It's no secret that obesity is on the rise in the United States. In fact, over the last 30 years, childhood obesity has more than doubled. Though no single factor can be attributed to this increase in obesity, it's easy to pinpoint the likely culprits: processed foods, sedentary work environments, a lack of physical activity, and an over-reliance and infatuation with technology - televisions, video games, computers, and now, tablets and smartphones. And yet, these very same tools that once contributed to our health woes - tablets, mobile devices and computers - are now revolutionizing personal health and fitness, enabling individuals to eat better, get in shape and lose weight.
With apps, websites, fitness tracking devices and social platforms, individuals are now able to better track their daily activity, share their accomplishments with friends, and plan their diets around their schedules. Among the technologies currently revolutionizing health and fitness, these are the ones to look out for:
Apps
Everyone has a smartphone these days. The great thing about fitness apps is: 1. you always have them on you so long as you have a smartphone in your pocket, and 2. many of them are completely free! And perhaps better yet, fitness apps run the gamut, from being able to track your activity to helping you monitor your diet and caloric intake. Whether you want to better understand how food affects your body, or simply monitor how many miles you walk or bike a day, as the cliché goes... there's an app for that. Browse through your mobile app store and see which apps are right for you. Put that mobile computer in your pocket to use and have it start working on your behalf!
Fitness Tracking Devices
The market for fitness tracking devices continues to grow, and with each passing year, the devices become more powerful and helpful. Spearheaded by companies such as Samsung, the industry has grown to meet the needs of a society that increasingly finds itself fighting an uphill battle when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. With the workforce becoming ever more office-bound, and food and entertainment options becoming increasingly detrimental for our health, conscious individuals must take whatever steps that they can to stay ahead of the curve - fitness tracking devices provide them with this advantage. From monitoring heart rates to total steps taken to calories burned, today's fitness tracking devices can do it all. And they look better than ever while doing it.
Social Media
An important part of maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle is keeping a support group - whether that group be individuals going through the same experience or who can be trusted to provide encouragement and well wishes. Though in the past, this may have been accomplished by way of a once-a-week meeting with a club or support network, social media platforms such as Facebook now fill this role. From providing you with inspiration to allowing you to converse and ask questions of people who have already gone through the steps, social media is an immensely powerful tool for health-conscious individuals. Though to many it may seem like Facebook is good for nothing more than posting selfies, that doesn't have to be the case for everyone!
Websites
Like mobile apps, there are a multitude of websites online that are tailored to health and fitness. Some are free, others require a paid subscription, but nearly all of them can offer something of value to the individual looking to lose weight, eat healthy, stay active or maintain control over their life. Many of these sites are specifically tailored for women, in fact, making it easy for women of all ages to find a supportive community where they can share their experiences, stories, progress and pitfalls with other like-individuals. Of course, the beauty of the Internet is that women are by no means limited to using such sites; when it comes to health and fitness websites, there are nearly boundless choices for men and women alike.