Making The Most Of Technology To Stay In Tip-Top Shape

Technology has always been a part of our lives. From the invention of the wheel to modern-day supercars, technology has been there for us. But what about our health?

A lot of people would argue that modern tech is detrimental to it, but, when used correctly, we know that technology can be helpful in keeping us healthy.

So, how do we use technology to benefit our health?

Understand the different types of technology

First and foremost, if you understand the different types of technology that can help you stay healthy, you’ll be able to make the best choice to suit your lifestyle.

There are two main categories of technology: digital and physical. Digital technology for health benefits can range from apps, informational websites, and online communities dedicated to a particular topic. When it comes to utilizing physical technology to improve your health, the most common is, of course, gym equipment for physical exercise.

Ideally, you’ll want a mix of the two for the optimal result, but today we’re focusing on the digital wonders of the world.

Understand the different types of health

What are the different types of health?

• Physical – It’s probably easier to think of it as the following:
• Healthy diet,
• Healthy weight,
• Personal hygiene,
• Dental, and Sleep
• Mental – Not to be underestimated, your mental health refers to your mindset, feelings towards yourself, and all the non-physical aspects of health (however, your mental health CAN impact your physical health, so it’s doubly important to take care of it!)

Think of these 3 key things when it comes to mental health, and what it means:

• Emotional,
• Psychological, and
• Social wellbeing.

Using technology for your health

One of the best ways to use technology to benefit your health is to use it for keeping track of different aspects of your health.

For example, you could use technology to monitor your blood sugar levels, or with a device like an online pedometer or smartwatch, you could track your steps and see how many calories you’ve roughly burned. You could also use technology to keep track of your sleep quality with your phone that records your sleep quality, giving you insight to different triggers that may be impeding your sleep cycle.

If you’re particularly interested in using tech to help with your sleep, you should check out apps such as Calm or Sleep Cycle to get you started.

You can even use technology to help you stay organized with apps like Stocksy or Canva that allow you to create beautiful posters about health topics, giving you the opportunity to organize and learn in a fun and engaging way. Apps aren’t the only way to utilize technology for the betterment of your health though. There are plenty of other options out there depending on what you’re desired outcome is. Websites such as Better Help offer people an online alternative for counseling and therapy services, and in our fast-paced and hectic world, this kind of opportunity is one you should not pass up.

Even going to the doctor’s office has become somewhat unnecessary now, as websites such as Simple Online Pharmacy offer information about different conditions, and prescription services. For many people, being able to access and utilize these services is life-changing as it can be done from the comfort of your own home – and often doesn’t cost as much as physically going to a doctor’s might.

Whilst it’s always important to physically go to the doctor or hospital when something is wrong, it’s always useful to have an online alternative to fall back on. There’s also the aspect of gadgets, which some people are particularly interested in when it comes to improving and making your lifestyle a little easier to maintain.

You can invest in things like air purifiers to ensure that your lungs are getting the best air-quality possible when you’re at home. This is particularly useful if you live with a smoker, or live in a city that has quite bad air quality due to pollution.

You’d be surprised by the impact bad air quality can have on your health.

Using technology to build sustainable habits

Possibly one of the best uses of technology to benefit your health is utilizing it not only to start new routines but to maintain them until they become habits. According to the 21/90 rule, it takes around 3 weeks of consistently sticking to a routine before that routine becomes a habit.

21 days may seem like a relatively short time frame, but you’d be surprised to learn that a lot of people struggle to reach their three-week goals.

Take the classic New Year Resolutions for the perfect example (check out Ways To Use Your iPhone To Make Sure You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions as many of those tips will come in handy for building a habit too).

People tend to be extremely motivated for around the first week, but that motivation quickly depletes, and the reality of how difficult a lifestyle change is set in. The struggle for consistency is what truly stops people from developing healthy habits – but there are things you can do to bolster your chances of persevering through!

What you need to do first of all is determine what your goal is. Perhaps you’d like to go jogging every two days or try to incorporate more veggie meals to your diet. No matter what your goal is, one of the best things that you can do is join an online community for it. Having experienced people offering you advice will be invaluable, and they’ll know the common hurdles of your goal to be able to help you navigate them!

Plus, it’s always great to be surrounded by others who have a similar goal – you’ll not only receive motivation but will probably find yourself offering it to others too.

Technology really is an incredible tool that can make your life so much easier when used correctly. As always, do research and find what works for you, and be open to some trial and error.  Life is a learning curve, but at least we have the tech to help us navigate it!