Taking a more active and mindful approach to our fitness is important now more than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the different ways that we, as individuals, have an influence over our health and, in recent years, technology has been an aid which has allowed us to pay more attention to our overall health and wellbeing.
One trend which has really increased recently is the trend of ‘wearable tech’, so are we on the cusp of a technological revolution which will take these devices to a new level?
Our health is so much more than just the number of steps you take each day, or how many hours of sleep you get each night. These wearable devices take medical insight to the next level, and show the wearer highly accurate and informative data, which they may not be able to get anywhere else and allow them to tailor their health and fitness goals on a more personal level.
With our clothing and accessories now doubling up as health monitors, it is no surprise that the mass use of this technology is becoming much easier to adopt and, with this new trend, the possibilities for wearable technology are becoming seemingly endless.
Wearable Tech For The Office
Of course, the COVID-19 outbreak is not far from the world’s wearable health technology debate. The current focus is on intelligent textiles which could be used to create a facemask and see a huge increase in the application of new technologies. Many wearable tech companies are already focusing on this development and are looking to create a face mask which will enable them to check their respiratory rate, heart rate, sleep performance and so much more. But can wearable technology help in the fight against Coronavirus?
Research has shown that there is evidence that using wearable health tech devices can detect changes in the heart rates of patients with confirmed cases of Coronavirus, so there is a huge amount of promise surrounding these new technologies.
From Function To Fashion
If we ignore the fitness features of wearable technology, the overall appearance of wearable tech has changed completely over recent years. The very first Fitbit had an old-school and chunky interface, but the latest releases of smartwatches and fitness trackers feature smooth, sleek designed and polished aluminium cases, which are far closer to the more traditional mechanical watches.
This change from function to fashion is huge, as wearers will now simply just put on their wearable tech in the morning, which is making the focus on smartwatches all the more important. With wearers making the choice to wear their devices every day, tech companies are increasing their offerings, with app developers working on more interactive apps, better interfaces to suit the new, sleek and modern design and widening the insights they can offer the wearer.
However, health isn’t far behind these new fashion-driven devices. If anything, along with the sleeker new looks, the health technology is becoming more streamlined and sleeker, too. The new Apple Watch Series 6 is an example of this, with the addition of a new sensor. This sensor can take readings of blood oxygen levels, provide heart rate notifications and take an ECG anywhere, anytime. Apple promises “the future of health on your wrist” with this new device, with “healthier, more active and more connected life within reach”. But, with this new tech comes a complete overhaul of the previous design. With retina display, water resistance and sleek new watch faces and straps, this is the perfect example of health mixing with fashion.
Conclusion
We are now in a world where mass-acceptance can be applied to wearable health technologies and this is driven largely in part of the success of sports and health watches, which provide users with more relevant and significant information on their own health. This constant access to information on our health is driving wearers to become fitter and achieve their fitness and health goals.
