I haven't run in 10 years – this smartwatch motivated me to start again at 49

I recently agreed to review Amazfit’s new Active 3 Premium smartwatch. After several years away from exercise, thanks to perimenopause and hypothyroidism highjacking my health, I was keen to see if it could help me rebuild my fitness ahead of my 50th birthday later this year.

Packed with training insights, recovery tracking and even an AI running coach, the new model promises to guide both beginners and more experienced runners through their workouts. It's also seriously competitively priced, so to find out how it compares with the best fitness trackers and best running watches out there, I nervously agreed to put it to the test.

I was curious to see if Amazfit's new smartwatch could really help someone like me – a 49-year-old perimenopausal mum of three trying to return to fitness after a long break. Here's what I found.

Amazfit Active 3 Premium review

Specifications

• Weight: Lightweight design (under 55g)
• Display: 1.32-inch AMOLED display with 3000 nits brightness
• Metrics: Advanced, including VO₂ max and lactate threshold
• Battery life: Up to 12 days
• Price: £169.90

In 2014, I ran my first half-marathon. I was 38 years old, and my third child wasn't yet a year old. It was my first race, and I didn’t realise until I turned up that it wasn’t a road race but one of Ireland’s premier off-road trail running events.

Reader, I’m sorry to tell you that it was also my last race. It's not that it went badly. It was one of the best experiences of my life. But after achieving that goal, I fell out of the habit of running. Every January, I'd vow to get back into it, but as is the case for so many women in midlife, hormones and my health had other plans. Time sped along as it does, and suddenly a decade had passed.

In the intervening years, I discovered HIIT classes and was a regular at 6.30 am bootcamp sessions, until the pandemic forced the gym to close. Over the past five years in particular, I've done very little in the way of exercise. Now, as my 50th birthday this summer looms into view, I find myself thinking it’s now or never.

I’m a long way from training for another half-marathon, but I have joined a CrossFit gym and have been easing myself back into being more active. Slowly but surely, I’m rebuilding my strength and stamina. But most of all, I'm rediscovering how good it feels to move my body again.

So, when our Health Editor, Grace Walsh, told me about the new Amazfit Active 3 Premium smartwatch, I was intrigued.

Design of the Active 3 Premium

The first thing you notice about the Amazfit Active 3 Premium is how light it feels on the wrist. Including the strap, it weighs less than 55g. That’s less than 12 sheets of paper, according to the brand. This alone makes it surprisingly comfortable, especially if, like me, you’re not used to wearing a smartwatch or fitness tracker all day.

The watch face is protected by sapphire glass to help keep it scratch-free, and the stainless-steel frame houses a 1.32-inch AMOLED display. With a peak brightness of 3000 nits, it’s easy to read. Even outdoors in the Mallorcan sunshine, where I found myself for a few days this month. I could clearly see my stats without squinting at the screen.

Battery life is particularly impressive. Amazfit says the watch can last up to 12 days on a single charge. While I wouldn’t want to leave it that long, you can certainly use it for training and workouts for several days before you even need to think about finding the charger.

I’ve only ever worn an Apple Watch – and not even the new Apple Watch 11 can compete with this lifespan. It’s no exaggeration to say that the A3P’s incredible battery life has won me over. I never expected this, but I haven’t actually worn my Apple Watch since.

Tracking workouts on the Active 3 Premium

As anyone easing back into fitness will know, the hardest part is simply knowing where to start – especially if your perimenopausal body is in flux and doesn't feel like it used to.

I don’t have the physical confidence I did in my thirties, when I’d lace up my trainers and head out the door for a run without overthinking it. I’m also considerably heavier than I was when I last ran and, while I know I shouldn’t let that hold me back, it does. I worry about being too old and too out of shape to be seen running as a beginner again.

Even working out what to wear for a run can feel stressful when a raging hot flush could strike at any minute. And as for the impact of perimenopause on my pelvic floor and the implications of that when running – well, let's not go there.

But here’s the good news: the Amazfit Active 3 Premium can generate a personalised training plan based on your current fitness level and your goals, whether that’s running a specific distance or simply improving your stamina. The plan updates as you progress, adjusting sessions depending on your performance and recovery.

