If you’ve got an Android or Apple device, you can now track your health with it! We tell you what you need to know about health kits
Every smartphone contains a battery of sensors — sensors to pick up tilt, acceleration and sound. But, your smartphone can also be used to measure (or rather estimate) the speed at which you are moving. And, with a little clever programming, this technology can be used to track several aspects of your health. If you’re still in the dark about these, we tell you how you can track all your health-related data, leveraging technology of course.
Health kits are not just regular applications; they are storehouses and interpreters of all your health-related data. They allow you to connect with other applications and peripherals (read: sensors) to collate and make sense of all of the health information that is available out there. Most of these kits give you an overview of all the stats so that you can track your progress towards your health goals. This simplifies the process of staying on course. Google and Apple recently added exciting features and functionality to theirs. Take a look:
Google Fit
The health tracking platform from Google can suck in data from various fitness applications and devices. There are a ton of applications that work with Google Fit, the most popular being Nike+ Running, Adidas Fitness, Runtastic, Calorie Counter and Strava. Try it if your life (and fitness) is integrated into the Android OS, especially if you have an activity tracker.
Apple Health Kit
Apple’s software acts like a treasure trove from which other applications take data and to which they send their data. The best part about it is that it comes with all versions of iOS (from iOS 8 and up) and you don’t need a secondary device to track your data — the iPhone’s sensors perform that job for you.
If you’re looking for other health solutions or different platforms though, here are a few more options to have at your fingertips. While, these may be less convenient, they each provide you with something unique.
Microsoft Health Vault
This service, although not in India yet, stores all your health and fitness information. It is especially useful for parents who want to monitor their children’s health, or for children who need to take care of their parents as they age.
MSN Health & Fitness
This also allows you to track your diet and fitness data, and it offers more in terms of health news and workout videos. And, you can even connect to Apple’s HealthKit on the iPhone.
MyFitnessPal
Acting like a health kit to a lesser extent is MyFitnessPal, which tracks your diet and exercise patterns to come up with an optimum caloric intake to help you meet your goals. Now owned by sports brand Under Armor, it uses game elements to keep users engaged and motivated.