Every January at
the start of a new year, resolutions of all kinds flood in. They
usually revolve around one thing: getting your body back into the
shape you want. Whether it’s committing yourself to a gym or
making a bet with your buddies, you will still need some help to achieve
your goals—so why not from technology?
Over the last
few years, appliances, gadgets, and apps have flooded the market that
assist people in ways they never would have
imagined. Let's go through a couple of these nifty products to
show you how helpful they can be. Firstly, apps
play a huge role in people’s lives. There are thousands of weight
and fitness apps out there that can help you closely monitor your
progress.
One of the most
widely cited is MyFitnessPal.
It’s essentially a food database that lists over 5 million
different foods. It acts as a calorie counter, so if you want to know
exactly how nutritious a certain type of food is, then just
scan its barcode and presto!
Another one is
called Fitbit. A very visible and well-known fitness company, they
are also known for a plethora of devices, from their smart watches to
smart scales (which we will get into in a moment). Their Fitbit app
is helpful because, apart from allowing you to see just how much
activity you do in a day, it also tracks your sleep and water intake.
It’s beneficial if you want an overall regulatory platform to help
guide you in different areas of life.
Another fun one
that doesn’t get a lot of attention is Happy Scale. It's like two
steps backwards and one step forward, meaning that losing
weight can be a bit of a battle sometimes. But with Happy Scale, you
can collect the type of progress you're making in graphs and charts.
There might not be a bell curve going on, but it will give you a
formatted history as to how you're improving over time, including
what your average weekly loss is. It also allows you to customise
your sessions based on places, times and access to equipment.
In the world of
physical appliances, everyone talks about smart scales. But what are
they? They're connected weight scales that give you an in-depth
overview of your body makeup by testing your fat, water, muscle and
even bone density. They link to
your iPhone or Android device and allow you to see what direction
you’re heading in (and some of them will even tell you the
weather). The best ones out there include the Fitbit Aria 2
smart scale and the stylish Garmin Index smart scale. Both are
massively convenient and welcome additions to a modern lifestyle.
Lastly, there
are the
trackers and smartwatches that keep your healthy lifestyle
in check. There are a number of great comprehensive devices that can
assist your lifestyle, but the best one out there is probably from
Apple.
They are most
well-known for their smart watches, which give you a lot of
control over your health—in detail. Their asking price is a bit
steep (the new generation 3 is just over $400), but it's worth
it. They are very sensor-focused, meaning that they track your pulse
and activity throughout the day; they focus on your particular
exercise goals and your day-to-day activities, keeping a very close
eye on your body.
And if none of
this technology gives you peace of mind, then you could always go for
the Luddite version—simply eat well, run to your nearest park, and
get some good sleep the old-fashioned way.