We all know technology is getting better and better by the day, and becoming more and more popular in our daily lives. Technology can be an amazing thing, especially when used in the right ways. Using technology as a way to distribute information relating to health and wellness, or encouraging people to participate in healthy behaviors through technology could really make a difference in the way people think about health. For example, some companies are using social media to create private fitness challenges or share healthy recipes via private Facebook groups. The majority of people already use social media, so it is a smart move for companies to target their employees via social media. There are however, old-school companies trying to shy away from social media, because lets face it, some people are afraid of change! For people who work a 9-5 desk job, sitting all day long can really take a toll on their health. Have no fear, the Smart Desk is here! This desk can move up and down so people can even squat while doing their work! Not only that, it alerts workers when they’ve been sitting for too long, and encourages them to stand up. Part of me thinks this is really awesome, and another part of me thinks it’s sad that a desk needed to be built to remind people to stand up. I think there are too many people in this country who live a sedentary lifestyle, and health needs to be a bigger priority than it is.
Another way in which technology can be used in fitness: Health Apps. One study showed that 60% of participants were iPhone users, and 20% used some sort of Health related app. The results showed that the participants using health apps were more physically active, consumed a low-fat diet, and did more research via the internet. An important thing to keep in mind, is the health app used had a significant impact on the user’s ability to stay motivated. We all know, some apps are better than others. Personally, I have used the MyFitnessPal app which helped a lot when I first started tracking my food and exercise. After awhile, it becomes like a second nature and you don’t even need to use the app anymore unless you want to. Either way, it could really give someone the push they need to start living a healthier lifestyle without completely overwhelming them.
From my experience, I see many people using social media as their motivation when it comes to fitness. People follow fitness accounts, or create their own to hold themselves accountable and post/track their progress. A specific example of this is “Facebook memories”. Facebook memories pops up on the homepage and says “One Year Ago Today!”. This lets people see what they posted on this day last year, causing them to see what they “used” to look like. This can either be a good or bad thing, yet it can still serve as motivation to either get back to where they used to be, or get better than they used to be.
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