There are many reasons that we get inspired to take better care of ourselves. Maybe we are newly single and want to make the best first impression that we can. Or the new job we took is more demanding than sitting in a cubicle 8 hours a day and we want to prepare. Or the holidays really took their toll and all those third servings of turkey and cake have tipped the scales. Either way you cut it, technology is aware of the issues facing our weight loss and is trying to help us out. With so many devices on the market catering to help us stay in shape, get in better shape, or just keep track of how many steps we have taken, you have a plethora of options to chose from.
One of the biggest names on the market is Fitbit and it has come a long way since inception. At first they tracked your steps, keeping a calculated eye on how many times you got out of your seat and went to the water-cooler. This inspired many people to take the stairs instead of the elevator and inspired competition amongst friends as to who would walk the furthest in a day. From there they took on heart rate monitoring technology and some even attempted to measure the sweat you produced while working out. What they did with this data was put it all together in an easy graph for you to pour over and figure out “how can I maximize the distance from my chair to the bathroom to get even more steps in?!”
Coming out as a passive device, one that recorded your information and shared it with you, this was the first step on a long road. The next step is to make these gadgets proactive, telling you what to do while you are exercising or cooling down. Some of these devices come with chest straps to keep more accurate readings of your heart, and will let you know when its time to cool down or push harder. They also come preloaded with soothing voices to encourage you to “keep going, you’re almost there!”, offer you support “you’re doing great!” and other reaffirming statements that actually do help you keep your head in the game. Much like working out or doing yoga to Youtube videos, there is something about another person supporting you, even a complete digital stranger (or computer voice), that incites something in you to not let them down. Other devices will tell you when you are running too hard and reminds you to take softer steps to take care of your joints, others offer soothing outdoor sounds so while you are running through your chaotic city you can imagine its full of birds or right by the ocean.