Utilizing Technology to Improve Daily Health

November 29th, 2018

Guest Blog Post by Maddie Davis, Co-founder of Enlightened Digital

In today’s world, technology is influencing nearly everything. Communication, entertainment, business, and even personal healthcare are subject to the unstoppable force of emerging tech. Fortunately these developments can provide great benefits to our lives should we choose to let them. Assistance in improving daily health is one great way to utilize the tech resources available today. If you haven’t already started taking advantage of the latest developments and trends, here are some recommendations to get you started.

Wearables

In recent years the ubiquity of wearable technology has encouraged people to become more aware of their health and habits. Fitness trackers and smartwatch sensors are providing insight into what’s happening in our bodies with greater ease than ever before. With the total number of wearable device users at over 100 million this year, a large portion of the population is looking to these devices to track a variety of health factors. Devices such as FitBit and the Garmin Vivomove HR can help help you better understand your health and where there is room for improvement by alerting you on relevant data.

Monitoring daily activity, sleep patterns, workout information, heart rate, and more depending on your area of concern, is the first step in better managing your health. With a friendly reminder to get up and move around and an in depth sleep diary at your fingertips, recognizing health struggles and achievements can be seamlessly integrated into your daily life. Additional benefits these devices provide is motivation for users to make actionable changes to daily habits. While many of us may not have previously been aware of how many, or how few, steps we’re taking per day, these devices can help set reasonable goals for reaching a healthy amount of movement. Healthy diet monitoring can also be improved with wearables, tracking your daily caloric intake and reminding you to drink the correct amount of water.

Going further than just your own personal maintenance, these devices can also be programmed to send information directly to doctors and health coaches so they can help monitor activity and offer guidance when necessary.

Intelligent Workplace

Considering the average amount of time spent at work, improving well-being within the office should be a priority. Both physical and mental health improvements can be achieved through implementation of intelligent furnishings, and actually make for a more productive day. Ergonomically designed environments beginning with the simple inclusion of sit/stand desks can reduce back pain while encouraging movement, and thereby subsequently burning more calories and increasing blood flow. Utilizing the IoT, smart desk sensors can actually send you alerts when you’ve been sitting or standing too long and provide data on individual sitting/standing habits. A great way for companies to make use of this technology is encouraging gamification programs among departments where employees can compete against each other in scores for healthy activity.

Smart Home

Though it may sound like a phrase of the future, smart-homes are very much here and can play a positive role in improving your daily habits. A healthy routine begins with a good night’s sleep, so investing in a bed that best suit your needs is important. Technology like the SILVERstandard adjustable bed frame allows you to alter the positioning of your bed depending on your body’s preference. Whether that be zero-gravity, anti-snore, or lay-flat, an intelligent remote control interface can set you up for a good night’s.

Improving your diet can also be facilitated with intelligent home appliances. Smart refrigerators such as the Samsung Family Hub are designed for managing items stored in it and advising users with cooking methods depending on what kind of food you have on had and your dietary preferences. Through the ability to connect to various applications, a smart fridge can also provide you with dietary control, nutrition monitoring, eating habit analysis, and reminders when certain items are reaching their expiration date. A smart fridge can help you and your family reach weight loss goals and achiever better overall health.

Managing and improving health isn’t easy, so why not take the help where you can get it. Small changes in your daily routine and implementing some of the previously mentioned technologies can help start you on the right track towards achieving your goals.

Maddie Davis is co-founder of Enlightened Digital and a tech-obsessed female from the Big Apple. She lives by building and redesigning websites, running marathons, and reading anything and everything on the NYT Best Sellers list.