DEWITT, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — As technology continues to evolve, so does our personal health.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be difficult.
“The more I move, the more satisfied I feel with myself,” says Brenda Ferguson, of Central New York.
But for Ferguson, a smartwatch makes it easier.
“The watch reminds you to close your rings – you have three rings a day – so it reminds you to close your rings, so it also motivates you to walk,” Ferguson said.
The three rings include moving, exercising and standing. The goal is to close all three rings each day, which is a top priority for Ferguson.
“On the weekends I vary my destinations. When I walk, I try to walk about six miles. When I run, I run about three miles,” Ferguson says.
Her daughter, Monique, is now literally following in her mother’s footsteps.
“It’s definitely increased my exercise. It motivates me to get outside and do things. It definitely helps gamify life,” said Monique Ferguson, Brenda Ferguson’s daughter.
But wearable technology like smartwatches, rings, and bracelets allow you to track much more, including heart rate response and sleep.
“This device can diagnose or help diagnose arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, which we know is associated with stroke, and it can also help measure heart rate response during exercise,” said Russell Silverman, MD, cardiologist at St. Joseph’s Health Heart and Vascular Institute.
Silverman says he doesn’t even need to recommend wearable tech to his patients because many of them already wear smart devices, a trend he’s noticed making some of them more body conscious.
“Patients come in and say, ‘I have atrial fibrillation,’ which is different from the approach we’ve had in the past. Typically they’d say, ‘I have palpitations, my heart is beating funny,’ but now patients come in with a diagnosis,” Dr. Silverman said.
It helps us pay more attention to our bodies and minds.
