By Joshua Chikomo
Health is a crucial part of human life. It can either be one of a loved one or yourself. There have been advancements in technology to help us track and monitor our health or the health of family and loved ones. The form of these technologies can be either in the form of wearables or health apps, which at times work hand in hand.
Wearables are devices that are made of sensors to keep track of certain parameters on the human body that can be the motion of the person, the heartbeat rate of the person, and even the temperature of the individual, to name a few. These wearables come in different types depending on their functions, for example, in the form of armbands, rings, and watches.
The armband type of wearables is generally used for exercising/motion-type activities. Examples of these are the Fitbit Charge Series and the Samsung Galaxy Fit Series. The ring-type wearables have the same functionality as the band type but are smaller and easier to wear continuously and during sleep; examples include the Oura Ring and Samsung Galaxy Ring. The final type is the smartwatch type, which has the same functionality as before but has included features like being able to call and receive notifications.
These wearables usually sync with health apps, which are software created to help to accomplish a goal. For example, some health apps help the user to get in shape by keeping track of the user’s food intake in the form of calories and the activities done. This is usually done by providing the user with a recommended diet or exercise routine to gain or lose weight while using wearables to track the activity. Examples of this would be the MyFitnessPal app, the Fitbit series, and the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch wearables.
The other type of health apps are those that are used to track the general well-being of the user. This type of app helps you in detecting early warning symptoms as well as keeps family members informed of the health of the user. They usually have the feature of reminding users to take medications, doctor visits, or medication refills. Some apps work with wearables to send emergency signals, for example, if the user crashes or faints, to family members or emergency services. Examples include the Samsung Health app, Google Pixel Watch, and Apple Watch.
When choosing the type of app or wearable to buy and use, remember to communicate with your doctor or coach, as they may know things better for your circumstance. For wearables, it is better to do your due diligence in noting down the features that you will be using to avoid either short changing or overspending.