intensity, fueling, hydration, heat, and underlying digestive issues.

Paying attention to your symptoms won't necessarily prevent them, but it may help you recognize patterns and make adjustments BEFORE an urgent, more embarassing accident happens.

Can Running Without Headphones Help You Listen to Your Body?

Here's something I'd love for you to experiment with.

On your next safe, familiar training route, try running without your headphones for part of the workout.

Or occasionally complete an easy session without constantly checking your smartwatch.

Instead, tune into your body.

Ask yourself:

How is my breathing?
Does this pace actually feel easy?
Am I noticing any stomach discomfort?
How am I tolerating my fuel and hydration?
Do I need to slow down or make an adjustment?

Your smartwatch provides valuable information, but so does your body.

And sometimes the most important information isn't on the screen.

Your Gut Is Giving You Information. Are You Listening?

As endurance athletes, we're pretty good at pushing through discomfort, but there's a difference between the discomfort of a challenging workout and symptoms that may be telling us something isn't right.

If you're repeatedly experiencing bloating, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, or stomach cramps during long runs, don't simply ignore those symptoms because your watch says you have another five miles to go.

Pay attention and look for any patterns.

Try disconnecting from your devices once in a while and reconnecting with your body.

You might be surprised by what you notice.

And who knows? It may even help you identify some of the patterns contributing to your runner's gut issues.