The watch also includes a training library with ready-made running plans, which can be customised to suit different levels. For more experienced runners, there are templates that you can use to build your own training schedules, rivalling some of the best running apps.

These aren’t features I’m ready to use just yet, but it’s reassuring to know they’re there when I need them. And if you’re someone who prefers a bit of guidance when returning to exercise, this functionality definitely takes away some of the guesswork.

Sleep and health tracking on the Amazfit Active 3 Premium

The Amazfit Active 3 Premium supports more than 170 sports modes, including running, walking, strength training and treadmill workouts. For runners, specifically, the watch can track more than 80 different training metrics.

Some of the more advanced ones include:

• VO₂ max, which estimates aerobic fitness
• Lactate threshold heart rate and pace
• Cadence and ground contact time
• Running technique and body movement range

Experienced runners, like those who'd otherwise be on the lookout for one of the best Garmin watches or the latest Coros, will appreciate the deeper performance data. Beginners can keep things simple by customising their training screens. The watch allows you to display up to six metrics at once, depending on what you want to monitor. The watch compares your performance with previous sessions, making it easier to track progress – and celebrate improvements – over time.

One feature that stood out to me – particularly as someone navigating perimenopause and other midlife health changes – is the watch’s focus on recovery. In my thirties, I would have pushed through tiredness to achieve my training goals. But in the final few months of my forties – with hormonal changes, fluctuating energy levels and a condition like hypothyroidism to deal with – I’m learning just how important recovery really is.

To help build a clearer picture of how your body is coping with exercise, the watch tracks several recovery indicators, including:

• Sleep quality
• Heart rate variability (HRV)
• Training load
• Fatigue levels
• Full recovery time between workouts

There’s also a BioCharge energy score, which estimates your current energy levels throughout the day. In Mallorca, it became a fun daily ritual to compare BioCharge readings and note the impact of the previous day's activities on our scores.

“My BioCharge is fantastic,” I found myself declaring in disbelief after an exceptional night’s sleep. I’ve struggled to beat that score since, but I suspect that spending time in a luxury resort in the sunshine helped.

Having those insights on your wrist makes it much easier to recognise when it’s a day to train and when it’s time to rest. It's also hard to argue with the data when you don't feel like heading to the gym.

Price of the Active 3 Premium

At £169.90, the Amazfit Active 3 Premium is considerably better value than many smartwatches with similar functionality. It rivals some of the best Fitbits, for example, but has considerably more features for runners.

Beyond running analytics, the smartwatch has more features than I could realistically need. You even have access to more than 400 apps, covering everything from calorie tracking to podcasts.

Another clever feature is running shoe wear tracking. The watch can record the distance logged in different pairs of running shoes through the Zepp app, helping you keep track of when it's time for a new pair. "My watch made me do it" is one of my favourite ever excuses to go shopping.

Smartwatch features of the Amazfit Active 3 Premium

The Active 3 Premium connects to your phone via Bluetooth, allowing you to receive call, SMS and app notifications on the watch. You can also control music and trigger your phone’s camera (iOS only). There's the option to reply to calls quickly (Android only) and a handy Find My Phone function if you misplace your device.

Is the Amazfit Active 3 Premium worth buying?

What I like most about the Amazfit Active 3 Premium is that I don't feel like a fraud for wearing it – it doesn’t feel like a gadget for elite athletes. I was initially sceptical, but it really is every bit as useful for people who are starting – or restarting – their fitness journey.

As for what happened when I got home from Mallorca? The watch hasn’t left my wrist since. Inspired by time with the Amazfit team and all the features of the Active 3 Premium, I laced up my runners the very next day and headed out for my first proper run in more than a decade.

I came home with a spring in my step and a renewed belief that I might actually get back into running in my fifties. Forget all the other features – any smartwatch that can do that is worth its weight in gold.

Who the Amazfit Active 3 Premium is best for

• Beginners starting running for the first time
• Anyone returning to fitness after a long break
• Midlife runners who want to track recovery and energy levels
• People who want a lightweight smartwatch with long battery life
• Walkers, gym-goers and those doing mixed workouts