Are you part of a generation that is redefining what middle age and retirement mean? When does old age in fact start, or are you, to borrow a cliché, only as old as you feel? People tend to keep fitter longer and technology is keeping up with this trend, and fuelling it, with wearable fitness devices and apps.
The Application of Fitness
The information age has made many inroads into people’s lives, and for all the talk of compromised privacy, there are enormous benefits to personalised technology.
Many people now use apps and wearable technology to monitor the amount of activity they are undertaking, and their general health.
Before this rings any alarm bells about us becoming a nation of hypochondriacs, instead think of the benefits: fitness apps encourage a proactive engagement with health and fitness.
Around 35 million people in the UK have a smartphone, and according to Ofcom research, half of UK homes have a tablet. This huge spread of the market in devices means they become enablers of people’s interests, including keeping fit in a number of different ways.
In addition, the growth in smart watches and mobile fitness devices is set to increase significantly.
What’s Your Motivation?
The key to activity, or lack of it, is often motivation. There is plenty of research evidence to suggest that in later age physical activity is absolutely crucial for health and wellbeing, and prolonging the capacity to deal with daily life.
The difficulty for many people is getting started, and sometimes in keeping an activity going. This is wear apps and wearable technology can make a real difference. Things like counting the number of steps you have taken in a day can help map out fitness goals and provide a real sense of achievement when they have been met, or surpassed.
Sustained use of devices is habit forming, which makes them ideal for encouraging users to stay fit and active. They are goal-oriented, again helping to bolster motivation. Devices and apps also provide strong potential for interaction with affiliated social media and networking sites.
Two of the frequently cited issues of retirement and growing older are inactivity and isolation. Wearable fitness devices and apps could be part of the answer
to both.
