Using Technology in the Pursuit of Good Health

Do you remember when we used to have to call a phone number to get the time & temperature?  We really used to do that.  Really. It was most often provided by a bank.  A lot of those same banks listed the time and temperature on a sign out front. 

And the weather radar...you used to have to wait until the 6 o'clock news to see a weather radar.  We used to make our plans for the next day based on Margie's weather predictions.

Not so much anymore.  Now we just look at our phone.  Want to know the weather in Singapore?  Three clicks and you've got it.  See if it is going to rain this afternoon?  It's in there.

Oh, and maps.  We used to use maps to tell us how to get where we wanted to go.  Now we just punch a button, give our destination, and the directions are provided to us as we travel.  "Turn right in 100 yards."  Or punch one button and tell Siri "find the nearest Starbucks" and she will do it for you and tell you how to get there.

Did you know that the same phone can help you achieve your health and fitness goals? 

A lot of people are counting their steps these days.   I see lots of reports about that.  "I got 15,000 steps today!"   That one's pretty cool.

A lot of bikers use Strava to give them the data from their ride such as distance, speed, average speed, and total climbed.  (BTW, none of these apps pay me anything for listing them here.)

I've got Strava but don't use it much for a couple of reasons.  One, most of the time all I'm trying to do is keep up with Steve Bright.  That takes about all I've got.  I don't need data to help me there.  Secondly, I don't like to carry my phone on the bike.  That is my time to escape the phone.

I've got an app on my phone that gives my walking/running distance, steps taken, and flights of stairs climbed.  Every day.  I don't have to do anything.  On any given day, it is there.  Since my phone is in my pocket pretty much all the time I'm not on my bike or asleep, it's pretty accurate. 

I use another to chart my blood pressure.  The cool thing about this is that I can drop the data to my Primary Care Physician. 

There are a bunch of apps to help you with your diet.  You can monitor what you eat, when you eat it, count your calories, and remind you to hydrate.  With the help of a watch or chest strap, you can monitor your sleep, the quality of your sleep, and can measure your heart rate during sleep. 

You can get a personal fitness coach, a workout of the day, or a link to the closest gym.  You can get an app to help you daily with stretching, meditation, or yoga.  The list is endless.

Healthier Tennessee is a program that has several parts that will help you with developing better health habits.  Their app is a free download.  It's really handy and offers a feature called "Small Starts" that is an easy way to take those small steps that seem necessary to get started.  It encourages better hydration, better eating, more sleeping, and more activity.  Try it.  I think you'll like it.

Like any tool, these things only work if you use them.  But the technology is out there for you to use.  Won't you take that first step today?