Huawei Health Explained: A Complete Guide For Runners

Huawei has developed an increasingly sophisticated range of running watches, but the watch itself is only part of the experience. Behind Huawei's wearables sits Huawei Health, the app used to connect your watch, examine your running data, manage training and bring together information about your wider health and activity.

For runners, Huawei Health has become much more than somewhere to look at yesterday's distance and pace. Depending on the watch you use, the ecosystem can provide detailed workout information, Running Ability Index, training load, recovery information, predicted race times, running plans, structured workouts and routes.

That makes understanding the app particularly important if you are considering a Huawei running watch. The hardware records much of the information during your training, but Huawei Health provides the larger platform through which that information can be reviewed and managed.

Huawei Health Explained

Huawei Health is Huawei's main health, fitness and wearable management app. It works with Huawei watches, bands and other compatible devices and acts as the central location for much of the information they collect.

For runners, activities recorded on a compatible Huawei watch can be synchronised with the app and examined on the larger screen of your phone. Depending on the device and type of workout, this can include distance, duration, pace, heart rate and your GPS route alongside more detailed training information.

The app is not designed solely for runners. Huawei Health covers a wide range of sports as well as everyday activity, sleep and other health information, so running forms one part of a much broader health and fitness platform.

Read more about Huawei's running watches here.

Using Huawei Health For Running

When a run recorded on a compatible Huawei watch is synchronised with Huawei Health, the app provides a more detailed view of the workout. The information available varies according to the workout mode and the capabilities of the particular wearable being used.

Huawei also allows workouts to be started through the Huawei Health app when a compatible watch is connected. For example, you can select Outdoor run within the Exercise section of Huawei Health and start the session there, with workout information displayed through both the app and watch on supported devices.

For most runners wearing a Huawei GPS watch, however, starting the activity from the wrist will often be the most convenient approach. Huawei Health then becomes particularly useful after the session when you want to examine what happened and look at the information in greater detail.

Understanding Your Running Data

Huawei provides considerably more running information on compatible devices than basic time, distance and pace. Its Workout Status features can include Running Ability Index, training load, training index, recovery, VO2 max and predicted race times.

Running Ability Index, usually shortened to RAI, is Huawei's assessment of running endurance and technical efficiency. Huawei uses running performance information to calculate the index, which can then contribute to performance predictions and pace zones.

Huawei states that RAI is only generated in certain circumstances. The workout needs to meet particular duration and heart rate requirements, so runners should not expect every short or easy activity to produce a new RAI measurement.

Training load looks at the amount of training accumulated over the previous seven days alongside fitness status, while recovery estimates how long it may take the body to recover from training stress. Training index considers longer-term changes in fitness and fatigue, and predicted times use RAI to estimate potential performances over different running distances.

These measurements can provide useful context, but runners should avoid treating them as absolute instructions. They are calculated estimates based on information collected by the device, and trends over time are generally more useful than becoming concerned about an individual number after one workout.

Running Ability Index

Running Ability Index deserves particular attention because it is one of Huawei's more specifically running focused measurements. Huawei describes RAI as a comprehensive index reflecting a runner's endurance and technical efficiency, with a higher figure generally associated with stronger running performance.

On compatible devices, RAI can be viewed through Workout Status on the watch. It can also be found in Huawei Health by going to Me, My data and then Running Ability Index, allowing runners to review their current score and assessment from their phone.

Huawei also uses RAI as part of its performance prediction system. This can provide estimated performances over different running distances, although actual race results will obviously depend on factors including training, course, weather, pacing and what happens on the day.

Like VO2 max and other watch-generated performance measurements, RAI is best used to monitor your own development. Comparing changes in your score across a consistent period of training is likely to be more informative than treating one individual reading as a definitive assessment of your ability.

Running Plans In Huawei Health

Huawei Health can create running plans designed around a runner's goals and training schedule. The plan is created through the Exercise section of Huawei Health and can then be synchronised with a compatible wearable.

Huawei says subsequent training content and difficulty can be adjusted according to training status and feedback. Training days and reminders can also be changed within the plan settings, and Huawei provides an option to synchronise the schedule with a calendar.

Once a plan has been transferred to a compatible watch, sessions can be viewed and started from the wearable. This allows the watch and app to work together rather than requiring runners to remember the details of every scheduled workout.

