From year to year, reviews of various smart pedometers appear on the site, and in each material people are necessarily noted who deny even the slightest usefulness of such devices or programs. The stereotype about the uselessness of pedometers, as well as programs that measure certain parameters of your daily life, is stable, but is gradually being destroyed, as people are drawn into their use, see an example of their environment and start playing this “game”. Why is this happening and what real motivation can such devices and programs have? It is these questions that I propose to discuss together in order to figure out how you can benefit from your devices in practice.
Man is by nature a social animal.
Anyone who has tried to play sports knows that the result largely depends on both the coach and those who are training around you. Were in a weak group - then do not expect to become a champion, it is almost impossible, you will underwork during classes. Your intrinsic motivation is very important, but it is not limitless and is superimposed on who you work with until the seventh sweat. In the variant of sports for oneself, which is often called fitness, the value of one's own motivation increases, but being a loner is unprofitable - the risk of breaking loose and starting to slip is too great. Many people adequately assess their own motivation and therefore, going to the gym, they prefer to work with a trainer who not only shows how to do certain exercises correctly, but drives from simulator to simulator, setting the rhythm. The coach takes some of the motivation on himself, which is very valuable for most who cannot squeeze themselves into rigid frameworks and constantly give themselves up.
It is generally accepted that in Russia a small part of the population is constantly involved in sports, this includes not only fitness or serious training for results, but also skiing, rollerblading and similar activities. I came across statistics that said that only 8% of Russians attend training halls, most of them in large cities, less in small ones. But if you believe the polls from the All-Russian Center for the Study public opinion(VTsIOM), over the past decade, the picture is exactly the opposite, in 2015, 61% of Russians went in for sports from time to time, but at least several times a month. 16% were regularly involved in sports, and their number is constantly growing. Most of these people belong to the youth, there are very few of the older generation among them.
My work is related to the fact that I constantly travel around Russia and visit other countries. Twenty years ago, walking in the morning in Moscow, you saw lonely runners, they could be counted on the fingers of two hands. Many were already running in Europe then, as well as in America and other countries. In Moscow today, the number of those who are fond of jogging, cycling or rollerblading is no less than in comparable cities in the world. And this trend is gradually reaching the regions, people are starting to think that a healthy lifestyle is useful, as it gives good mood, improves physical fitness, in a word, the advantages are undeniable. But not everyone is ready to do something all the time, even running looks difficult for people, you need to buy a uniform, sneakers, choose the time. Although running is the most democratic way to keep fit. Minimum costs, there is no need for specially equipped places, and you can practice almost all year round, even in cold weather. Many make up obstacles for running, or they become real, so people just stop thinking about doing something.
For some reason, many people do not consider walking a fitness option, they perceive this activity as something simple, uncomplicated and ineffective. Although one can argue here, because walking is practically no different from running, but the energy costs are less. When walking, a person spends from 2.5 to 3.5 kilocalories per kilogram of weight per hour. For example, with a weight of 80 kilograms, you will spend about 250 kcal per hour of walking at an average pace. And this is quite a lot, another thing, are you ready for such long walks and do you need them? And here we again come to the question of motivation, when it is difficult to force yourself to do something, especially if there is no element of competition.
We change the way of life - gradualness and constancy as a priority
The biggest misconception is that we need a separate, dedicated time to walk. Analyze your typical day, I'm sure you will find plenty of moments when you could walk with your feet instead of getting into a car or public transport. For example, I really don't like the end of the year, when the bustle of Moscow swallows me up and I have to stay in the car. On such days, my pedometer shows that I walked 5-6 thousand steps at most, although I average 15-20 thousand steps a day. Nevertheless, I try to find an opportunity to leave the car and walk, there are tricks here - do not drive right up to the place you need, but get out a little earlier and walk. Where possible, there to abandon the car and move around on their own two feet.
But the most important thing to know is that you cannot change your lifestyle instantly, try to make efforts gradually, but they must be constant. The first thing you need to know is how many steps you take per day on average. You don’t have to run to buy a special pedometer, it’s enough that you have a smartphone, for example, on Android you can install Samsung’s S Health program, it works on all phones, the minimum requirements are very ascetic.
