We all know that maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle can be difficult. More than the desire and willingness to live healthier, it takes a lot of effort to keep up with daily habits. There’s always the temptation of falling back to unhealthy patterns and disrupting our progress.
But regardless of your age or current health status, staying healthy has a range of benefits. An article from The Hill says that exercising can contribute to longevity as long as you meet the recommended levels of physical activity each week. Individuals who completed moderate exercises like walking and calisthenics reported a 20-21% lower risk of death. Meanwhile, those who did vigorous exercises like jogging and biking were less likely to die from all-cause mortality by 19%.
Knowing this still doesn’t make the journey towards a healthy lifestyle much easier, though. So how can you make fitness easier and more efficient?
The answer lies in technology. Some might think that devices can otherwise lead to sedentary behavior, but that’s not always the case. If used correctly and responsibly, technology can improve your lifestyle and help you reap the long-term benefits of health and fitness — here’s how.
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Invest in a Home Gym to Exercise Whenever
One of the main reasons that people opt out of working out is the inconvenience of going to the gym. Maybe there’s no accessible gym nearby, or you simply have a busy schedule. Fortunately, you can exercise in the comfort of your own home by investing in smart fitness equipment.
Start modernizing your home gym by getting a fitness mirror. The Lululemon Studio smart gym mirror comes with live and pre-loaded workout classes, ranging from high-intensity interval training to yoga and meditation. You can easily set it up and pair it with your Wi-Fi network, so it only takes a bit of tech know-how before you can start having fun with interactive home-based workouts. Lastly, the full-length mirror is sleek, which means you can move it around the house as you like.
Get Professional Help via Telehealth
Your fitness journey can be much more effective if you enlist the help of health experts and professionals. If you want to access guided exercises, Los Angeles-based gyms and fitness studios stream their yoga, dance, and workout classes on platforms like Zoom.
The increasing demand for virtual fitness services and resources also means there’s now a demand for weight loss teleconsults. The availability of this service will depend on which state you are in. Remote nurse practitioners in Minnesota and nine other states in America can provide specific medically-guided solutions and help you if you’re managing treatment or dealing with other health issues like diabetes, GERD, and asthma. Another recommended service is Livongo, a smartphone app with virtual telemedicine services that you can use for lifestyle coaching and dietary advice.
Wear Smart Watches to Monitoring Movement
Smartwatch technology is one of the major trends in the fitness industry for a reason. They have features for setting measurable goals so you can keep better track of your fitness progress.
These wearable devices have also advanced in recent years. Previously, they were only used to monitor your heart rate and blood pressure. Now, smartwatches can also display additional metrics like the number of steps taken, the distance traveled, and calories burned.
Among the most popular smartwatches is the FitBit due to its lightweight model and user-friendly interface. It allows you to see real-time data on your vitals and movement as you engage in physical activity, whether you’re running, biking, or lifting weights. Since you wouldn’t want your smartwatch to run out of battery while you’re on the move, there are various tips and tricks on ‘How to Charge a Fitbit’. Depending on your model, you can use USB ports, detach the wristband, or replace the battery.
Gamify Workouts with Virtual Reality
Advancements in virtual reality (VR) apply not only to video games but can also be helpful for health and fitness. The aspect of gamification in physical activity boosts long-term engagement and retention.
The game HOLOFIT allows you to pair your headset with a bicycle or other exercise equipment so you can easily transport yourself from San Francisco to Antarctica and outer space—whether by running, rowing, skiing, or cycling. If you’re the type of working out with music, Audio Trip is a VR dance game that simulates the club atmosphere with pop and EDM tracks from Lady Gaga, Skrillex, and more.