Compatibility is important because not every Huawei wearable supports exactly the same training functionality. Runners buying a watch specifically because they want to follow Huawei's running plans should check support for that particular model.

Running Courses And Custom Workouts

Huawei also provides running courses that can guide runners through specific sessions. Compatible watches include preset running courses, while custom running courses can be created through Huawei Health.

Within Huawei Health, runners can build a custom course using rounds and movements to create a structured session. The course can then be started from the app or, on supported products, synchronised to the watch and followed from the wrist.

This makes it possible to use Huawei Health for more than recording what has already happened. Runners can create sessions in advance and use the watch to guide them through the different stages of the workout.

Huawei specifically notes that synchronising custom courses to a wearable is only available on certain products. The option appearing within Huawei Health should therefore not be taken as confirmation that every Huawei watch can receive and run the workout.

Training Load And Recovery

Training load is designed to provide an indication of the amount of training stress accumulated over a period of time. Huawei bases its training load information on workout volume over the previous seven days together with fitness information collected by the ecosystem.

Recovery provides an estimate of how long it may take the body to recover fully from the fatigue created by training. Huawei can also use recovery information to provide training suggestions relating to the intensity of subsequent exercise.

These measurements can be useful because one of the common mistakes runners make is looking at individual workouts without considering the cumulative effect of several sessions. A hard interval session may be perfectly manageable in isolation but considerably more demanding when it follows several days of substantial training.

The numbers should still be considered alongside how you actually feel. An app cannot know everything about illness, developing injuries, work stress or other factors affecting your ability to train, so a favourable recovery assessment should never override obvious signs that you need additional rest.

VO2 Max And Predicted Times

Compatible Huawei watches can estimate VO2 max, which represents the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. Huawei uses this as one of its indicators of aerobic fitness.

As with VO2 max estimates produced by other consumer wearables, the figure should not be confused with a laboratory measurement. Its greatest value for many runners will be following the direction of travel over a consistent period rather than concentrating on whether one individual estimate is precisely correct.

Huawei also provides predicted running times based on Running Ability Index. These are intended to indicate potential performance over different distances rather than guarantee what you will achieve in a race.

Actual performance is affected by training, pacing, terrain, weather, nutrition and many other variables. Predicted times can therefore be interesting indicators of progress, but they should not determine your race expectations on their own.

A novel approach to running routes!

Routes And Navigation

Huawei Health can be used to manage routes for outdoor running, walking and cycling. Routes from completed outdoor workouts can be saved within the app and exported, while compatible route files received from elsewhere can also be imported into Huawei Health.

A saved or imported route can then be sent from Huawei Health to a compatible wearable. On supported watches, the route can be selected within the outdoor workout settings and used for navigation.

This can be useful for runners exploring unfamiliar areas or planning a particular training route. It also means a route does not necessarily have to originate from a workout you have personally completed before it can be added to Huawei Health.

The navigation experience itself depends on the watch. Runners who specifically want mapping and route navigation should therefore check the capabilities of the wearable as well as the route functions available within Huawei Health.

Huawei Health also includes a Creative Route feature that allows you to turn the GPS track from an outdoor workout into a more visual design for sharing. Runners can use the route they have recorded to create personalised route artwork, adding a more creative element to the usual post run map and making particularly interesting or deliberately planned GPS routes easier to share.

Heart Rate And Health Information

Huawei Health brings running information together with a much broader collection of health and activity data collected by compatible devices. Depending on the wearable, this can include heart rate, sleep, everyday activity and other health measurements.

This broader information can provide useful context around running because training does not happen in isolation. Sleep, recovery and activity away from running can all influence how you feel when you start your next session.

Huawei makes clear that its Health app is not medical device software and that health measurements and results provided through the ecosystem are intended for reference rather than medical diagnosis or treatment. Runners should therefore treat health information appropriately rather than interpreting watch or app data as a substitute for medical assessment.

Activity Rings And Everyday Fitness

Huawei Health uses Activity Rings to provide a visual representation of everyday movement. The system incorporates Move, Exercise and Stand to encourage activity across the day rather than concentrating exclusively on formal workouts.

For runners, these measurements sit alongside rather than replace detailed training information. Someone can complete a substantial run in the morning but still spend most of the rest of the day sitting down, so everyday activity provides a different perspective from workout statistics.

