Keeping healthy is a really important thing to do no matter how old you get.  Computers have allowed us all sorts of innovations and there are so many, but for the health conscious this might interest you.  Your younger family members are bound to know, but just in case you don’t, let me introduce you to the fitness tracker.

I suppose you could call it a meter for the body because in the same way that an electricity or gas meter checks how much power is used in your home, the electronic fitness tracker keeps tabs on your body.  There are various types but most fitness trackers look like watches with some incorporating all the things that high tech watches do these days too.  The idea is that you wear it for as much time as is practical.  The most basic ones measure your sleep patterns and how many steps you take each day but they get much more sophisticated than that.  Many vibrate on your wrist to remind you that you have not done sufficient exercise after a measured period of time.

Many are designed to work with smartphone or iPhone apps.  So armed with a readout of how well you sleep and how much exercise you do, you can change your lifestyle.

Perhaps the most well-known brand is the Fitbit.  The adverts suggest that they are designed for young fit people looking to improve their fitness but they are just as effective if you are older.  These gadgets show one’s exercise and sleep history and help you to see how much better or worse your sleeping and exercise habits are progressing, though it has to be said that there is also a school of thought that shows them to have the opposite effect on some.

Did you know that, on average, people are said to take between 3,000 and 4,000 steps per day.  Taking 10,000 steps per day is recommended as an optimum amount of daily exercise, combined with a healthy diet, to promote improved health in a reasonably healthy adult?

No one is suggesting that everyone needs to work that hard but it is interesting to measure what you have achieved against what you did last week or last month, and quite rewarding if you can see positive results.

A trip to your GP is a good idea before you get started.  You need to have a smart phone or iPhone for them to work effectively and remember to check that the related mobile phone app is freely downloadable.

To find out more about Exercise Trackers for older people.

Fitness trackers in general – please click here

What they do and what they cost – please click here

Like everything else in this world, these work really well for some and have no effect on others, but no one really knows what can happen until they have a go.