Health
5 Gadgets & Apps To Improve Your Health
Start-up entrepreneurs, or even seasoned ones, are so busy setting up and running their businesses that health takes a lesser priority for most of them. They do not have to time for a routine physical workout or a bout of sound sleep and are stressed out for a major part of the day.
The claim that modern gadgets enabled by technology promise a better quality of life is usually taken in with a pinch of salt. This is more so because the advancement of technology has only caused ill health. Nevertheless, listed below are five products born out of modern technology that can be used with a smartphone or computer to help you improve your physical health as well as your overall productivity.
1. Tackling Physical Inactivity
A sedentary lifestyle is seen as contributing to a majority of health problems in today’s life. According to WHO, it is observed that more than 3 million people lose their lives to the bad effects of physically inactive life.
Solution: Nike Fuelband
This device is packed with sensors and accelerometers and monitors the wearer’s movement. Associated built-in circuitry also helps to measure physical activity. Tagged with a price of $149, this band performs a number of functions including keeping time. The high contrast LED-display unit shows the number of steps taken and the number of calories burned. In addition, it displays NikeFuel, a unit of measurement of movement introduced by Nike. The device, which is twice as thick as a Livestrong bracelet, can be operated via Bluetooth or connected to a USB port.
2. Tackling Inadequate Sleep
Inadequate sleep impairs productivity whether at home or at the office. The effects of continued sleeplessness for a period of time can be dangerously debilitating and sets the body up for degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.
Solution: SleepBot Android App
This helps to track the sleep trends of the user. It is a free app that allows the users to check-in when they hit the bed and check out when they open their eyes. As soon as the app is activated, it eliminates potential disturbances by shutting off the WiFi and silencing the phone. The app connects to the website and stores related data. This helps the user to analyze his/her sleep trends and record important notes about their sleep. The app hopes to incorporate accelerometer functions and record tossing and turning movements as well. It also has an integrated alarm clock function.
3. Tackling Continuous Work Pressure
Working on a project and completing it successfully not only means profits for the organization but also that you are under continuous work pressure. Working on a project without taking breaks is common among business owners and employees when they have to meet deadlines. This wreaks havoc on the health of the individual and common complaints of ill-health include eyestrain, backaches, headaches, etc.
Solution: EVO
It is a browser plug-in that can be used with both Chrome and Firefox. EVO reminds users to take breaks frequently from staring at the computer screens. It can be programmed in different modes. If tuned to the 20-20-20 mode, it causes the computer screen to blackout every 20 minutes, forcing the user to look at an object that is kept 20 feet away for a period of 20 seconds. Alternately, in the 60-5 mode, the EVO compels the user to take a 5-minute break after every hour of work. An animated robot helps the user in performing some eye exercises that are aimed at strengthening eye muscles and reducing eye fatigue.
4. Tackling Weight Gain
Common spaces in the office are places where a tired employee workforce generally gorges on shared food and office/birthday party leftovers. This has seen waistlines expanding and general health plunging down. An indicator for most dreadful degenerative diseases, obesity/excessive weight gain has become a large-scale problem that needs to be handled quickly and effectively.
Solution: MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is a social calorie counter attached to a website that is free to use. It is clubbed with an app that imports valuable nutrition information for different foodstuffs into the specific user’s profile. Armed with a barcode scanning interface, it can store serving sizes and RDAs of 1.1 million items. It helps to add up the calories and displays pie charts of the protein, carbohydrate, and fat contents of the food item.
With the help of the social function of the app, your friends can see you exercising and cheer and encourage you by sending in messages. They can see the list of foods for the day (which you have typed in). However, they cannot see what you have actually eaten. This can be a great alternative to the usual medical products found in the market.
5. Tackling Eyestrain
Eyestrain is common for any working man/woman of today. The business owner or employee spends a major portion of the day staring at high-energy radiating computer screens. It is not uncommon that most people experience eyestrain, eye fatigue, and ensuing headaches. Over long periods this can cause irreparable damage to the eyes.
Solution: Gunnar Optiks Eyewear
It is common to see professional video game players often sporting special glasses. It may be that they are wearing specialized Gunnar Optiks glasses which are designed to reduce eyestrain. The lenses have an amber tint that reduces the artificial light and provides a better image contrast. The glasses are also designed to produce a minimal magnification with a view to reducing eyestrain. The shape of the glasses is conducive to retaining eye moisture at the required levels. The lenses have an anti-glare coating on them that helps to reduce eye fatigue. To further enhance effectiveness, Carl Zeiss prescription lenses can be added. The glasses vary between $79 and $189 in cost.