This reflects the broader purpose of Huawei Health. It is designed as a general health and fitness platform rather than simply a running log, bringing formal exercise and everyday activity into the same ecosystem.

Huawei Health+

Huawei also offers Huawei Health+, an optional subscription service within the wider Huawei Health ecosystem. Its availability and individual features can vary according to device, software version and region.

Health+ provides additional health and fitness content, but it should not be confused with the basic Huawei Health app required to connect and manage compatible Huawei wearables. You do not need a Health+ subscription simply to record runs with a compatible Huawei watch and review normal workout information through Huawei Health.

For runners, whether the subscription provides worthwhile additional value will depend on how much of the wider fitness and wellbeing content they intend to use. It should therefore be considered an optional extension of the ecosystem rather than an essential part of owning a Huawei running watch.

Does Huawei Health Work With Android?

Huawei Health works with compatible Android phones and is not restricted to Huawei smartphones. Huawei currently states that the latest version requires EMUI 12.0 or Android 8.0 or later.

The installation process can be less familiar to Android users accustomed to obtaining every application through Google Play. Huawei provides the current Huawei Health app through its own official download channels, while Huawei developed apps on third party Android phones can also require HMS Core to provide the underlying Huawei services they need.

Huawei AppGallery can be installed on most Android-based phones and can be used to install or update Huawei services where required. Huawei also provides a direct Huawei Health download route through its website and QR codes supplied with compatible wearables.

This does not prevent someone with a Samsung, Google or another compatible Android phone from using Huawei Health. It does mean that setting up the Huawei ecosystem on a non Huawei Android device can involve a few additional steps.

Does Huawei Health Work With An iPhone?

Huawei Health is also available for iPhone. Huawei currently specifies iOS 13.0 or later for the latest version, with updates handled through Apple's App Store.

Many of the fundamental health, fitness and running functions can therefore be used by runners who have an iPhone rather than an Android device. The exact features available can still depend on the Huawei watch being connected and the phone platform being used.

Huawei's own compatibility information shows that some wearable functions differ between Android and iOS. Anyone considering a Huawei watch because of a particular feature should therefore check the compatibility information for that specific watch rather than assuming every function operates identically on both platforms.

Huawei also notes that Huawei Health+ support on iPhone requires the Huawei Health: Europe version of the app. This is another example of why regional and platform differences are worth checking when a particular service is important to you.

Managing Your Huawei Watch

Huawei Health also acts as the management centre for compatible Huawei wearables. Pairing the watch with the app allows the phone and wearable to exchange fitness information and provides access to supported device settings and services.

The precise options available depend on the watch and phone being used. This is particularly important with Huawei because its wearable range covers everything from relatively simple fitness bands to much more sophisticated watches with apps, navigation and advanced training features.

For runners, Huawei Health should therefore be considered part of the watch rather than an optional extra. Choosing a running watch also means choosing the software ecosystem through which much of its data and functionality will be managed.

Synchronising Your Running Data

Huawei Health can synchronise fitness and health information between compatible devices and the app. Huawei also provides cloud synchronisation options for personal information, fitness data and health data when the relevant settings are enabled.

Manual synchronisation is available if required. This can be particularly useful before changing phones, reinstalling Huawei Health or troubleshooting a problem with the app.

Huawei specifically advises users experiencing certain app problems to ensure their information has been synchronised before uninstalling and reinstalling Huawei Health.

Taking a moment to check synchronisation before making significant changes to the app is therefore sensible if you have training history you want to preserve.

Is Huawei Health Good For Runners?

Huawei Health has developed into a substantial fitness platform rather than simply being an app required to connect a Huawei watch. For runners, it provides the link between individual workouts, Running Ability Index, training load, recovery, predicted times, running plans, custom courses, routes and the wider health information collected by compatible Huawei devices.

The amount of functionality available does depend on the wearable. A runner using one of Huawei's more advanced sports watches will see a considerably richer collection of training features than somebody using a simpler fitness device, so it is important to consider the app and watch together.

Beginners do not need to use every measurement Huawei Health provides. Pace, distance, heart rate and consistent training may initially be far more useful than analysing every performance score, while the more sophisticated information can become relevant as training develops.

Our Huawei Health explained guide shows that Huawei Health for runners offers considerably more than basic workout storage, combining running data, Running Ability Index, training plans, structured workouts, recovery information and routes within Huawei's wider health and fitness ecosystem.