A year in review: Health and Fitness Tech 2021
The year 2021 was a very hectic year with the backdrop of Covid-19 raging on in the background. With the many safe distancing and stay-at-home measures enforced all over the world, it is likely that many of us had to make some changes with regards to how we take care of ourselves and maintain fitness. Thankfully, technology has been able to help us ease into this new post-covid lifestyle.
With the year 2021 finally wrapped up, it is a good idea to look back on some of the newer advancements that helped us throughout the year. However, for those people reading in the future, it is important to remember that the majority of the cutting-edge fitness technology that was accessible in 2021 was released in 2020. It makes sense: individuals had never been so reliant on technology for their fitness and wellness demands while they were trapped at home. Because no one knew how long the epidemic would persist, companies had to get those items out as soon as possible, and many of them launched around the holidays.
Smartwatch
No health or fitness tech overview would be complete without at least mentioning smart watches. While the smartwatch was released only a few years ago, it has become and big part of many people’s daily lives while also being a very handy tool for managing your workouts.
When it comes to which specific smartwatch is the best, Apple is still generally regarded as the king of the smartwatch market with the Apple Watch Series 6 will was released in September 2020. It’s simplicity in usage, ability to offer accurate and helpful fitness data, a range of health features (including the option to take an ECG) are all integral parts of a winning smartwatch. With all of these features, doing home workouts this year have become significantly easier.
However, for those who those who do find Apple products very appealing, there were most cost-effective alternatives like the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic which gave a much a more subtle look and “classic watch” look.
Sleep tracking devices
Due to the rise of Covid-19, many of us found it hard to get work done due to safe-distancing measures and working from home, as a result, it is very likely that we lost some sleep.
Thankfully, devices like Google’s Nest Hub allowed us to track our sleep patterns so that we know when we are not getting a sufficiently good rest by giving us data like the length and quality of sleep when we wake up.
These devices need not rely on a sensor in the same way that a smart watch does. Rather, it employs high-precision motion detectors to keep a watch on you as you sleep. Other devices like the Fitbit Versa 3’s sleep monitoring feature.
Meditation assistance devices
As previously mentioned, it is likely that many of us suffered from sleep issues in 2021. With devices like the Muse S, falling asleep become much easier as it eased us into sleep. This headband which was to be worn during sleep would play meditations while measuring our sleep metrics similar Google’s Nest Hub.