In the program, you can set a step goal, by default it is 6000 steps per day. Initially, do not change your habits, in the first week you need to understand what and how you do, how many steps you go through. And having already realized what you are doing, and having clearly seen the numbers, start changing your daily routine and where and how you go.
Most fitness programs on smart pedometers list the recommended number of steps per day as 10,000. The number appeared by chance, in the 1960s, pedometers became extremely popular in Japan. The Japanese began to walk more to keep themselves in good physical shape, it became a national trait, even groups of those who walked on weekends appeared. Pedometers were named "Manpo-kei", which literally translates as "counter of 10,000 steps." There was no scientific justification for this number of steps, while the Japanese averaged about 5-6 thousand steps a day. And the number of 10,000 steps was set as an excessive goal. But it took root and became popular all over the world, today most of the programs and trackers focus on it.
In S-Health, you may find that your daily goal is set at 6,000 steps. This was done not at all because it is easier and easier to achieve this goal, the statistics of the first years of service show that in most countries of the world people walk just such a distance a day, this is an average value.
A pioneer in the smart pedometer market at the current turn of the spiral, FitBit often provides data on how many people walk in a particular country in the world. It turns out that women walk less than men, this is a worldwide trend, a difference of about 20%. In the USA, on average, people walk 5117 steps (FitBit users - 7500 steps), in modern Japan people walk about 7000 steps (FitBit - 8500 steps), in Switzerland - 9650 steps (FitBit - 11500 steps). Unfortunately, it is not possible to find FitBit data for Russia, but I think that the users of this service are focused on walking and running, the numbers should be quite high.
While preparing this material, I asked one of the major smartphone manufacturers to provide information on how many users of their devices walk in Russia per day. The average number was at the level of 5400 steps. The more expensive the device, the less user activity, with rare exceptions that stand out sharply from the sample. Another company confirmed this data, people walk very little, which, however, is also typical for other countries. A half-hour walk will give you four to five thousand steps! Count how little we walk during the day, how inactive we are.
In S Health, you can see how your results correlate with other users (Together tab), this is a percentage of your group or of all users.
But the most interesting thing about S Health, and perhaps the most motivating, is the ability to compete with your friends and acquaintances. You can challenge and choose the challenge, how many steps and how many days you want to complete. Every day the program will show which of you is in the lead and who won this competition in the end. You can tease an opponent by sending him a smiley.
The fact that you can attract your friends adds value to this program, in addition to the internal motivation to walk, there is also an external one. It is difficult to underestimate the importance of this factor, for many it becomes the main one.
Moreover, in S Health you can collect data both from your phone (medium accuracy) and from various accessories, for example, the Gear Fit 2 fitness bracelet or smart watch gear series.
The use of separate accessories is not at all necessary, the accuracy of counting steps increases, and some models can count not only steps, but also height, which makes it possible to more accurately estimate calorie consumption. But in order to start using the program, all this is superfluous, you only need the desire to change something in your life.
In addition to walking, S Health allows you to take into account how much water, coffee, and calories you consume. Of the advantages of the program, I note that there is data synchronization with a large number third party applications, you can receive data from them, and store in the cloud from Samsung. For example, if you measure your blood sugar and store the data in another application, then S Health can get it from there. Most of the main applications for healthy lifestyle, nutrition, and walking and running are supported.
If you leave your phone next to the bed, it will more or less accurately determine when you slept. For many, this data will be enough.
I don't want to go deep into additional features S Health, there are a lot of them. Let's return to the topic that is important within the framework of this material. You already have a phone that can count steps, all you need to do is just add the program and count them, and then change your habits if necessary. Lacking motivation? Then invite your friends to compete, look for like-minded people.
