Garmin | PowerDot Link Up I love it when something unusual or clever pops up in my inbox - especially when it coincides with one of my favourite products of 2020, PowerDot, and one of the platforms I use the most, Garmin Connect. PowerDot is a 'smart' electrical massage device that you control from an app, I use mine several times a week for post-workout massage and injury prevention. Last night I used it on my calves and lower back whilst watching Netflix. Other than me 'vibrating a bit' ;-) it didn't interfere with my evening social routine and didn't cost me a trip to the physio. I felt good this morning because of it. Background: Musing About Your Last Garmin Workout Garmin has all the data it needs about the sport you performed and its duration and intensity. Their Firstbeat algorithms deliver to you many clever and wonderful insights. Indeed you love it when your Garmin confirms a 5/5 Anaerobic effort for that hard interval session. You almost certainly knew you maxxed out that particular super-hard ride. But, so what? What next? We've seen apps that will recommend nutrition, Garmin will give you a recovery time and other apps might even suggest the amount of sleep you might need to optimally recover. What about active recovery/massage devices? Even though I have various physio/massage/recovery devices, I'd never really considered how they might be automatically linked to my workout data to improve the quality of my recovery. At least not until recently. If you think about it, it's fairly obvious that Garmin already knows this The last sport you performed - and hence the likelihood of which muscles needed some post-workout TLC The intensity-duration of your workout - and hence the nature and duration of physio-like recovery required Bring On PowerDot PowerDot is an electrical stimulation/massage product that's controlled by an app. PowerDot now links to Garmin Connect and automatically notifies you on your smartphone that it has a recovery suggestion for you. You can, of course, override Powerdot's suggested physio workout and create one yourself. The PowerDot Linkup with Garmin Connect As of NOW, PowerDot has linked up to Garmin Connect to recommend and partly-automate recovery protocols with their massage/stimulation product and app. STRAVA and Apple Health have similar linkups and Android/Google Health are pencilled in too. Let's say you've completed the super-hard ride I just talked about, above. From Garmin Connect, PowerDot takes speed, elevation, power averages and length of your ride to quantify if active recovery (massage) is needed whereas from Apple Health it just takes the heart rate. For many workouts, you will then get a notification in iOS suggesting some recovery actions. If you go to the PowerDot app you are efficiently guided through a short wizard which configures the type of massage/stimulation from PowerDot - the wizard effectively fills in the gaps based on what PowerDot has already gleaned from the Garmin Connect data. You have about 4 hours to complete the recovery protocol for best results. Here are 7 images to give you a flavour of how you interact with PowerDot [gallery type="rectangular" size="medium" ids="60376,53652,60385,60377,53642,53640,53644,53645"] Further details that I haven't shown are in the PowerDot app which, for example, charts some elements of your progress with your chosen protocols/muscle groups over time. Garmin Connect | PowerDot Linkup - Take Out This is one of those "Huh! that's clever" moments. If you're an existing PowerDot user then I reckon there's a good chance that you will use this new feature. The new linkup perhaps won't get too many people to rush and buy a PowerDot now but articles like this will possibly stick in your mind for when you next think about the cost and need of your next physio visit. I would definitely recommend PowerDot (I don't say that very often) and it has certainly helped me stave off injuries over the last few months. Return to PowerDot Review PowerDot Discount Code, Pricing, Availability & Pads PowerDot seems to have fairly consistent pricing at rrp. They have periodic one-off offers and there are various standard discount like my 15% one, below which seems to match the best I've seen elsewhere (that actually work!) Duo Uno 15% Discount Code USA Direct $349 $199 the5krunner15 Amazon - - - UK Direct £325 £185 the5krunner15 Amazon £325 £185 - Europe Direct Eu349 Eu199 the5krunner15 Amazon Eu349 Eu199 - ROW Direct $349 $199 the5krunner15 Amazon Link Link - Available in red or black PowerDot replacement pads are $18/ Eu18/ £17. I'm just about at the end of my original set of pads and the app tells me I've used them for 54 hours and 7 minutes.
