Suunto Blog

Packing for vacation should be easy – a couple swimsuits, a pair of flip-flops, some sunscreen, and you’re good to go – right? Not if you’re going diving. To say it’s an equipment-intensive sport is putting it lightly. Good news: you can get your tanks at almost any dive location – so at least you won’t have to put down for overweight baggage fees. But there are a few key items you’re probably going to want. Suunto’s Alec Jones has spent the good part of a decade at the dive paradise of Sharm-El-Sheik as a dive instructor – so he’s a qualified expert.     First off, do a holiday A dive holiday may sound extravagant, or expensive – but it’s one of the best ways to expand your horizons. “You’ll encounter different conditions, visibility, wildlife – you name it. Diving is about exploration!” says Alec.   Your own fins, mask and snorkel Fins and masks are pressure points – you get the wrong fit, and you’re going to be uncomfortable all day, and that makes diving less than fun. At that point you might as well chuck in a snorkel. “Rental kit often isn’t so nice,” says Alec. “Even if you’re just getting into it, I really recommend getting a decent, properly fitting mask, and some decent fins.” And if you’re someone who would call themselves a germaphobe, you might, uh, want your own wetsuit, too.   Dry Bags, sunscreen and hydration You’re probably going to be spending a lot – a lot – of time on a boat in the sun. Sunscreen you know about – but what you might not realize is how much you’ll get dehydrated. Add in that a lot of other counties purify their water – you won’t be getting minerals you’re used to – and it’s a recipe for dehydration. “A lot of people would come to dive in Egypt, get sick, and blame something in the water – but it’s actually dehydration!” says Jones.   Another great thing to bring along? Small or medium-sized dry bags to drag out on the boat – useful for electronics or just keeping a dry t-shirt nearby.   Gaffer tape and zip ties Why? You don’t know yet. Just bring ‘em.     A dive computer you know Your dive computer is an essential piece of kit – and since it’s a little complicated, it’s great to go with something you know. The new Suunto EON Core is an easy-to-use, Bluetooth®-equipped dive computer that will log every meter of every dive. With your own kit, you can pre-load it with your own dive plan – a nice bonus. Another hot tip? A portable power bank to keep your dive computer charged.   Keep going further Water covers over 70% of our planet – there are lots of places to go. “For Europeans, the Red Sea is really close,” Jones says. “But why stop there? There’s Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, the Cenotes in Mexico, the Florida Keys, Costa Rica, the Galapagos – the list is really endless!”   Do everything right, and you’ll have the experience of a lifetime – and you might even make some new friends. “I’ve seen a lot of solo divers come down and make friends that they’ll keep for life,” says Alec. “Now they come back year after year to dive together.”     READ ALSO A pro diver’s essential tips for newbie divers 10 tips to take amazing underwater photos  

There is no better way to start the day than by doing yoga. For champion mountain runner Emelie Forsberg, a regular morning yoga practice keeps her life in a balance. A lot of people have the impression yoga takes an hour or 90 minutes. Not so – Emelie says a regular yoga practice can be short and sweet. A daily practice of 10 to 15 minutes is better than a once-in-a-while 90-minute class. Regular practice brings the results, she says. Here are her 7 favorite poses. These can be done in a sequence in less than 20 minutes. Easy seated: One to three minutes "It’s nice to sit for a few moments before beginning moving just to feel the breath and the body. Simply cross your legs in front of you, and tune into your belly moving in and out with the breath." Downward Dog: Five to 20 breaths "I often come into this position even if I don´t do the sun salutations because it’s great for the hamstrings, calf muscles, and the upper back. It also works as a stretch for tight underarms." "It’s like creating the shape of the letter “A” with the body. Spread the fingers wide, actively push into the hands, breath in and lift your butt up high. Try to distribute weight down evenly through the arms and legs." Warrior 2: Five to 10 breaths each side "This pose is great for developing strength in the legs and finding stability by keeping the hips in a balanced position. Align your feet so the front foot’s heel is in line with the arch of the back foot. Keeps the arms out at shoulder height and gaze out over the front fingers. For a more demanding session I hold it for 10 breaths on each side. Keep the front knee above the ankle, the back leg straight and the torso upright." Click here to read how yoga helps Emily’s life stay in balance Triangle pose: Five to 10 breaths each side "Nice stretch for the hamstrings and side body, and also works on balance." Tree pose: Five breaths each side "Here we test our balance, using the small muscles in the ankle and foot. Try also to keep a stable and long upper body, as well as ensuring relaxed shoulder blades while holding your arms above your head." Boat pose: Five to 10 breaths "Great for working on core strength. Sit on your butt, with the soles of your feet on the mat and your knees up. Sit upright, keeping your spine long. Then lift your feet off the mat, bringing them to knee height, while pointing the toes. Now, lean back carefully, keeping the spine long, and bring your arms forward so the hands are by the knees." Pigeon pose: Three to 10 breaths "Great for the glutes! If you’re feeling tired in the IT band, then this pose can really help. Stay here as long as comfortable and work with the breath to slowly (and carefully!) come lower down for deeper work. Be aware of any uncomfortable or painful compression sensations. It’s better to back off and approach this posture gradually over time." All images by Matti Bernitz / Suunto More related stories: How yoga can make you a better mountain runner How to bring mindfulness to the trail Five yoga moves for runners

