A big incentive to working out and being active is seeing the results. It may not be noticeable when we look in the mirror but, thanks to modern technology, we can track progress, set goals and find out just how beneficial exercise can be from the inside out. Today’s wearable technology includes a wide variety of fitness trackers, smart watches and medical monitoring devices, to name just a few.
Let’s break these gadgets down and see how they can help improve our workout regimens.
Fitness trackers
Today, fitness trackers can perform myriad functions: track heart rate and breathing; keep count of the calories that you’ve burned; and track your sleep patterns. Some trackers allow you to set certain fitness goals and follow your progress, and they can even give you advice regarding how to achieve your objectives. Count your daily steps, see how many hours of REM sleep you’re getting and so much more.
Smart watches
Much like regular wristwatches, smart watches can perform a slew of tasks. In addition to syncing with your cell phone and allowing you to check email and use different apps, they often record such things as heart rate and other vital signs including respiratory rate, temperature, sleep quality and blood pressure. They also come with alarm reminders, which you can set for medication and other health to-dos as well as goals.
Smart jewellery
Much like the features of smart watches, smart jewellery has different features such as fitness tracking, notifications, silent alarms and mindfulness reminders. Whether you want a smart necklace, bracelet or ring, there are various styles from which to choose. So, you can have something practical and look stylish too.
Virtual reality (VR) headsets
Virtual reality is gaining momentum at breakneck speed, and this is especially true when it comes to VR and physical fitness. Thanks to this new medium, you can do yoga on the beaches of Thailand, cycle in France or do martial arts in Japan. There are countless exercise programs designed for VR that can give you a full-body workout while keeping you engaged and entertained.
Web-enabled glasses
Much like wearable computers, web-enabled glasses are worn like standard glasses and can perform many of the functions of a computer. Smart glasses can keep track of schedules and provide reminders for appointments and medications, and some have image recognition software that can recognize faces, medication bottles and other objects within a senior’s sight. They can also be a form of entertainment – seniors can watch television programs, conduct research, read, listen to music and more without even getting up.
Embrace this wearable technology in whatever way suits you best and take charge of your health. By having a better idea of your activity and sleep levels, as well as a way to track your progress and new exciting tech-driven forms of exercising, you can set realistic fitness goals and be able to accomplish them too. And that’s what being active is all about.