Reporter's notebook Why you need smartwatch to build running habit
This reporter runs with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 during a running event hosted by Samsung Electronics at St. James Park in London, Thursday (local time). The photo may look effortless, but capturing it while running took far more attempts than the reporter would like to admit. Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo
LONDON — We all make the same promise to ourselves. I should exercise more. I should lose weight. Then comes the excuse. It's too hot outside. Work has been exhausting. Tomorrow seems to be a better day to work out. This one missed workout becomes two, a week and then a month.
This reporter does that all the time. During nearly 15 years at The Korea Times, my weight steadily crept up. Every now and then, guilt pushed me out the door for a short run only to stop with gasping breath. That was usually enough to convince myself I had "worked out," often followed by an oversized meal.
This reporter carries the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8, both loaned by Samsung Electronics for the event. Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo
Things changed almost after buying a smartwatch almost by accident — a product I write about but never seriously considered buying. Since the beginning of this year, I have run at least 5 kilometers almost every day and have steadily lost weight. I can now proudly call myself a beginner runner, and I owe much of that change not to stronger willpower, but to the device.
On the occasion of the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event here, this reporter joined a running event on Thursday (local time) hosted by Samsung Electronics at St. James Park. I joined a roughly 3-kilometer run while testing the newly unveiled Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 unveiled a day earlier.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 features a bulky-looking 47-millimeter case, and the watch itself is one gram heavier than its predecessor. Samsung, however, reduced the weight of the band by about 20 percent to improve wearing comfort. As a result, the watch sat comfortably even on this reporter's slim wrist and never felt distracting during the run.
The running results are displayed on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Blame the crowds at St. James's Park and the constant stops to take photos. Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo
The fun part comes after the run: reviewing the metrics. This reporter normally uses Apple Watch and Apple's built-in Workout app. They provide various running data, including cadence, ground contact time and vertical oscillation. However, they do not explain whether those numbers are good or bad, or what they actually mean for improving running form.
Samsung Health, paired with the Galaxy Watch, takes a more intuitive approach. Rather than simply displaying raw numbers, it first evaluates key running metrics — including asymmetry, regularity, flight time and ground contact time — with ratings such as "Good" or "Great" before presenting detailed data.
Advanced running metrics ratings are displayed. The blue sign means "Great" and green sign means "Good." Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo
Through trial and error, this reporter came to learn that reducing ground contact time, increasing cadence and minimizing unnecessary vertical movement could help improve running efficiency. However, Samsung Health and Galaxy Watch presented much of that information in a way that is easier for beginners to understand.
The new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Galaxy Watch 9 introduce Energy Score, which estimates whether carbohydrates or fat were the primary energy source during a workout, and a Nutrition Reminder that recommends when to replenish fluids based on estimated sweat loss. The latter did not activate during the short run but could prove useful over longer distances.
The "Excellent" rating indicates this reporter's estimated VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, a key measure of cardiovascular fitness, during the run. A higher score generally reflects better aerobic endurance. The Energy Source feature estimates that about 70 percent of the energy used during the run came from carbohydrates and 30 percent from fat. Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo
The group run also produced various interesting results. One participant was disappointed after receiving mostly "Bad" ratings across running metrics. Another, who admitted he barely runs, saw his heart rate exceed 180 beats per minute soon after the run, triggering the watch’s warning to stop exercising.
“One of the smartwatch's biggest strengths is that users enjoy exploring the data it generates,” said Choi Jong-min, vice president at Samsung Electronics’ Health Development team. “The watch provides a wide range of metrics, allowing for detailed analysis. More importantly, seeing those numbers improve over time becomes a strong source of motivation for many users.”
Arguably, the biggest value of a smartwatch for beginners is not how detailed the performance metrics it offers are. It assigns numbers to what can be one of the most boring forms of exercises, giving beginners something tangible to improve on rather than simply trying to run faster. This feedback loop gives beginners just enough fun and motivation to think, "Maybe I can do a little better next time."
After the event, the reporter who had been forced to stop due to the watch’s warning said he will give it another try. Perhaps the smartwatch had already done its job.