Emelie Forsberg began practicing yoga when she was 15. Now, 31, it remains a staple in her life, one that keeps her grounded and calm. It’s so important to her in 2016 she traveled to India and completed a yoga teacher training course.   “When I’m in a good flow, when I’m in my routine, I practice daily,” she says. “I think it has always given me a calmness just to sit down to feel the body – it allows me to tune into how the muscles are feeling, where the tender spots are, what needs attention. It gives me the sensitivity to be able to listen to the body.”     Listening to the body is central to the training philosophy of her and her partner Kilian Jornet. Rather than complex tables and stats, they depend on a sensitive receptiveness to what the body is telling them on any given day. For Emelie, yoga helps this process.   “The whole philosophy of yoga, the mindfulness part, can really make me a better person and in that way it makes me a better athlete,” she says. It helps me focus and to accept the ups and downs.”   She likes to start her morning on her yoga mat so she can tune into whether her body is feeling tired, the level of stiffness, mental sharpness, or whether or not there are the subtle signs telling her an injury is forming. This awareness is essential, she says, to balancing her training and recovery time.     Click here for Emelie's top 7 yoga poses for runners   “When I make the time for yoga I really feel good. I’m in more of a flow. It’s really helped me stay in balance,” she says.   After a big training week or race, Emelie rolls out her yoga mat to begin the process of recovery. She begins with gentle movements that synchronize her breathing with gentle spinal movements, slowly warming the body and releasing some of the unnecessary stiffness.   “After a big race or week it’s nice to move my body in another way,” she says. “The stretching helps for sure, to feel a bit relaxed in the body after hard training. It helps me maintain my upper body flexibility, as I’m quite stiff in the upper body, around the shoulder blades. For some others, it might be hips and glutes.”     In the media and online yoga is often depicted as being the domain of thin, ultra-flexible women who look like elite gymnasts. For many people, especially athletes, this can be a turn-off. Strength, stability and stamina are prized, not the contortionism.   Emelie says this is not what yoga really is and not how she, as an athlete, approaches it. Having a good yoga teacher, who understands physiology and sports science, is important.   “It’s not important for me to be really flexible,” she says. “As athletes we use our muscles in a very different way. I have stiffness I need as a runner, for example a stiff lower back – I don’t want to work on that.   “I won’t do many of the back bending yoga poses because they are not good for running. It’s important to know your body and how yoga can affect your running.”   All images by Matti Bernitz / Suunto   More related stories: How yoga can make you a better mountain runner How to bring mindfulness to the trail Five yoga moves for runners  

“I had a big accident four years ago and dislocated both of my shoulders at the same time. Since then I have dislocated them a few times every year. I knew I needed to get this surgery. It was mandatory,” says Kilian. “I am an outdoor person. I don’t want to be stuck inside, but I knew I needed to stay one or two months indoors. That was hard, but I was mentally prepared for that.” Watch the video and see the Kilian copes with the slow recovery process of two operated shoulders at once.

Ueli, may your spirit forever guard others who live their dreams in the mountains. We miss you – and your broad smile.

