EFFECTS OF TECH-WEARABLES ON OUR HEALTH.


     
The original published article of 1964-1965 explaining 
the concept of Manpo-kei in Japan.


This whole concept dates back to 1965 where Dr. Yoshiro Hatano who was a Japanese professor at Kyushu University of Health and Welfare had a mission to combat obesity in Japan. Manpo-kei which meant 10,000 steps measure was his idea of dealing with this crisis. He recognized that increase in physical activity i.e. covering 10k steps a day would help improve physical health.

A sample of a vintage polar electro used by
athletes in 1980s to monitor their 
heart rate.








  
During the 1980s, wearable heart rate monitors were used by athletes to track their heart rates during exercise. Fast-forward to 2006, Nike and Apple merged to create the Nike ipod Sport kit. This innovation entailed a wireless sensor in the shoe that communicated with the iPod, allowing it to track steps,distance and pace of runners.

The entry of Fitbit Ultra in 2009, Jawbone UP and Nike Fuelband in 2011-2012 paved way to modern smart watches. As early as then, Jawbone UP was programmed to focused on activity tracking, sleep monitoring and mood analysis. It was wrapped around the wrist like a stylish bracelet. 

Different series of the Jawbone UP bracelet.


This concept made entry of other fitness devices used in modern time to keep track of our fitness progress. A great example in the Oura ring, which is a great alternative for a smart watch aimed at tracking fundamental areas of our health like sleep and physical activity.

How has it impacted our health?

a) Gauge and analyse our level of physical activity.
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It's difficult to estimate the level or the impact of our physical output especially for guys with sedentary lifestyles. Having a tracker that monitors this, gives insights on how to go about it. Speaking of weight loss, the aspect of calories in versus calories out can easily be complemented by having a device like a smartwatch. The device will shed some light on what to increase or decrease in order to get almost the perfect balance.
b) Motivation and accountability.
Having the statistics at hand will keep anyone geared up. This could be based on the current results or a goal that is about to be fulfilled. Most of these devices have features that provide details of our sleep, stress levels, calories burned etc. Analyses of all these, keeps individuals liable for action taken and help establish consistent habits that improve our health.
c) Personalized insights.
Advanced sensors and AI integration in wearable devices offer customized health information. This helps users understand their fitness status, optimize their workouts and make informed decision about their health. Guys with personal goals can key in their details and have something to provide details of their progress.

d) Holistic health monitoring.
Most of these devices are equipped to keep track and analyse our fundamental health metrics i.e. our heart rate, sleep patterns, stress levels etc in check. This is important for it complements the health components of fitness. Having a devices that has the capability to sort out key areas at a go is quite beneficial and less taxing unlike having multiple appointments to get every detail checked.
e) Behavioural changes.
Sleep analysis from Fit bit smart watch.

This is highly attributed to the data collected. The data might indicated a reduction in physical activity or sleep time, it may further shown the effect it has on the calories burned or stress levels respectively. This will automatically result to self-internalization for most individuals leading to a shift in approach. It's not always serious until the aftermath of something is properly felt or analyzed. Most of the devices are thoroughly equipped to give proper and almost accurate analyses of these key health metrics. 
This will/can make the sedentary guys more physically active and guys that barely prioritize sleep to do so.  

 What are some of its drawbacks?

Everything that has pros never lacks cons and so does these tech-wearable devices. Some of it's cons can hinder the benefits that are meant to tag along. Some of these cons include:

a)     Overreliance. 

The body itself has mechanisms of communicating especially in matters regarding health and wellness. Too much dependency on these devices can make anyone biased to these mechanisms. The device could indicate sufficient amount of sleep but deep within the body says otherwise. Most times it ends up being a battle between a want and a need.

Combining both self-obtained data and the one obtained from the device would bring a synergistic effect in regards to our health.

b) Inaccuracy.

Just like any other innovation, they too are prone to errors. The data obtained especially from the number of steps accumulated or number of calories burned, at times result in some errors. If the errors are consistent, it might be detrimental especially for guys aiming to lose weight. When calories in consistently surpasses calories out, then achieving their goal will be a problem.

It might not alway be the case but being keen on the data could help identify some of the errors. In situations where one has a different alternative or device, it will help clarify any doubts.

c) Privacy.

Inorder for anyone to have access to most of the features in these devices, basic information concerning age, gender, state of physical activity, weight etc is needed to accurately track our health metrics. These information is sent to the manufacturing companies, to help store and analyse data. Some people could be prone to anxiety and panic attacks as a result of someone having access to their private data.

Some of these manufacturing companies at times, use the data obtained to renovate their devices without users knowing. 

If a standard check up by governmental boards incharge of data protection can effectively be done, then the distress of data being leaked will subside.





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