A touch of performance for a better lifestyle
Performance measurement is continuously growing in maturity, and people’s perception towards it suffered a massive change in focus: from a business booster to a personal performance enhancer. This trend is completed by the emerging usage of different hardware enablers to measure daily activities and even monitor one’s health.
All for a good night’s sleep
The advantages of getting a good night’s sleep vary from improving concentration, reaction time and memory, to boosting creativity, enhancing the immune system, lessening the likelihood of obesity and decreasing the risk of accidents. However, The National Institute of Health notes that the average adult gets less than seven hours of sleep every night, and 50 to 70 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders.
In order to address this type of problem, wrist-worn gadgets that combine the attributes of sleep accelerometers along with pedometers, heart-rate monitors and calorie trackers can be used. They can help measure the sleep quality and even wake one up at the ideal time of the sleep cycle.
Physical training – taken to a new level
Until a couple of years ago, the only device used for measuring physical activity was the pedometer, which had the drawback of only measuring one’s steps. Nowadays, gadgets have significantly surpassed this level, by measuring the miles one travels, calculating the calories burned and reading the heart rate. This information can be used for improving the overall health, by making people more conscious of their level of physical activity.
Monitoring and improving health
The disease most frequently addressed by monitoring instruments is diabetes. The tools include Continuous Glucose Monitors, Insulin Pumps or even mobile apps, like glucose meters, diet trackers and smartphone adapted cookbooks for diabetics. These devices and apps empower patients to be active participants in diabetes self-management and provide helpful ways to look at their glucose levels and share this information with members of their healthcare team.
The increasing use of measurement in personal life is benefic, as specific instruments enable people to have a clear overview on their activities and health. They also contribute to activating healthier habits, by generating motivation and engagement. The final goal is to improve the quality of life.
Resources:
- Basis (2014), Why use a sleep tracker?
- Duffy, J. (2014), The Best Activity Trackers for Fitness
- WebMD (2014), 4 New High-Tech Tools to Help Control Diabetes
- Kim, J. (2013), 14 Gadgets and Mobile Apps That Empower Patients With Diabetes
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Tags: Healthcare performance, Performance Measurement, The National Institute of Health
