In light of the recent pandemic and effect it has had on businesses around the globe, COVID-19 has got our CEO, Mark Thomas, thinking about how he monitors his own health and wellbeing at home.
Remote working has enforced change for all of us not just on a professional level, but on a personal level too. We have all become more aware of how we look after ourselves and those around us. There has been a surge in demand for tech gadgets and innovations across the globe that can help us understand more about how we can better monitor symptoms and prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario.
Our CEO, Mark Thomas wanted to find a more efficient way of monitoring his health, without needing to take a visit to his GP. He invested in some tech gadgets that could be delivered to his home without him needing to leave the house. Fitness tracking gadgets have been fast selling out triggering a wave of health awareness and anxiety which is encouraging a new consideration for virus-fighting tech.
Here are just some of the tech that Mark recommends to monitor your heart rate and sleeping patterns. Some tech, like the Apple Watch, for example, has now been developed so that it can be integrated with your NHS Medical Records online – very impressive!
It isn’t just about the tech that you need to invest in, but also making use of tech that you already own. Whether that requires you to download a new app on your phone or sync your phone with another device in the house, like your Google Home, or Alexa. While the UK government is looking to use mobile phones and apps to track COVID-19 in the near future, we ourselves can start tracking our own health and wellbeing remotely, while we wait for a viable solution to the virus.
Apple Wearables
Apple wearables have been designed to ‘inspire a healthier life all-round’ helping to keep track of your breathing, sleep patterns, heart rate, and noise levels. The Apple Watch Series 5 has been referred to as the ‘ECG on your wrist, Anytime, Anywhere’ allowing you to integrate it with the ECG app making it capable of generating an ECG similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram.
How does it do this you ask? Using finger recognition, the electrodes built into the Digital Crown work together with the ECG app to read your heart’s electrical signals in just 30 seconds. It can even indicate whether your heart rhythm shows signs of atrial fibrillation – a serious form of irregular heart rhythm.
The Apple wearables series also provide an app called The Breathe app to help practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques in the home. It does this through a series of calming breaths to help reduce stress levels and improve overall health. This makes the Apple Watch Series the perfect tracking device and app for someone looking to monitor their general health and wellbeing during the lockdown. If you have an iPhone, then an Apple Watch is the way to go, or alternatively if you have an Android Phone you can invest in an Android Smart Watch that has similar features.
Awair Wireless Air Monitor
COVID-19 has recently got many of us thinking about the quality of the air that we breathe, especially seeing as the disease is known to be transmitted via air particles. It is for this reason that our CEO recommends investing in a Home Air Quality Monitor which can deter whether your air quality is ‘Good’ ‘Average’ or ‘Unhealthy’ on a colour scale.
The Awair Wireless Air Monitor can be directly connected to any iOS or Android application using Bluetooth to configure the device, view historical data, set alarms, and sensor reading frequencies. It uses the most precise Nondispersive infrared (NDIR) sensor technology for accurate CO2 measurements, temperature levels, and atmospheric pressure monitoring.
Considering the majority of the population is now remote working, or spending large amounts of time indoors, it is more important than ever to ensure that our surroundings are safe and that we are breathing in clean air. These can also be used for offices which we here at Coderus have experience of using and have seen huge benefits on monitoring the air quality for staff and employees.
Sleep and Wellbeing Apps
Here is a list of some apps that we recommend for you to download on your phone to help improve your wellbeing at home. Whether you are struggling with your sleep patterns, want to better your daily exercise routines, or switch off from the world, these apps listed have all the features you need.
Headspace
This is an app dedicated to improving general health and wellbeing and is great if you want to practice some meditation or mindfulness techniques. Headspace can help you learn and explore a more mindful approach to day to day living with guided exercises, videos, sleep casts and more to improve your state of mind.
Sleep Cycle
This app is designed to help track your sleep cycle throughout the night based on movement and sound analysis. The app will wake you up when you are in a light period of sleep so it doesn’t leave you feeling groggy in the morning!
Viber
Viber connects over 900 million users around the globe providing you access to supportive online communities and groups. If you are looking for some community spirit from the comfort of your own home, then give this app a try! There are multiple group chats that offer support for fitness, cooking, book recommendations and so much more.
Withings Nokia Health Scale
Smart digital scales are becoming a major health trend for the home. Long gone are the days of step-on scales that measure your weight, and your weight only. Smart digital scales can be integrated with all iOS and Android devices, to measure body fat, lean body mass, and heart rate giving you a full picture of your health from the home.
The Withings Nokia Scale can be synced with popular fitness apps including Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit, and Samsung Health so you can track your progress depending on your own individual preference and device you are using. The app can even be shared with an unlimited number of your family members and friends.
The scale uses four independent floor sensors that measure to the 10th of a pound. It has a network of electrode sensors built-in to accurately measure you no matter where you are. If you want something that can measure and track not just your weight, but your protein levels, lean body mass, BMI, muscle mass, bone mass, visceral fat and so much more then this is the gadget for you!
Withings BPM Core
The Withings BPM Core is the first clinically validated blood pressure monitor that can manage your blood pressure and detect any underlying heart conditions. It is currently the Number One choice worldwide and has been a previous winner of the CES Innovation Awards.
The Core is a 3-in-1 device acting as a blood pressure monitor, electrocardiogram and a digital stethoscope all in one! It can monitor hypertension and detect cardiovascular disease in just 90 seconds and within the comfort of your own home. This device can be synced with your home WIFI connection so you don’t need to have your phone nearby.
If you wish to share the information with your GP, you can use the Health Mate App on an iOS device and share your blood pressure history and ECG Records. Here you can access your data with your personal Withings account and check in on your progress.
There is no question that the global pandemic, COVID-19 has forced many of us to rethink how we stay healthy and make the most of the equipment, gadgets, and apps we have at home. Although one day, we will eventually return to a new normal, we will surely have incorporated some of the emerging technologies helping us to improve our lifestyles.
We will be able to better interact with health professionals too, providing them with the data they need from our wearables and gadgets and improve ways of monitoring health going forward. Find out more about our software development services if you have an innovative piece of health technology you would like to develop.
