Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
If you have been paying attention to the last few decades, you will have noticed the rise of the internet and our increased usage of digital technology. Nowadays, almost every man, woman, and child has a smartphone or tablet. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
These devices are full of apps that we use every day to make our lives easier. Navigation apps help us with traveling. Accounting apps allow us to track, manage, and invest our finances. There are even community apps dedicated to showing you all the dog-friendly places in a selected area! Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
It doesn’t take a fortune teller to foresee the health and fitness industry following these technological trends. For the past 17 years, the American College of Sports Medicine annually releases a journal publication giving predictions for the biggest health and fitness trends for the upcoming year. With how dominant technology has become in our lives, it is no surprise that wearable technology is the number one predicted health and fitness trend for Americans in 2023. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
What is wearable technology?
Simply put, wearable technology in health and fitness is a device that you wear on your person that provides advanced technological abilities. This includes data tracking, monitoring, and the ability to produce trend-showing graphs. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
These are things like smartwatches, high-tech jewelry, or even devices that attach to your body. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
Some of the most basic things devices are tracking include:
- Steps
- Heart rate
- HRV
- Blood pressure
- Blood oxygen levels
- Sleep hours
- Stages of sleep
- Readiness
- Times sedentary vs. times active
- Workouts
- GPS of outdoor cardio workouts
- Blood sugar levels
- ECG
- Calories burned
- Biosensors that collect body temperature (useful for predicting burnout, fertility, and sickness before you even notice the symptoms)
- Respiratory rate
- And more depending on various devices
What does this data do for the user?
One of the greatest benefits of wearable technology is the ability to collect data and bring awareness to the user. Some people think they are more active during the day than they are, but after getting a wearable device featuring a pedometer, they realize they get less than 500 steps a day instead of the recommended 10,000 steps. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
Receiving this different data allows the user to see their data tracked over time, first developing accurate self-awareness of their reality and secondly giving them a bar to reach for making positive changes. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
I often ask questions to my nutrition clients about their sleep, activity, hydration, etc. A few I know how to answer, but most are harder to answer because the client gives an inaccurate estimate about their habits. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
Imagine thinking you are sleeping 8 hours a night, but then you start tracking it, and you realize you’re only averaging about 6-7 hours a night. Maybe you wake up at night more than you realize or it takes you longer to fall asleep than you thought. This is the reality for many individuals who start to use wearable technology. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
Small changes
Let’s use the example of tracking sleep. You might be someone who thinks you’re getting 8 hours of quality sleep a night, so you’re confused as to why you always feel tired. You don’t have enough energy to work out, you rely heavily on caffeine to stimulate you through the day, and you start feeling more burnt out and hopeless as time goes on. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
You might start to wonder “What is wrong with me? I am doing everything right; why am I so tired?!?” Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
Then you get a device like the Oura Ring and all of a sudden you realize you only get about 5-6 hours of sleep a night in total. Not only that, but the Oura Ring shows you that you are very deficient in your deep sleep and REM sleep cycles. This is a major light bulb moment! With this new understanding and insight that comes with the data, you are able to make the correct changes to start feeling better. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
For someone to see the truth right before their eyes is quite a positive catalyst for change. The Oura Ring is my personal favorite because it tracks all your stages of sleep, activity levels, several cardiac measurements, blood oxygen levels, and menstrual cycle. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
It even tracks your body temperature, so it can predict when you are getting sick before you start showing symptoms. The Oura Ring is a fantastic tool for recovery because it monitors so many different things going on in your body. It uses that information to let you know when you should back off and take it easy or if you should ramp it up and work a little harder. If you utilize the dial method for your workouts, this device will make it even easier to know when to work hard or when to back off. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
Should you get a wearable fitness device?
The decision to make a purchase for this kind of tech should be made in partnership with having a plan on how to use it. If you don’t know how to make goals or stick with a habit, then you might want to start with small actionable changes you can start right away before making a big financial commitment.
However, we know the process of creating change can be challenging. Sometimes making an investment upfront is the motivation people need to kick-start their progress into action. People are highly motivated by money, and they want to get the most out of their purchases. Investing in some kind of wearable fitness tech can be enough motivation for people to move toward their goals.
If you don’t want to invest a lot of money upfront but want to take advantage of some of this data and information, there are still plenty of free apps you can download on your smartphone that will work in a similar way to some of these wearable devices. Apps that track Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
- Hours of sleep
- Steps
- Outdoor cardio routes
- Productivity
- Meditation
- Movement
- And more
While you don’t need to purchase something like this to lose weight, it can be a very helpful tool for you and your provider to guide you toward better habits. As we said before, these wearable pieces of technology can give us accurate insight into our habits and let us know the reality of our lifestyles. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
Overall, this is something I would recommend for people if they have the money for the investment. Wearable tech is just another tool in the toolbox of change. Ultimately, your weight loss and fitness goals will be achieved through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Why Wearable Tech is Important and my Number 1 Recommended Device
Similar to how weight loss pills don’t do the work for you, wearable technology won’t make you achieve goals just by buying them. You need to put in the work to create the change. The tech simply allows you to do this in a more focused way that saves you time, effort, energy, and troubleshooting.
To sum it up
- Technology has become a major part of every western civilized person’s life. Wearable fitness technology is an inevitable next step for us to move forward.
- Wearable fitness technology monitors a variety of health and fitness biomarkers in the body. Giving the wearer valuable data and insight into their personal health.
- The Oura Ring is my number one recommended wearable fitness device because of its discrete design, more advanced data than its competitors, accurate data on the market, and user-friendly application.
- Whether or not you decide to invest in wearable tech is up to you. For some it is unaffordable. For others, the investment up front is enough motivation for them to kick-start change.
- At the end of the day, your results will always be determined by your changes in diet, exercise, and lifestyle. Anything else is only going to play a supportive role in your journey.
Are you looking for someone to be in that supportive role for you? Our clinic has been around for over 40 years and has helped thousands of people change their lives. We provide medical weight loss solutions to make it easier than ever to overcome the barriers that have been holding you back from achieving success. Call us today to get started! 801-293-3100