“The Apple Watch saves lives” – something like that has been the headlines in the last few months about the HRM sensor (Heart Rate Sensor) of the Apple Watch HRV and other smart watches that are currently flocking to the market. But, what changes when you wear a watch like this? Is someone who doesn’t wear a smart watch behaving irresponsibly? Or to put it another way: do people live more healthily with smart watches? A question that also interests the health insurance companies because now you can check heart rate on phone.
Apple Watch saves the life of contractors
A 62-year-old Canadian is fortunate enough to have survived a heart attack thanks to his Apple Watch. Because the Apple Smart Watch has an integrated heart rate monitor that showed the contractor a pulse of 210 beats per minute while he was working. Fortunately, the older gentleman also knew that this is alarmingly high. His colleagues immediately called an ambulance, which provided the entrepreneur with medical help in good time. Just a few minutes later and it could have been too late for 62-year-old Dennis Anselmo.
Smart watches and health insurance companies
There are now health insurance companies that subsidize the purchase of a smart watch. Since the smart watch can be used as a heart rate monitor, pedometer and heart rate monitor, it is possible that people can monitor their fitness, daily activity and ultimately their health.
Nobody has to become a competitive athlete to stay fit. Ball games and jogging count as much as household chores or a walk during the lunch break. But to stay healthy, you should take about 10,000 steps a day, say fitness experts. In this way, blood pressure, the risk of a heart attack or a stroke can be reduced. Beginners should start with 5,000 steps and then gradually increase.
However, the evaluation of the personal fitness level also meets with criticism. “The health insurance is a solidarity principle. If we start to judge every individual behavior without a solid and reliable knowledge of what is healthy, then we give away this idea,” says the WiWo blog. The fear of data espionage is quite understandable, but a positive effect on health through data tracking cannot be denied.
Tips for more exercise in everyday life
In order to integrate additional steps into the daily routine, it already helps to pay attention to the little things in everyday life. You can simply follow the motto: Always choose the harder route that increases your daily energy expenditure.
So, now and then you can pay attention to whether you are climbing the stairs in a shop or at home, or whether you prefer to use the escalator or elevator. Incidentally, you can add a few more steps every day if the following tips are heeded:
- Use the lunch break or after work for a walk.
- Park the car a little further away than usual.
- Get off one bus stop earlier.
- Go shopping on foot or by bike.
A smart watch makes it much easier to see how many steps have been taken at what time and in what period of time. If you can see that a few more calories have been burned, this in turn increases the motivation to exercise more.
Among other things, the apps associated with smart watches also have various tasks that can be set individually. For example, with the daily goal: This defines how many steps should be run at least per day. In order to ensure the most accurate measurement possible, the step length can even be recorded. All results can then be clearly displayed and recorded on the smartphone.
The choice of the heart rate monitor
Choosing the right heart rate monitor is not easy, because the models are currently still extremely different in terms of functionality, comfort and price. Therefore, you should think in advance what exactly you want to do with a heart rate monitor and which functions you actually need. “Heart rate monitors for iPhones are available in numerous designs: with or without GPS, with and without pedometer, and with an integrated display or completely without display. The customer alone decides how extensive the list of features should be,” says a fitness expert.
At least one display should be chosen despite all the frugality. This is because a large amount of information can be directly reproduced and evaluated. This is very helpful when jogging, for example.
There are other advantages as well. As long as the smartwatch is connected to the smartphone via Bluetooth, for example, the watch signals the receipt of a message or an incoming phone call by vibration or an acoustic signal. So you don’t have to look for your smartphone in your pocket every time you play sports.
Reminder functions can also be switched on via associated apps if you should forget your workout. This function can of course also be used in a completely different way than an alarm clock or reminder for appointments.
Many heart rate monitors, even more functions
The selection of extra functions for heart rate monitors is huge: There are heart rate monitors with and without chest strap or fitness bracelets and smart watches with GPS receivers. But everyone has to decide for themselves what is actually needed.
As already mentioned, there is a suitable smartphone app for every heart rate monitor, which is usually provided free of charge by the respective provider. The good thing about it: There is no compulsion to use the app. For example, if you fear that your personal performance and health data will be misused on third-party servers, you can simply do without the application.
As a rule, however, there is no need to worry, as these data records are also subject to applicable data protection guidelines. Such apps are always advantageous, however, as they record all activities every day, sometimes even the sleep rhythm, and help health-conscious people who want to exercise to achieve their goals more quickly.
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