Smartwatches are really interesting devices that, even though are very useful, they have not yet penetrated the personal techy budget. But what few people might know is that a smartwatch could actually improve their health or at least to keep an eye on it.
These devices that have been in the market for around 7 years with the Pebble that was, in those days, a very sophisticated artifact, are nowadays more than a piece of technology. They have become a partner for many runners, gym users, and more recently highly chosen by mothers for their kids or sons for their parents and grand-parents.
What is in them that could have such an important task?
Monitoring the heart rate
Most smartwatches are equipped with a heart monitor tracker which will be monitoring your heartbeat, even when the user is standing still. As much as the smartwatch is being used, it will be counting heartbeats and it will provide notifications in case something not considered normal is tracked.
Sudden acceleration or deceleration will be tracked by a smartwatch that posses the heart monitoring feature. Not all of them have it and not all of the devices have the same quality. That’s why most people could compare smartwatches before investing in one. But above all, in any case, it is better to verify any symptom with your doctor as the American Heart Association recommends.
Counting steps
If there is something that helps your style-life the most is something that is continuously reminding you how many steps in a day you have done. Smartwatches are very popular among fitness enthusiasts, but they are also very useful for elderly people and those who want to improve and track their progress.
These devices are able to track and count calories burnt in a day and also to send notifications in case the user has done fewer steps than normally do and vice versa.
Taking care of your sleep
Sleep apnea is a medical condition whereby a person stops breathing for a time while they sleep. Which is very dangerous but common. It actually affects around 9% of the female population and 24% of the male. Sleep apnea is actually under ten seconds but it can bring consequences to health, like for example a constant feeling of being tired during the day and some lack of appetite.
Smartwatches like the Fitbit Versa come with sleeping trackers that help you to keep an eye on your sleeping pattern. Even though they don’t possess the capacity of predicting or notifying when the Apnea comes, they are able to provide data about your sleep routine and help the users to get a night of better sleep. Again, if you feel like you present any symptom, best to do is to consult your doctor.
Smartwatches do not replace medical care
Even though these devices are evolving into a very convenient tool to track and help users to improve their help, it is not recommended to believe that a smartwatch could actually replace the visits to the specialist doctor.
Most of the Smartwatches are still developing technology that needs to be updated and contrasted with the word of a medical care doctor.
Another important thing to mention is that these devices are mean to help and reduce the use of the smartphone, especially for outdoor sports, but they are not mean to be used as medical tools.
Not only the accuracy of the smartwatches could fail but also, as any other smart device, it could stop working when it runs out of battery, Internet, or any other kind of support that this technology normally needs to keep on.
Who could find useful a smartwatch
There are many types of users. The most common are fitness enthusiasts and some senior’s family members that find in the wearables a fine complement for their activities or take care of the loved ones.
But there are smartwatches designed for kids, women, and men. Even some specialized in specific sports, like for example those ones built up for swimmers or runners.
Which smartwatches features are most common to find
There are many different features in a smartwatch, the most common to find are:
- Calories tracker.
- Heart rate monitoring.
- GPS.
- Water resistance.
Some other devices have developed more sophisticated functions but the majority of them are mean to provide information to their users in the way their body is performing, either when they exercise or when they are resting.
The most advanced devices come with a sleeping tracker and they are able to provide data about your sleep. All these features have a high price and not only monetarily talking.
A smartwatch can cost from 100$ to 500$ depending on what the user is looking for. But also, the fact that they possess so many features and function, force them to use a lot of battery which end up being one of the reasons why many people chose not to buy one.
