In the wake of pandemic induced work from home (WFH) and hybrid working, the world has grown accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle. Undoubtedly, technology emerged as a saviour and enabler for organisations to continue their operations seamlessly during this unprecedented transition. But it has also led to a spike in screen time and a series of other health issues.
How can technology be a game-changer for people and help them lead a healthy lifestyle? Well, if you are a gadget freak, you will know it better. For instance, smartwatches enable people with medical conditions and otherwise to keep track of their fitness goals, receive an advisory from healthcare experts in real-time and manage prescriptions more efficiently and seamlessly.
Against this backdrop, here are a few ways smartwatches are transforming our lives by improving our health:
Personalised Healthcare Data: Smartwatches let individuals take substantial control of their lifestyle and address by regularly monitoring their temperature and heart rate. This gives them a better understanding of our overall health and accordingly provides personalised care. These devices are also equipped with impressive new-age features such as data tracking and in-depth analysis of our health and wellness, thus helping us stay on track with our fitness goals.
Workout reminder: We are well aware of workout benefits, but making it a habit is often challenging. This is where smartwatches come into the picture. Using a smartwatch to set workout reminders is an excellent approach to turning a goal into a great habit. A recent survey showed that 57 percent of people started exercising more after purchasing a wearable device. While it's easy to miss a reminder notification if you are not carrying your phone, a smartwatch is more difficult to overlook because it vibrates on your wrist and reminds you of the workout.
Preventative care and reduced healthcare cost: When it comes to tackling rising healthcare issues and expenses, preventive care and early disease detection are some of the best ways to handle controllable problems before they exacerbate. This becomes more important if the wearer is suffering from a genetic condition or predisposed illness.
Digital smartwatch sensors quickly identify irregularities and deliver warning signals to users and their selected contacts. They keep the wearer's family updated about their health even at a reasonable distance. The smart tracker sends real-time updates to selected contacts and regularly monitors the wearer's health status.
Track diet and calorie intake: Taking a balanced diet is beneficial for physical and mental health. However, eating is something that everyone enjoys, so it is easy to get distracted. Nowadays, smartwatch features can effectively track and log your caloric intake. Some even include pre-programmed data on how many calories are in a portion of a specific dish. Thus, wearing a smartwatch can assist you in staying active and healthy.
Sleep monitoring: In today's fast-paced and highly-competitive lifestyle, taking peaceful sleep and giving your body adequate time to recharge and refreshen is imperative. Wearing a smartwatch at night can thus assist you in tracking your sleep patterns. It can give you insights about REM sleep and help you build a proper sleep time routine. Smartwatches can also tell you how many hours of sleep you're receiving and how many of those hours are uninterrupted. This will help you identify patterns and set objectives to adjust sleep duration and improve sleep quality.
Moving forward
India has recorded 274 percent rise in smartwatch sales in 2021, which is likely to increase further. As we advance, brands are envisioned to disrupt this sector by incorporating more innovation in the coming years. Clearly, these devices will be a stepping stone for people, enabling them to take better health initiatives and lead a healthy lifestyle.
(Hamish Patel is Chief Product Officer, World of Play-Indian consumer technology brand)
