{"id":1780,"date":"2014-10-21T20:28:32","date_gmt":"2014-10-21T20:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=1780"},"modified":"2016-08-08T05:07:51","modified_gmt":"2016-08-08T05:07:51","slug":"six-wearables-and-apps-to-improve-health-and-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/six-wearables-and-apps-to-improve-health-and-happiness\/","title":{"rendered":"Six wearables and apps to improve health and happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sue Thomas<\/a>, Bournemouth University<\/em><\/p>\n

The age of the wearable is fast upon us, and many of the new products we\u2019re going to see in the next 12 months will be all about health and happiness. The New York Times recently predicted<\/a> that soon some wearables will seamlessly blend in by looking like a skin-coloured sticking plasters and even perhaps become fashion items. There are also lots of new apps in this area too.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be trying some out over the next few months but here are six that have come across my desk: one hand-held, two wearables and three apps that can help you calm down, straighten up, and take a deep breath.<\/p>\n

One hand-held<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Walking on egg-shells feeling?<\/span>
\nHandout<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PIP<\/strong><\/a>: It may not technically be a wearable \u2013 since it\u2019s hand-held rather than worn \u2013 but PIP monitors electrical changes on your skin and uses the data to measure your level of stress. It then trains you to relax by using biofeedback techniques delivered via two mobile apps on iOS and Android. You hold the PIP between your finger and thumb as you play one of two games: \u201cThe Loom\u201d challenges you to \u201cuse your powers of relaxation to turn winter into summer\u201d by consciously reducing your stress levels until the Loom landscape alters to reflect your inner calmness, when \u201csnow and ice thaw, leaves begin to shoot and flowers bloom\u201d, says the company. In \u201cRelax and Race\u201d, your stress level is used to determine your speed in the race \u2013 the more you relax, the faster you go. Strange but true.<\/p>\n

Two wearables<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Compact elevator.<\/span>
\nHandout<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lumo Lift<\/strong><\/a>:
\nIf you\u2019re a sloucher, this discreet item could help you straighten up. It looks like a small square brooch, but it\u2019s much more than jewellery. The device tracks your posture, the number of steps you take, the distance you\u2019ve travelled, and the calories you\u2019ve consumed. But its main job is to remind you to sit or stand up straight by emitting gentle vibrations when required. Better than a grumpy relative yelling \u201cstop slumping\u201d. It\u2019s available on iOS only, but a desktop app for Windows 7+ and Mac computers with Bluetooth 4.0 capabilities are promised soon, with Android to follow later.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Getting charged.<\/span>
\nHandout<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spire<\/strong><\/a>:
\nSpire calls its device a \u201cstone\u201d, giving it an aura of having come from nature, but actually it\u2019s made of steel and plastic, as you would expect. It clips onto your clothes somewhere close to your body \u2013 a belt, or a bra strap for example \u2013 and watches the way you breathe. Then it analyses the data in real time and feedback prompts you to alter your behaviour in that moment. Here\u2019s the kind of advice it gives: \u201cA slow, deep breath is the simplest, most concrete thing you can do to change your health and performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

It can be used in many different situations, including yoga practice, meditation, and sleep, as well as the usual daily activities. The company says it offers \u201cactivity tracking for body and mind\u201d and it ships with its own charging pad. Like Lumo Lift, this is current only available for iOS, with Android to follow.<\/p>\n

And three apps<\/h2>\n

Here are two very different apps designed to raise your happiness levels.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Head in the clouds.<\/span>
\nFr0002<\/a>, CC BY-NC-SA<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Happiness by Design<\/a><\/strong>: September saw the publication of the book, \u201cHappiness by Design\u201d, a study of the measurement of happiness and its causes and consequences by Paul Dolan, professor of behavioural science at the London School of Economics. Dolan discusses ways to do more of the things that bring us pleasure and purpose and, perhaps, make our days and lives more worthwhile. There\u2019s also an app for this \u2013 two in fact \u2013 that appear to have been developed to put the research into practice:
\nHBD Measure<\/a><\/strong> helps you identify the activities in your life that you find to be the most worthwhile, what they are and who you do them with.
\nHBD Monitor<\/a><\/strong> allows you to track and log much more information to build up a bigger picture of your day-to-day life and worthwhile feelings and happiness.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Kindly<\/span>
\nHandout<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kindly<\/a><\/strong>: \u201cWe all get stuck at times\u201d says Kindly, so why not \u201cgain a fresh perspective by chatting with helpful people who enjoy lending their ears?\u201d Choose the topic you want to talk about and they will match you with a kind person for a 15-minute anonymous chat session via the app. Or if you see yourself as more of a listener, you can lend an ear when you have some spare time. And if you discover a promising interaction, you can send a friend request. iOS only.<\/p>\n

One other app that I thought interesting still hasn\u2019t materialised. iOS 8 users waiting for Apple\u2019s much-vaunted HealthKit<\/a> platform will have to wait a little longer. It has a bug<\/a>. Let\u2019s hope it\u2019s not measles.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Sue Thomas does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.<\/em><\/p>\n

This article was originally published on The Conversation<\/a>.
\nRead the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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