Twenty years ago, it was impossible to think that such an assistant would be in your pocket. Anyone can improve their health by simply walking, you just need to start walking a little more than you usually do. And no excuses are needed here, only one thing is required for this - your desire. And your phone can measure how far you have gone and what you have achieved in the end. Accuracy is not so important in this case, it is important for you to instill in yourself the habit of walking, change your daily routine, and therefore change yourself. For many, such changes can be a real step towards more, for example, someone will start running, and someone will go to the gym and take care of themselves. But for this you need a little, your desire and take the first step. Start small, download the same S Health or equivalent and look at your habits in the context of real data.
P.S. I would be glad if you tell your stories about how you walk or run, how you take into account distances and whether you see the point in it. How important is it for you to be in shape and what efforts are required of you for this?
Launch the Health app and you will see the control panel screen. If you're using an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, your phone's built-in step sensor will automatically show you information about your physical activity. This sensor tracks the number of steps you have taken, the distance you have walked, and the number of steps you have climbed. You can see this activity data for the last day, week, or year.
If you have an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, you can use this app as a quick step tracker without the need for a separate pedometer or fitness tracker of any kind. And if you don't have any additional device or app, then that's all you can see in the Health app. Again, assuming you have the latest phone with this sensor.
While the dashboard only automatically shows step count data, in reality you can set any type of data to be shown here.
Medical card (Medical ID)
The Medical ID tab allows you to create a medical ID. This is information that can be shown on your smartphone's lock screen without entering a password. This feature is unlikely to be very useful to users from Russia, especially since the United States does not really know about it yet.
The idea is that you can add information about yourself that can be useful in an emergency - information about diseases and allergies, blood types, organ donor status, emergency contacts, etc. This important data can be accessed directly from the screen of your locked phone if it is needed by the medical or first responders. It's kind of like the digital version of the medical ID bracelet that many of you have seen in American hospital movies. True, this thing will be useful if someone guesses to look at your phone in an emergency. And also click on the "Call for help" button on the lock screen, and then click on the Medical ID item. Perhaps in the future this will work, but for now it is not. It is already better to wear a hospital bracelet with similar information. Somehow more reliable.
Health Data
The Health Data tab provides access to a large list of different types of data about your health. This is a real list of all the types of data that Apple's HealthKit service can track. This service allows various third party devices and health monitoring applications to provide data to the Health app, and to access it if they have the appropriate access rights. The Health app is supposed to be the central link where all your health data is stored.
If you're using an app or device that integrates with HealthKit, they can automatically add their data to Various types(categories) of information that are set in the Health app. Similar to how the iPhone constantly keeps updated data on the number of steps received from its own pedometer sensor. For example, smart watches Apple Watch can receive fitness data that integrates with HealthKit.
But of course, you can manually add data to this database yourself. For example, if you weigh yourself daily, then click Health Data > Body Measurements > Weight, and then select Add Data Point and enter the required data. And so every day add the most recent measurements and after a while you will be able to track how this indicator of your health is changing. You can even move the Show on Dashboard switch to the "ON" position and this data will be shown on the main screen of the application.
Obviously, this is not the most convenient feature, and going forward, Apple suggests that you get a Bluetooth-enabled wireless scale that will automatically send your weight readings to HealthKit every time you weigh yourself. But, if you prefer to measure everything manually - weight, pressure, sleep duration, caffeine intake, etc., then, as they say, the flag is in your hands. You are only limited to the types of data that Apple has included in the app.
For each type of data, you can also click on "Share Data" and you will see all the apps that automatically share data with the Health app, as well as the apps that have the right to see such data.
Sources
The Sources tab in its "Default" state looks a bit, let's say, lonely. This page will only populate when apps that are installed from the AppStore request permission to update your health information.
For example, if you have a fitness tracker that tracks your sleep time or a scale that transmits your weight data to your smartphone via Bluetooth. The corresponding app on your smartphone will ask for permission to integrate with HealthKit. After that, it will upload the data to the Health app and you will have access to all the data from one place. This data can then be used by other applications, allowing you to gain more knowledge about your health over weeks, months or years.
Note that applications where you enter data manually can also integrate with HealthKit, with all the ensuing consequences described above.
