Women’s Day 2025: From menstrual tracking to stress management, how smartwatches are helping women track their health

Women’s Day 2025: From menstrual tracking to stress management, smartwatches have evolved far beyond just texting, answering calls, or checking the time. For women juggling different responsibilities, these wearables have become essential for tracking health.

With features like menstrual cycle tracking, heart rate monitoring, stress management, and sleep tracking, smartwatches empower women to take charge of their well-being. 

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, 2025, here’s a look at how these devices are making a difference. 

Key smartwatch features tailored for women

Beyond tracking essential health metrics like heart rate, blood oxygen levels and step count, smartwatch makers are now focusing on incorporating useful features designed specifically to monitor women’s health. 

Today’s smartwatches offer advanced health tracking for menstrual cycles, ovulation periods and stress levels.

“Smartwatches powered by AI-driven analytics provide personalised menstrual cycle predictions, symptom tracking, and comprehensive health insights—helping women better understand their bodies, plan their routines, and make informed decisions about their well-being,” said CP Khandelwal, CEO of PR Innovations and Brand Custodian, Amazfit India. 

“Advanced health monitoring tools like Body Battery energy monitoring, HRV status, a Pulse Ox sensor, and sleep coaching can better understand women’s overall well-being,” a Garmin India spokesperson added. 

Some smartwatch models now offer skin temperature tracking, which can be particularly helpful for women experiencing hormonal changes, including perimenopause. 

How are women levelling up their smartwatch game?

A woman’s body undergoes different stages throughout life, from puberty and reproductive years to pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause. Each phase comes with distinct hormonal changes that can cause symptoms like anxiety, hot flashes, and irregular periods. 

Real-time health insights 

According to Dr Priyanka Suhag, senior consultant and unit head of obstetrics and gynaecology at BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, smartwatches present real-time health data that can help detect initial signs of illness and assist doctors in diagnosis and care.

Perimenopause journey

Health and wellness coach Dr Binti Jhuraney used her Garmin smartwatch during her perimenopause journey to monitor cycle irregularities and share accurate data with her doctor. 

According to Dr Jhuraney, tracking key metrics like average resting heart rate, stress levels, and sleep patterns allowed her to tailor meditation and breathwork sessions more effectively and optimise her fitness plan by analysing calories burned and heart rate fluctuations. 

Balancing work, life and fitness 

For many women, juggling personal and professional commitments makes maintaining a fitness routine challenging. Lakshmi Venkataraman Venatesan, Founding and Managing Trustee at BYST, said, “During a busy week at work or when I travel overseas, I may end up missing my gym or yoga session. So, when work-home life balance takes a backseat, I use my Apple smartwatch to track my steps to achieve my daily goal.”

Tracking health during pregnancy

Divyanshi Shah, HCM Solution Consultant, TietoEvry, found her Apple smartwatch helpful in setting up accountability for her fitness targets and staying consistent with her fitness goals. During her pregnancy, the gadget helped her monitor crucial health metrics like blood pressure and oxygen levels.

“During my entire pregnancy, my smartwatch helped me record all my daily workout sessions, track calories burnt, step count, oxygen levels, and blood pressure (which usually fluctuates for women during pregnancy), heart rate monitor, etc,” said Divyanshi Shah.

Smartwatch alerts: Beware of false alarms

While smartwatches provide valuable health insights, they can sometimes trigger false alarms.

“Smartwatch health data can help diagnose early symptoms of heart diseases, stress, and other health conditions. However, they are not medical devices. Patients must always verify with a doctor before panicking over abnormal readings,” warns Dr Priyanka Suhag.