Today’s nimble technologies have led to greater convenience
across the board. They have also given us new ways of managing all aspects of
our lives, including our health and wellness.
There are plenty of ways to improve one’s health through
technology, from apps that measure our sleep patterns to integrated heart-rate
monitors that track our sports performance.
Consumers who care about their health are bombarded by
products and messaging from companies, and the range of smart gadgets on offer
is expanding year on year.
But which of these tools are genuinely helpful?
Here, we take a closer look at the best smart gadgets to
improve your health. First, let’s examine what a smart health gadget is and how
these products relate to the Internet of Things (IoT).
Smart health tools and the Internet of Things
Smart health gadgets are IoT products. They are part of the
Internet of Things, a term that encompasses any and all
internet-connected things and the broad networks that connect
these things.
Things here can mean many different devices and tools. A
smart fish tank and a smart pacemaker, for example, are all part of the IoT. As
are speakers such as Alexa and Echo and digital picture frames that are
controlled by an app.
IoT is vast and growing year on year. In fact, experts say that a decade
from now, we’ll “move from turning the lights on and off with our voices to
total immersion in the Internet of Things (IoT).”
Many IoT tools are designed to make life easier and more
convenient, such as app-controlled or voice-activated light switches. And there
are also plenty of IoT tools designed to help users control and manage their
health. Often, when we think of smart health products, we think of apps.
Are apps part of the IoT?
Yes and no. Smartphones and other devices that run apps are
certainly IoT products in that they connect to and rely upon the internet for
full functionality. However, apps are software programs as opposed to physical
things.
Mobile apps also play a significant role in the growth of
IoT in general. For example, plenty of IoT products, including those designed
for one’s health, have a corresponding mobile application. And besides physical
devices for health, thousands of apps center on greater health and well-being.
Now that we’ve taken a closer look at what smart products
are and how these tools relate to the Internet of Things, let’s review X of the
best smart gadgets on the market.
Ranked: The top 5 smart health gadgets
It’s time to cut through the noise and marketing and take a
look at the IoT smart gadgets that really are helping users achieve their
fitness and overall health goals. Let’s begin with our top pick, smart watches.
1. Smart watches
Smart watches are one of the most popular healthcare
technology products available. Many include integrated heart-rate monitors and
pedometers that help wearers track their steps and ensure they’re working out
at an optimal heart-rate level.
The best of the bunch also includes GPS functionalities so
that users can generate reports about their runs and share these with friends
to help motivate them more and reach their fitness goals faster.
Smart watches are a very broad category. Some products are
designed with fitness in mind, while others are designed with a focus on
essential health matters. For example, several smart watches, including the
Omron HeartGuide watch, can monitor the wearer’s blood pressure throughout the
night — a very useful function for people who struggle with hypertension.
Others still combine a range of functionalities, including
email access and the ability to download a variety of apps, just as you do with
a smartphone. The Apple Watch Series 6 is at the top of our wish list.
From a general health perspective, being able to manage your
heart rate, fitness goals, and blood pressure from a wrist-worn device is
excellent news indeed.
2. Bluetooth heart-rate monitors
While a smart watch with an integrated monitor is an
all-in-one solution, these devices do represent a significant spend.
Thankfully, there are other options for fitness fanatics on a budget.
Heart-rate monitors are particularly useful for people who want to improve
their cardiac health and shift excess pounds.
Let’s suppose you’ve been tracking your keto
macros, working out regularly, and the weight still won’t come off. It
could be because you’re not working out in accordance with your heart rate.
Fitness experts define several heart-rate categories, including low-intensity,
temperate, and aerobic. Working out and staying within predefined target zones
can make all the difference.
Bluetooth heart-rate monitors are physical devices that
users strap to their bodies while working out. These connect with various
fitness apps via Bluetooth and allow users to track their heart rate from their
device and stay within a specific target zone.
The Polar H9 is an excellent choice in this category.
3. Meditation trainers
One of the downsides of today’s technological output is the
increased ‘noise.’ Many people feel like they are constantly “on,” with
notifications beeping and messages and emails arriving at all times, it can be
hard to switch off from both work and friends and take some much-needed
me-time. In fact, experts note that greater connectivity can be linked
to burnout and stress.
No surprises here, but technology has come up with a
solution to this dilemma too. Smart meditation trainers, such as our personal
favorite, the Core Meditation Trainer, are small devices that can be placed
discretely around the home or held in your hand.
These tools track your ECG output and guide you through
meditative breathing exercises. Meditation might be great for us, but if you’re
like most people, it can be a chore and bore to get right. Trainers like the
Core make it much easier to get in the zone and reap the benefits of mindfulness.
Its gentle vibrations help guide users through the process without being too
intrusive.
4. Smart scales
As health and fitness theory has evolved, so too has our
understanding of basic concepts. For example, traditional knowledge highlights
the importance of one’s body mass index (BMI), but muscle weighs more than fat,
and BMI fails to take into account other critical factors.
Suffice it to say, jumping on a regular scale and using
weight as the sole way to measure one’s health in this regard is flawed. That’s
not to say that weighing yourself is inherently bad, just that there are better
ways to do it nowadays. Smart scales offer a different approach and can measure
much more than just your weight.
Gadgets such as the Wyze scale can also measure your body
composition, how much of your weight is the muscle, and your body-fat
percentage, a much better indication of overall health than BMI.
These smart scales link to apps from which you can enter
factors such as your age, gender, and height to receive truly personalized
health statistics. Some smart scales’ apps also come with an in-built
pedometer, so your daily exercise is tracked too.
5. Wearable sleep trackers
There’s no doubt that the quality of your sleep can affect
your overall health. Better sleep has been linked to decreased stress levels,
greater productivity, and overall better moods. But there are different types
of sleep, and some are more valuable than others.
In addition, each individual may sleep better at certain
times than others. If, for example, you tend to be in REM sleep at 5 am, you
probably don’t want to set your alarm for that time, but for fifteen or so
minutes before or after.
Figuring these times out and your own unique sleep cycles is
nigh on impossible without outside assistance. Wearable sleep trackers, such as
the unobtrusive Oura Ring, can help you figure out your own patterns and,
ultimately, get better sleep.
According to John
Hopkins Medicine, sleep trackers measure inactivity, and as such,
provide a decent estimate of how well you’re sleeping and your sleeping phases,
including that all-important REM.
The future of health and IoT
As modern technology continues to evolve, so too will the
tools we use to keep ourselves fit and in good health. IoT is becoming
increasingly important in many sectors, and its use in healthcare and at-home
health will continue to grow.
Whether it’s smart glucose monitors or interconnected
in-body devices, it’s safe to say that we will have more ways to measure,
quantify, and track our health than ever before. Watch this space; we certainly
are!
If you’re ready to join the health and wellness tech
revolution, get the ball rolling with our top 5 smart tools:
- Smart
watches, - Bluetooth
enables heart-rate monitors, - Meditation
trainers, - Smart
scales, - Wearable
sleep trackers.
Which of these smart health gadgets are you most interested
in, and which tool will you purchase first? Drop us a comment below and let us
know your thoughts.