As life turns back to the mundane home-work-home routine, it is time to give your body a wellness break with lifestyle changes that promise to make health a priority and give and track your weight loss goals a boost…
Technology to the Aid
Technology has a say in all aspects of our life, weight included. Fitness industry has long realized the importance of accessories and gadgets to build a strong case for our weight loss and fitness requirements. With specific gadgets targeting different aspects of body, weight loss can become a reality when combined with dieting and exercise. Some of the gadgets can even help motivate you, streamline your exercise regimen and also quantify your everyday progress.
Check out some of the technological aids to give your growing girth a proper beating.
Scale it down
What you need is a smart scale that connects to your iPhone or Android. Like the Health-O-Meter, which is serious in its approach. It uses Bluetooth technology to connect with the popular ‘Lose It’ app, which is designed to connect with others. The scale can connect you to three million other active users in the online community of Lose It, who share similar goals and are ready to make weight loss an engaging and interactive challenge – in fact, members are accountable to a larger group. Lose It can also help you track your exercise goals, your sleep patterns and calorie intake; it can also provide weight information, via the Health-O-Meter scale.
Another smart scale you could try is the Fitbit Aria Smart Scale. It connects to your WiFi network so that when you step on the scale it sends the data to your account; this can then be synced to other fitness tracking apps. This scale tracks weight, body fat and BMI and can support up to 8 users. Interestingly, a study found that the more often you weigh in, the more weight you could lose. In fact, the study even specified that you should not go for more than 5.8 days without weighing in, as it could lead to the risk of falling out of habit. If studies are to be believed, you weigh the most on the eve of the new week and the least before the onset of the weekend.
Play it right
Get a hang of video games to get back in shape. Look out for active video games like ‘Your Shape Fitness Evolved’ from Xbox 360, ‘Zumba Fitness’ from Nintendo Wii, and others. An older study that followed overweight or obese people through a weight-loss programme, found that the group in the study that played a virtual weight loss game had more successful results in their weight loss goals than the group that visited a weight-loss clinic.
Stay on track
For any weight loss programme to be effective, you need to be motivated to seek results. This could be realised by incorporating a fitness tracker that will help you stay active. With smartphones ruling our lives, this is easily achievable, as it comes with a fitness tracker that can deliver what you need. Although the tracker is no guarantee for weight loss, it can help you become accountable to yourself or even help develop friendly competition. There are also communities that you can join within a tracker.
Ring talk
Taking wearable technology a step forward, manufacturers have designed a ring to keep your fitness on track. The Motiv Ring is a titanium ring that can act as a heart rate sensor, track your steps, and monitor your sleep. It is a motivator that prods you to be 150 minutes each week, instead of directing you to walk 10000 steps a day.
Get analysed
Smart Body Analyzer is what you need to track your weight, body fat and the BMI. The WiThings Smart Body Analyzer includes an Athlete mode which gives you the best measurement tool for your body type. It comes with a companion Health Mate app that delivers weekly targets, tips and reminders; it can also track your heart rate and measure the CO2 level and room temperature when you step on it.
Blaze of glory
When you want more than a fitness tracker, your best bet would be the FitBit Blaze, which combines interesting features of smart watch. But what adds value to it is that it tracks heart rate more often than the Apple Watch and also tracks steps, sleep, the calories burned and has 15 specific types of exercise. It will automatically track your exercise when you start going, without any instruction to do so. It has a five-day battery life and it lets you control music playback and pairs with your phone for GPS tracking of workouts.
Wristband to the aid
Here is a wearable technology of another kind. This one is designed to stop your cravings for energy drinks that are packed with unhealthy ingredients. Synced with a companion app, the wristband emits a vibration that feels like a heartbeat that can be regulated as per your choice. You could tap it to beat faster and make you feel more alert or opt for a slower one to calm you down. This is said to keep your feeling upbeat for long meetings or the last tiring hours at office.
Watch it
Go for the Apple Watch if you are looking to receive notifications in addition to other smart watch features. It tracks your steps, your activities and reminds you to stand up and keep moving every hour. There is a ring on the watch face that shows your daily progress. If you require music while working out, pair it with Bluetooth headphones and listen to music without your iPhone
