Published on Jan. 4, 2019
Weeks of festive feasts, tempting sweets and cozy indoor celebrations can make it easy for healthy habits to slip during the holiday season. But with January comes a fresh opportunity to refocus on your well-being and get back on the road to better health.
The good news? Modern technology can make that journey a little easier. From fitness trackers and nutrition apps to sleep monitors and heart health devices, today's tools can help you build healthy habits, stay accountable and monitor your progress along the way.
Using Technology to Support Your Health Goals
Everywhere you look, wearable fitness gadgets are becoming more common. Fitbits, Apple Watches, Garmin devices and other health technologies promise to:
- Improve your diet
- Enhance your exercise routine
- Monitor your sleep
- Support heart health
- Keep you motivated
But do they really work?
According to Jeffrey Lai, MD, MemorialCare family and sports medicine physician, wearable health technology can be a valuable tool for developing and maintaining healthy habits.
"We all want to feel better, be healthier, happier and more energetic, right? Eating right, getting enough sleep, staying physically active, decreasing stress - these are the foundation of a healthy lifestyle and something I love counseling my patients on. But there's an old saying: 'You can't manage what you can't count.' Today's smart phone apps help out the most important healthy details."
- Dr. Lai
Improve Your Diet with Nutrition Tracking Apps
For many people, a healthier lifestyle begins with making better food choices.
Overeating remains a common challenge, especially when processed foods and oversized portions are part of daily life. Fortunately, nutrition-focused apps and smart kitchen technology can help you become more aware of what you're eating.
Benefits of Food Tracking Apps
Many nutrition apps allow you to:
- Log meals and snacks throughout the day
- Track calories and portion sizes
- Monitor water intake
- Review nutritional information
- Receive personalized nutrition recommendations
These tools can help you identify habits that may be holding you back while providing gentle reminders to stay on track with your health goals.
Stay Active with Fitness Trackers and Exercise Apps
Fitness tracking technology was once reserved primarily for athletes. Today, smartphones, smartwatches and wearable devices make it easy for nearly anyone to monitor their physical activity.
What Fitness Devices Can Track
Modern fitness trackers can help you measure:
- Daily step counts
- Active minutes
- Calories burned
- Workout performance
- Heart rate during exercise
- Overall progress toward fitness goals
Many apps also offer customized workout plans based on your fitness level, preferences and goals.
Motivation Matters
One of the greatest benefits of fitness technology is accountability.
Some apps send reminders to:
- Stretch throughout the day
- Take a walk during work hours
- Stand up after prolonged sitting
- Practice deep breathing exercises
Dr. Lai explains:
"the best apps are the ones that not only track data, but also have reminders or social media features to help keep a person on track and motivated."
Many fitness platforms also connect you with a larger wellness community, allowing you to:
- Schedule workouts with friends
- Participate in fitness challenges
- Share milestones and achievements
- Access the latest fitness research and recommendations
Get Better Sleep with Sleep Tracking Technology
In today's fast-paced world, sleep is often overlooked. Yet quality sleep plays a vital role in overall health.
Getting adequate rest may help:
- Lower your risk of injury
- Support healthy weight management
- Improve mood and energy levels
- Enhance daily performance
If falling asleep or staying asleep has become difficult, technology may offer helpful solutions.
How Sleep Apps Work
Sleep tracking apps can help you better understand your nighttime habits by monitoring:
- When you fall asleep
- How long you sleep
- Sleep consistency
- Wake times
- Overall sleep patterns
By reviewing these insights over time, you may be able to identify habits that affect your sleep quality and make adjustments to your bedtime routine.
Reduce Screen-Related Sleep Disruptions
Another technology-based sleep solution is the use of blue light filters.
Phones, tablets and other electronic screens emit blue light, which can interfere with your body's natural sleep cycle. Activating nighttime display settings or blue light filters may help reduce screen-related sleep disruptions and support relaxation before bed.
These features can be especially helpful for people who feel restless or anxious in the evening.
Support Heart Health with Wearable Technology
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), coronary artery disease is one of the most common heart conditions in the United States. This condition develops when cholesterol builds up within the arteries, causing them to become narrowed or damaged.
Managing and preventing heart disease often requires ongoing monitoring and lifestyle changes.
Heart Health Tools and Devices
Today, a variety of technologies can help individuals monitor their cardiovascular health, including:
- Wearable heart rate monitors
- Blood pressure tracking devices
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring devices
- Smartphone-connected heart health apps
These tools can help users track progress and better understand changes in their cardiovascular health over time.
Monitoring Heart Rhythm and Stress Levels
Managing stress is an important part of heart health. Physicians may sometimes recommend an electrocardiogram (ECG) to evaluate heart activity and detect potential signs of strain.
Portable monitoring devices can now make this process more convenient. Some wearable technologies help monitor heart rhythms over extended periods and may assist individuals with conditions such as arrhythmias by tracking heart rate data.
For those simply looking to improve overall wellness, many consumer-friendly health devices offer daily heart rate monitoring, breathing exercises and wellness insights designed to support heart-healthy habits.
Make Technology Work for You
Personal health technology has become more powerful and accessible than ever before. From tracking steps and sleep to monitoring diet and heart health, these tools provide valuable insights into your daily habits.
While technology alone is not a substitute for healthy choices, it can provide the information, accountability and motivation needed to stay on track.
By making the most of today's health apps and wearable devices, you can better measure your progress, build healthier routines and start the new year with confidence.