This application is not much like the usual Apple products, which are distinguished by functionality brought to a "brilliance". When you try to use it, Health will not make you feel very positive, especially given the buzz that Apple made last year in the media about the merits of its "epochal" product. Mainly because it was created a little "in advance" and for it there is not yet the necessary set of tools - software and hardware. Of course, you already have the ability to manually enter all your health data into it, but the original purpose of the product involves the use of devices and applications that do this automatically, constantly and imperceptibly for you. We believe that this situation will change in the near future.
Appendix. How to use Fitbit with Apple Health
If you have a Fitbit tracker, you can sync its data to the Health app and control it there. Although this will not have to be done directly, and this is due to the incomprehensible position of the manufacturer. You may remember some of Fitbit's controversial statements on the subject.
However, in App Store There's a new $1.99 Sync Solver For Fitbit app that will help you sync the data collected by your Fitbit trackers with the Apple Health app. Sync Solver For Fitbit can report information about steps and sleep, calories consumed and expended, distance covered, weight, body mass index, and more.
Everything is simple here. First, sync your Fitbit app with the tracker of the same name so that the data is transferred to the system. Then launch Sync Solver, which will prompt you to import data from the Fitbit app into Apple Health. In this case, you will need to confirm the privileges for both reading and writing data in Sync Solver.
Note that the imported data will be shown in Health with the Sync Solver logo and not Fitbit, but this will not affect the accuracy of the data or disappear in any way.
Samsung recently renamed the S Health app to Samsung Health and added the ability to call a doctor directly from within the app (works in the US only). The new name and feature was announced with the release of the Galaxy S8 at the end of March.
Thanks to the company's updated attitude towards healthy lifestyles, this best opportunity to try Samsung Health. Here's what you need to know.
Not only for Samsung device.
Despite its namesake, Samsung Health is compatible with most Android devices and is available on the Play Store.To complete the setup, you will need Account Samsung, regardless of the manufacturer or model of your phone.
Wearable gadgets are not required.
The application itself can count the steps taken and guess how long, but not how well, you slept.Every morning you will receive an alert asking you to confirm when you went to bed and woke up.
Naturally, if you want the application to track your exercise and count your steps, you need to keep your phone with you at all times. For most of us, this is not a problem.
Use with iOS.
If you search the App Store for "Samsung Health", you won't find it in that weird list of results.To use samsung app Health with an iPhone, you need to have one of the Samsung fitness bands or smartwatches.
Samsung currently offers the Gear S and Gear Fit apps in the App Store. Each must be paired, configured and controlled by the respective wearable device for which it is intended.
Each app contains the Samsung Health app where you can view your fitness statistics. Unfortunately, sharing progress with friends or going to the doctor is not possible when using Samsung Health with an iPhone.
Competition with friends.
The Together tab in Samsung Health lets you and your friends compete against each other to see who is the most active.You can also see how your data compares to Samsung Health users of your age.
Setting for Together means that Samsung Health sends on your behalf text message, which means checking your account.
Once the app has verified your phone number, you can view which of your contacts are using Samsung Health, create "tournaments" (like the Copernican process), and send invitations to your friends.
Communication with a doctor.
When Samsung announced the Galaxy S8, it briefly mentioned that Samsung Health users will get additional advantage- the ability to contact the doctor directly from the application.This feature has been added to all Galaxy devices ahead of the S8's launch later this month. However, the Experts feature is not available on devices from other manufacturers. Service on this moment only works in the US and states that most insurance companies cover the cost of a video call with a doctor.
Think of "Experts" as a quick doctor's appointment when you have a cold or fever, not something more serious when you need to see a doctor in real life.
Application ordering.
On the app's main screen, under the "Me" tab, there are various snippets containing information or shortcuts for workouts and displaying multiple readings.If you want to remove a tile or add other exercise types to the app, tap the "Manage Items" button at the bottom of the screen. Arrange existing tiles with a long press, then drag and drop.
Turn the parameter toggle switches on or off depending on your preferences, set goals or select programs.
Start of training.
