How Wearable Devices Are Revolutionizing the Health and Fitness Industry

by Dr. Nick Zyrowski November 13, 2023

Wearable technology is changing the healthcare game. It’s taken us by storm over the past several years. These devices offer you real-time feedback that not only helps you keep track of your fitness but can also help you communicate better with your doctor. In this article, we’ll help you understand the significance of this modern technology and how it can help give you and your practitioner insights into your healthcare needs.

Empowering fitness

It used to be that when you went for a walk or a workout at the gym, you had no true way of monitoring your actions. You didn’t know how many steps you took, what your heart rate was, or any of your other health stats. Once wearable technology began to surface, it changed the way people were able to keep track of their wellness. (1)

These portable devices can keep track of your heart rate, collect and upload physiological data, and create workout plans tailored to your needs. Depending on the device you use, it can completely change the way you look at your healthcare trends and routines.

Most of the wearable technology will also show your calories burned. It gives you a goal and can challenge you to get your workout in and increase your steps.

When technology helps you track your sleep patterns, you will know how your sleep quality affects your mental and physical health. For many people, this helps them pay more attention to their recovery.

More than a workout tool

If you think these wearable devices are only for hardcore athletes, you may want to reconsider. Many of these wearable devices track your sleep scores, too. It helps you know the quality of your sleep, not just the number of hours you get each night.

Also, since physical activity is correlated with health outcomes, these devices can monitor your steps and movement throughout the day. That can be anything from taking out the trash to cleaning the house. When you add in the monitoring of your heart health, too, these wearable devices bring an entirely new way to prevent disease and sickness in the future. (2)

Wearable devices can also serve as motivation. Many of these watches and straps will have alerts that remind you to get up and move around. You can take a short walk or do some quick pushups to get some movement in.

Changing medicine

As a patient, in previous years there was no way to actively manage your wellbeing without some guesswork. You may have visited your doctor for labs or gone to the doctor when you were sick, but that was the extent of it.

Now, wearable technology puts the control in your hands. You can engage with your health by obtaining current healthcare stats that give you feedback regarding your physical activity, recovery, and more. Some of the newer devices aren’t wearable, but they record measurements that can show you things like whether your body is burning carbs or fat for fuel. Have you heard of the Lumen Metabolism Tracker? This cutting-edge technology helps you optimize your metabolic health with real-time accuracy. We believe in the product so much that we’ve partnered with the company to help you save $50 when you use the code DRNICK. (3)

If you have a chronic condition, you know how keeping track of any changes helps customize your treatment plan. Technology has made managing illnesses like diabetes, asthma, and hypertension easier because you get regular updates on your vital signs. These updates help you monitor changes in your treatment regimens and supplement or medication adjustments.

For women, there are devices that can track your cycle, giving you more insight into your fertile windows. If you’ve ever struggled to conceive, or know someone who has, you know it’s a journey that can take unexpected turns. Now AVA, the FDA-cleared wearable device can help you time everything for peak fertility. It takes the guesswork out with real-time data you can trust.

Caregiver benefits

If you work with a functional practitioner, you know that holistic medicine is about treating the whole body to get to the root cause of any health issues. When you can provide your doctor with real-time data about your health, it helps to quickly respond to any significant changes. It may reduce the workload of your provider because your stats are evident and the ebbs and flows can be more easily noted.

Patient outcomes may be better by the use of wearable devices. Some may include ECG monitors that will note any heart rhythm changes. Your doctor may be able to diagnose and treat you faster than waiting until a problem has gotten worse. (4)

Remote patient monitoring is fairly new, but it can also be beneficial. These devices contain sensors that allow doctors to monitor their patients and track vital signs for better healthcare management. It may even reduce the frequency of future hospital visits.

Function meets fashion

These days, wearable devices have become so mainstream that companies are making it fashionable to use them. Now, you can get different styles of watches, straps, and bands to accommodate any wardrobe or color. (5)

If you’re wearing dress clothes at the office, you can look stylish with your wearable device. Many smartwatches have leather bands that can match your work attire. It’s also easy to switch them out so if you hit the gym after work, you can change the band and you’re all set.

Securing your data

One thing you want to be aware of is how these devices use and share your data. Always check the manufacturer’s privacy policy to know what, if any, security measures are in place to keep your information safe. Cybercriminals are out there and you want to keep them away from your private information. (6)

Larger companies may use your information for marketing purposes. That isn’t always a negative aspect, but it’s something you should know upfront.

Most of the data that gets tracked isn’t something many hackers want to use. We mention it now because as technology evolves, these devices will change and may include more data.

The future looks bright

The future of technology to help you invest in your health is ever-changing. Before long, these devices that were once used for tracking fitness may be used more for monitoring healthcare performance. There is potential for wearable technology and tracking devices to grow and do more. Anything that helps you maintain your wellness can be beneficial. If you want to know more about how we help you obtain better wellness, contact us for information on our programs. We want to help you take control of your health and show you how good being healthy feels.

References :

https://www.tomorrow.bio/post/how-wearable-technology-benefits-healthcare-2023-07-4904858788-futurism#:~:text=Wearable%20devices%20allow%20continuous%20monitoring,early%20on%2C%20facilitating%20timely%20interventions.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/revolutionizing-healthcare-how-wearable-technology-changing-game/

https://drkumo.com/wearable-technology-the-future-of-healthcare/

https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2022/08/wearable-devices-to-revolutionize-health-care/

https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/comment/wearable-technology-fitness-wellness/?cf-view

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/wearables/how-can-wearables-affect-our-lives/1/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36862812/#:~:text=Wearable%20devices%20have%20a%20wide,failure%20or%20peripheral%20artery%20disease.

Dr. Nick Zyrowski
Dr. Nick Zyrowski



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