In this age of big data and the quantified self, the possibilities are endless. Want to know how many times you awoke last night? There’s a device for that. Or how much you perspire? It could be on the way.
But if all that makes you dizzy — it’s simplicity you crave — this article is for you.
We’ve all heard it: Exercise is one major key to a long, healthy life. And meeting daily physical activity goals has never been easier, with the help of a growing crop of fitness trackers designed to offer a real-time look at how much (or little) users move. Still, some technophobes aren’t convinced, finding that the very words “fitness tracker” conjure images of headache-inducing math or features beyond their grasp.
That’s a misconception, says John Higgins, who specializes in sports cardiology and is an associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center–Houston. “Many fitness trackers are simply turn-on-and-go, which is what you should look for,” he says. “They can sync with your mobile phone, so just download the app for them and they are good to go.”
One of the easiest-to-use options is the Misfit Shine, which you can wear on your wrist or around your neck. It doesn’t even require a charger, just a coin cell battery, eliminating what some see as a major hassle. Alongside it is the Withings Activité, a fitness tracker that looks like anything but. Camouflaged as a designer wristwatch, the tracker has a discreet analog dial on its face that tracks steps, making it perfect for someone seeking a simple fitness tracker without broadcasting to the world they’re wearing one. This tracker also uses a removable cell battery, and it doesn’t even require a smartphone to see your progress (though it does need one to record and track your milestones over time).
The most difficult part of using these trackers is the setup, says Ted Vickey, an American Council on Exercise board member who headed up the White House Athletic Center during the Clinton and Bush administrations. “Say you get one as a gift,” he says. “Find someone in your family who’s more tech-savvy to set it up. Once it’s ready to go, there’s not much more you need to do with it other than check your numbers.”
But if you’re really tech-averse, you can always do what your grandparents did: “Buy an old-fashioned pedometer,” Vickey says. “Keep it in your pocket, and at the end of the day, just write down your numbers. No computer required.”
Technophobes are just one demographic fitness-tracker manufacturers are targeting; there are wearables available for everyone from new parents to people with disabilities and beyond — like older adults who’ve celebrated 65 or more birthdays.
A new tracker, called Lively, is shipping for the first time this week and caters to seniors. Essentially a watch that only counts steps — not calories burned or sleep logged — it may even appeal to those who fancy themselves fitness tracker Luddites.
Lively is more than a fitness tracker, though. Intended to help older adults living on their own remain safe and independent, the device doubles as an emergency watch, allowing users to call for help at the push of a button. “The reality is that safety and wellness are intimately intertwined,” says Iggy Fanlo, co-founder and CEO of Lively. “[Seniors’] bodies are older and frailer, and they’re more likely to live alone, and we tried to help them with one device.”
The watch syncs to a hub installed within a home that hooks up to a landline — no Wi-Fi necessary. If users press the watch’s emergency button, they are connected to a call center where they can request help. Lively also comes with a reminder to take medication. “The system has a sensor that they put on their pill bottle,” Fanlo says. “The system keeps track of when the bottle is opened and only reminds them to take it if they miss it.”
Lively and other trackers can also help counteract the isolation that often accompanies the aging process. Most devices show not only how active users have been, but how active friends with trackers have been, too. “Friendly competition among seniors can make them all achieve more and work harder to [meet] their exercise and fitness goals,” Higgins says, “but more importantly, [these devices] can serve as a social support network, which can help keep them active and healthy.”
Even the simplest devices allow data tracking over time–an important feature, no matter your age or comfort with technology. This trend data can help spot underlying health issues early. “Using trends that trackers show, health care providers can note changes which may signal changes in overall health,” says Fanlo, citing long periods of inactivity, which could signal injury, depression or another condition.
“The beauty of wearables is that we can get a very rich data set and use that to create a personalized histogram of activity,” he explains. “If [users] drop into the bottom 5 or 10 percent of their average activity level for a few days at a time, that’s a warning sign that something might be wrong.”
Whether you opt for a basic tracker or old-school pedometer, you can always track trends the old-fashioned way: logging numbers and trends with a pencil and paper. “The important thing is to just make sure you exercise,” Vickey says. If a fitness tracker could help you achieve that goal, don’t let a lack of tech-savvy get in the way, he adds. “We have enough excuses.”
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Fitness Trackers for Technophobes (and Others Craving Simplicity) originally appeared on usnews.com
