Microsoft announces updates for Microsoft Band and Health apps - new cycling partnerships, health insights and more

Microsoft has announced several updates they have planned for the Microsoft Band fitness tracker and the Microsoft Health companion app. These updates are focused on building new experiences around both products and will brings broader integration, new insights and more features.

Back in February, Microsoft added a Bike Tile to the Microsoft Band to track cycling movements. Today, the company announced that they are expanding this functionality by teaming up with popular Bike apps, MapMyRide and Strava. Starting on the 23rd, you will be able to wear the device during your bike rides and compare performance data or share routes with other riders using these apps.

Microsoft is also adding new experiences to Microsoft Health web dashboard. Starting as early as April 27, Microsoft Health users will be able to track more categories of fitness data from the full featured Web Dashboard.

Comparative Insights: Measures data such as daily steps, sleep, workout frequency and calorie burn and compares it to similar Microsoft Health customers based on body type (height and weight). Customers looking for motivation can use comparative insights as a benchmark to understand their health relative to similar people.
Sleep Recovery: Good sleep is the foundation of health, and something everybody does and needs. Microsoft Band tracks the length and quality of sleep. Use the Microsoft Health web dashboard to analyze sleep restoration, sleep efficiency, and wake-ups, to find out how well the body restores its resources during sleep.
Fitness Benefit: Track fitness progress using historical data to measure improvement over time.
VO2 Max: VO2 max refers to the maximum volume of oxygen used during exercise, and is the primary indicator of cardiovascular fitness. Traditionally, measuring VO2 Max is cumbersome. Not anymore. Microsoft Band estimates VO2 max based on heart rate information. Now customers can track how their VO2 max increases as they improve fitness level and achieve their wellness goals, simply.
Run/Exercise Observations: Get more out of run and workout data with in-depth observations and insights. With a week of data, customers can determine which day of the week and at what time of day they perform best. Using historical data from as far back as five weeks, customers can track whether they're maintaining, progressing, or need to re-dedicate themselves. Analyze detailed stats to find specific aspects of runs and workouts that can be improved.

The Microsoft Health will also be updated across iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Microsoft Health users running devices with motion sensors will be able to track track daily steps and calorie burn data within the Microsoft Health app. This feature will work even without a fitness tracker.