TRACK YOUR ACTIVITY LEVELS WITH STEPS AND CALORIES     From the watch face display, press the lower right button until you see your total steps for the day. Pressing the middle button once will reveal your steps over the last seven days.     Your Suunto 3 keeps track of your overall level of activity throughout the day. It counts steps using an accelerometer. The total step count accumulates 24/7, also while recording exercises and other activities. However, with some specific sports, such as swimming and cycling, steps are not counted.   To switch from daily steps to estimated daily calories, press the upper left button. The total calories you burn per day is based on two factors: your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and your physical activity.   Your BMR is the amount of calories your body burns while at rest. These are the calories your body needs to stay warm and perform basic functions like blink your eyes or beat your heart. This number is based on your personal profile, including factors such as age and gender.   When you set a calorie goal (see below), you define how many calories you want to burn in addition to your BMR. These are your so-called active calories.   The large number in the center of the display is the estimated amount of active calories you have burned so far. Below this you see the total calories burned. The total includes both active calories and your BMR.   You can view a weekly summary in your watch or long-term trends in the diary section of your Suunto app.     SET YOUR ACTIVITY GOALS   The ring in both the steps and calories displays indicates how close you are to your daily activity goals. You can adjust the goals in your watch settings (Settings >> Activity) or by keeping the middle button pressed in the activity display to open the activity goal settings.   When setting your target for steps, you define the total number of steps for the day. When you set your calorie goal, you define how many calories you want to burn in addition to your BMR.   Both activity counters automatically reset at midnight every day.     FOLLOW YOUR DAILY HEART RATE TREND   Enable Daily HR under the Activity settings (Settings >> Activity)     The daily HR display provides a 12-hour view of your heart rate. This is a helpful source of information about, for example, your recovery after a hard training session.   The display shows your heart rate over 12 hours as a graph. The graph is plotted using your average heart rate based on 24-minute time slots. In addition, you get your lowest heart rate during the 12-hour period.   Your minimum heart rate from the last 12 hours is a good indicator of your recovery state. If it is higher than normal, you probably are not fully recovered yet from your last exercise.   Read more about Daily HR     TRACK YOUR SLEEP DURATION AND QUALITY     Suunto 3 tracks your sleep, too.     A good night's sleep is important for a healthy mind and body. You can use your Suunto 3 to track your sleep and follow how much sleep you are getting and how well you are sleeping.   A lack of sleep or sleep that does not provide sufficient recovery exposes you to illnesses and weakens your physical fitness. Your body can withstand individual nights of sleep that do not provide sufficient recovery, but if the situation drags on, the risk of overload increases.   Turn sleep tracking on and set your bedtime at settings (Settings >> Sleep >> Sleep tracking). The last step defines your bedtime. Your watch uses that period to determine when you are sleeping (during your bedtime) and reporting all sleep as one session. It is better to set the bedtime a little longer than you actually will be sleeping to make sure you get all your sleep tracked. If you get up for a drink of water during the night, for example, your watch still counts any sleep after that as the same session. At the settings you can also set a target duration for your sleep.   Duration is only one aspect of sleep. The amount of sleep we need changes from day to day, from person to person, and even as we get older. We have all woken up after a full 8 hours of sleep feeling tired, particularly during stressful times. At other times, we wake up fresh with a good deal less sleep than expected.   Not all sleep is equal. Quality matters. Personal, behavioral, dietary, and environmental factors can all impact the restorative quality of your sleep. That’s why you can also track your sleep quality with your Suunto 3 Fitness.   Your sleep quality is assessed by following your heart rate variability during sleep. The variability is an indication of how well your sleep is helping you rest and recover. Sleep quality is shown on a scale from 0 to 100 in the sleep summary, with 100 being the best quality.     To measure sleep quality you will need to have Daily HR on (see above). Learn more here.   When you wake up in the morning you will see a summary of your sleep. You can follow your overall sleep trend by scrolling down to the sleep insight from the watch face or in diary of your Suunto app.       LEARN TO MANAGE STRESS AND RECOVERY THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY   Your Suunto 3 also measures your stress and recovery throughout the day to help you ensure you have enough in the tank to make it through the day.   Stress and physical activity deplete your resources, while rest and recovery restore them. Good sleep is an essential part of ensuring your body has the resources it needs.   The gauge around this display indicates your overall resource level. If it is green, it means you are recovering. If it is gray, you are not recovering, but can still be adding to your overall resources. The status and time indicator tell you your current state (active, inactive, recovering or stressed) and for how long you have been in that state.   Press the middle button to see a bar chart of your resources over the last 16 hours.   When your resource levels are high, you will likely feel fresh and energetic. Going for a run when your resources are high means you'll probably have a great run, because your body has the energy it needs to adapt and improve as a result.   Being able to track your resources can help you manage and use them wisely. You can also use your resource levels as a guide to identify stress factors, personally effective recovery boosting strategies, and the impact of good nutrition.   Stress and recovery uses optical heart sensor readings. To get those during the day, daily HR must be enabled (see above).     The sleep quality tracking and stress and recovery monitoring have been developed in close cooperation with Firstbeat Technologies, Suunto’s long-term partner in sports sciences.