Starting a workout is as simple as opening the app and tapping on the tile for the corresponding exercise.If you forget to start a workout, Samsung Health will try to guess what you're doing and how long.
Counting calories.
You can also track your calorie intake by turning on the "Food" tile. With each meal, click on the food tile and look for the food ingested or the different elements that make up your meal.Samsung Health has a relatively extensive database of food and nutrient content.
Record heart rate and stress levels (Galaxy only).
Using the camera and flash on the back Galaxy phone, Samsung Health can track your stress level and heart rate. Click the desired tile and follow the instructions to start the test. Be sure to be as quiet as possible during the test. All data is backed up.
Samsung automatically creates backups of your health data, which means you can restore your history when you start using Samsung Health on a new device.The Health app in iOS: why is it needed, what data is recorded in it, what useful settings are there? To learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle with Apple, read our article.
Apple Health is an aggregator of your body data on your iPhone. The application collects data from various fitness applications installed on your smartphone, as well as from Apple Watch, analyzes them and arranges all the information in a convenient way to give you a comprehensive picture of your health.
Apple health. Categories
Apple Health: Health categoriesThere are four different categories of data in the Health app. They allow you to quickly get an idea of your diet, sleep patterns, exercise, and other important things.
- Activity: This category collects data about your physical activities and sports activities. Here you will find out how many steps you took per day, how long you sat still and how many calories you burned.
- Dream: For a good sleep, an adjusted biorhythm is very important. In this category, you can find information about how long your sleep lasts and what time you go to bed.
- mindfulness: In this category you will find data about your breathing rhythm. In addition, you will be able to get an idea of how regularly during the day you took breaks that help avoid the development of stress.
- Nutrition: Are you counting calories, want to eat less fat, or do you think you're consuming too much caffeine? In the "Food" category, you can analyze your menu and make the necessary adjustments.
In addition, the application has additional categories: heart, body measurements, reproductive health, tests, key indicators.
Apple health. Fitness tracking
Apple Health If you're using iOS 8 or later and don't see the Health app, you may need to upgrade to latest version iOS.
In addition, for correct use The Health app may need to activate the Fitness Tracking option:
- Open iPhone settings.
- Select a category General, then press Confidentiality.
- To use the features of the Health app, in the section Health > Fitness tracking move the slider to the right.
Apple health. Application search
Some of the functions that collect information about your activity and health are performed automatically by your iPhone and Apple Watch. These include step counting and heart rate measurement.
But you can integrate many other health data collected through third-party apps into the Health app:
- Open the Health app and tap on one of the four categories.
- You will be prompted to watch an explanatory video. In addition, you will see apps that match that category. Touch any of the apps to learn more about it and download it.
- If you are already using some apps to collect your health data, search for them in the search box on start screen Health apps and add them.
Additional settings for the Apple Health app
Apple Health: Apple Watch integration - If you would like to manually enter your blood pressure values, click metadata, and then Basic indicators. Select the data type, for example, Pressure and click on the plus icon. Enter values manually.
- You can also import your health data if you have used other apps before. Log in to the Health app, select the required data and find the item Export. This is usually an icon in the shape of a rectangle from which the arrow is pointing. Select Add to "Health". Then in the Health app, under metadata select item Health status and click on it to view the required information.
- In order to motivate yourself to exercise more or go on a diet, you can activate the function of informing about your daily progress in the application. Just click Today at the bottom of the app to view statistics on various data.
- You can add the information that is most important to you in Favorites. Press on metadata, then to the category and data type. Select statistics or information and below select Add to favorites. AT Favorites you can easily see information for the current month about your muscle gain, diet or heart rate.
- If you have an Apple Watch, your smartwatch data is automatically populated into the Health app. To do this, the watch and iPhone just need to be synchronized with the smartphone. You can receive data about your heart rate, movement and breathing from your smart watch.
