The self-monitoring trend has exploded with many new gadgets - but what are the health benefits, if any?
Judging from the many news stories, it seems we are getting serious about self-monitoring, and tracking everything from what we eat, to how active and happy we are.
Self-monitoring is where individuals use intelligent tools like Helo LX with it's mobile app to collect, process and display a wealth of personal data to help them monitor and manage all aspects of their personal health.
The added appeal of today's self-tracking tools is that seeing the numbers so soon can be motivational: they reward you when you do well and they spur you to do something when you feel lazy.
If you want to lose weight for example, it can be hard to stay motivated. You may decide part of the strategy is to do more walking. But you won't lose weight overnight. What helps you stay motivated is seeing the instant feedback that something like Helo LX gives you. It keeps you going long enough to see the hard results when you step on those scales.
"You name the condition, we get the apps to match up with your phone," he says.
However, while the growing trend in self-tracking is being embraced with enthusiasm by users and doctors alike, there is also concern that focusing on the wrong data, or using a poorly designed monitoring tool, can cause people to make their health worse or get into problems that then have to be picked up by health professionals. Regular Medical checkups are still needed, and the information from your Helo log can be shared with the physician to make the most of self monitoring.
Lionel Tarassenko, professor at the University of Oxford and director at Oxehealth, a spin-off from the university's Institute of Biomedical Engineering, is one of the UK's pioneers in biomedical engineering. He has been collecting clinically based evidence on self-monitoring.
Judging from the many news stories, it seems we are getting serious about self-monitoring, and tracking everything from what we eat, to how active and happy we are.
Self-monitoring is where individuals use intelligent tools like Helo LX with it's mobile app to collect, process and display a wealth of personal data to help them monitor and manage all aspects of their personal health.
More self-monitoring devices, more people using them
Spurred by new technology, an increasing number of people are using personal gadgets to monitor their own fitness and health in order to improve well being and personal efficiency.Consumer technology has now advanced to the point of being small and accurate enough that today we have apps and devices that tell us things almost instantly that before you could only discover from a doctor in a hospital running lengthy tests.According to Pew Internet Research US national survey on self-tracking, seven in ten US adults say they track at least one health indicator, with:
- 60% tracking weight, diet or exercise and
- 33% tracking health symptoms (blood pressure, blood sugar, sleep patterns, and so on).
The array of tests Helo Lx can preform is now so vast, you could keep track of every waking (and sleeping) moment, from counting steps, floors climbed, and calories consumed, to measuring all kinds of bodily functions like blood pressure, blood sugar(coming soon), heart rate and sleep patterns.
Instant feedback is a great motivator
There is an old saying in management, if you want to improve something, start by measuring it, or you won't see how to make a difference.The added appeal of today's self-tracking tools is that seeing the numbers so soon can be motivational: they reward you when you do well and they spur you to do something when you feel lazy.
If you want to lose weight for example, it can be hard to stay motivated. You may decide part of the strategy is to do more walking. But you won't lose weight overnight. What helps you stay motivated is seeing the instant feedback that something like Helo LX gives you. It keeps you going long enough to see the hard results when you step on those scales.
The other way self-tracking works is by creating a common language so you can share results with others, either to receive encouragement as in a support group or to take part in competitions.
Big changes in medicine
The trend in self-tracking being brought about by what is possible with today's technology, heralds "the biggest shake-up in the history of medicine," according to Eric Topol, a leading American physician.
Topol believes the growth of self-tracking devices is bringing us to a turning point in medicine.
He doesn't prescribe drugs for his patients, he told the BBC, instead he prescribes apps."You name the condition, we get the apps to match up with your phone," he says.
Lionel Tarassenko, professor at the University of Oxford and director at Oxehealth, a spin-off from the university's Institute of Biomedical Engineering, is one of the UK's pioneers in biomedical engineering. He has been collecting clinically based evidence on self-monitoring.
Prof Tarassenko says the technology "will allow early signs of deterioration to be detected and addressed in a timely and efficient manner," so that:
"The worried-well would stop bothering busy clinicians; the ill would access a clinician when there was still time to treat the condition."How to make self-tracking work for you
- Get used to the idea of self-monitoring. Helo LX is fun, easy to interpret, and can do the most checks for your money!
- Set realistic, achievable goals. Better to have a series of small steps than one huge one. If you keep your goal-setting realistic, with regular reviews and small increments, the changes you make to your lifestyle to achieve the goals will be gradual and more long-lasting.
- Celebrate your achievements and don't beat yourself up when you don't reach your goal. Throw a party or treat yourself when you manage to sustain your new level. If you fail, review the reasons, be honest and compassionate with yourself, reset the target to a lower level, and try again.
- Ask yourself, every now and again, what the benefits have been for you personally achieving the goals. Review how you feel, how your life has changed, and whether the change is for the better. Have others noticed the changes?
- Focus on the measures that will make the biggest difference to your life. When you feel ready to move onto another challenge, be guided by your health priorities.
- Also be prepared to experiment. By trying new things you discover what you can change and gain insights about what is possible and works for you.
- Identify patterns. As you gain more experience with self-monitoring, try looking at correlations between measures. For example, is there a pattern between activity level and sleep quality?
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