We thought that the annual speeches about the need to put your body in order in the spring are too boring. And we decided to go from the rear, or rather, from the side of new technologies and all your favorite applications, which no one will call boring for sure
Our special top 10 for smartphones is not like a moralizing about a healthy lifestyle, but like a fun game. Here are services that track the progress of sleep, and applications that motivate users with a strong word. So get involved!
First, let's talk about the Health app, which was built into iOS 8 from the very beginning. It is a one-stop shop for data collection from any other health and fitness apps on your smartphone. "Health" monitors the pulse, the number of calories burned, sugar and cholesterol in the blood. The app stores all this information in a single interface, so you only need one touch to get an accurate overview. Here you can also create a short medical record for emergencies, including, for example, your blood type and allergens to which you are sensitive. The card will be available directly from the lock screen without the need to enter a passcode. So do not be lazy and fill in: information about health in emergency situations will not be superfluous. And yes, some of the applications described below support data exchange with Health, which helps to collect all the necessary information in a single service.
7 minute Workout - free
An effective 7-minute exercise will perfectly invigorate you throughout the day, and support for the Health app will allow you to count calories burned as part of your activities with this application.
Lark - Free
The Lark app is designed to work with new program"Health" in iOS 8, offering this or that help based on the collected by your iPhone data. For example, the application can remind you to take a break from work or switch to charging. And all this in the form of a live chat, where the user can ask any questions that interest him.
UP by Jawbone - Free
Jawbone UP is a true assistant on the way to a healthy lifestyle. UP will first get to know you (tracking your activity, sleep, and diet over time) and then offer you a set of simple recommendations. Thanks to iOS 8, now you don't even need a special bracelet: just connect and enter the Health app and UP will start tracking sleep and activity. If you're using an iPhone 6, then Health will also count your steps.
MyFitnessPal - Free
MyFitnessPal is a simple and convenient calorie counter for iPhone and iPad. Includes one of the largest product databases with over 4 million items and an incredibly easy to use information entry system. Great for tracking diet progress. Supports data sharing with iOS 8 Health Information Collection on iPhone 6. For more fun, you can diet with your friends by adding friends and sharing achievements.
CarrotFit - 99 rubles.
The CarrotFit app tells users in an aggressive manner that it's time to start exercising to lose weight. Syncing with the Health app on iPhone 6 allows you to more accurately track all the changes in your body. Moreover, the application can give comments to the owner, and not always in a positive way, as many other analogues do. So those who want to download the program will need not only iOS 08 (or later), but also a sense of humor.
WebMD - free
WebMD is helpful tips from a doctor based on the information you collect in the Health app in iOS 8.
Fitnet Personal Fitness Workouts - Free
The description says that Fitnet allows you to set and achieve goals (sounds inspiring) related to your physical development. It includes a convenient weekly calendar and support for the Health app.
Sleepio - the sleep improvement app - Free (iPhone)
An application with a detailed approach to improving the quality of sleep. Sleepio allows you to monitor and record your rhythm of life, sleep and wake-up schedules, the quality of your bedroom environment and even your thoughts - all based on the recommendations of Oxford University professors. It integrates seamlessly with your iPhone's Health app and allows you to seek expert advice whenever you want.
Sleep Better - Free (iPhone)
The Sleep Better smart alarm clock from sports solutions developer Runtastic is the first alarm clock integrated into the Health app in iOS 8. Track your sleep cycles and improve your habits to wake up easier in the morning. Sleep Better offers an easy way to improve the quality of your sleep, even if you're having trouble waking up at night. The application is able to determine how your daily activity affects the efficiency of sleep.
MotionX-24/7 - 59 rubles. (iPhone)
MotionX-24/7 was one of the first applications to monitor activity throughout the day to improve sleep. It is based on 7 years of research experience on the subject of human biomechanics. The service is able to measure your heart rate, the distance traveled per day, take into account changes in your weight, notify you about the presence of snoring (!) And draw parallels between these indicators. MotionX-24/7 will inform you about the need for a little physical activity to stay in shape. And most importantly, the application is able to wake you up at the optimal time for this, taking into account your sleep-wake cycle. Integration and sharing with the Health app in iOS 8 is also fully supported.
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