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“Staying motivated” is the word itself that has positivity. Right?
Well, it’s not as easy as it sounds. In today’s world of uncertainties we don’t have time to calm our mind and body, so staying motivated is a tough job.
BUT, in the last 20 years technology has done a high jump and now it’s capable enough to help us keep positive throughout the day and ultimately stay motivated.
How?
With wearable tech.
In this blog we’ll go through a deep analysis, “Can wearable tech help you stay motivated?”, and if yes then how?
Well, wearable tech, from fitness trackers to smartwatches comes with a range of features that keep you motivated by tracking your activity and suggesting you the right act at the right time.
Let’s explore how these wearable devices can help you motivated in your life. Keep your fit and healthy.
So, first off,
Wearable Tech: How it Works?
Wearable gadgets, such as fitness, trackers, smart rings, and smartwatches are special health monitoring devices that are designed to monitor your physical activity like step counts, heart rate, calories burned, sleep, and other activities.
Then these devices, analyze the collected data through the sensors and provide you with real-time insights about your daily activities so that you can improve your lifestyle.
The collected data is then processed by an app provided with the wearable device and shown to you in graphs and other understandable formats to monitor your progress and adjust your behavior accordingly.
Tracking Metrics
Wearable tech’s primary work is to track metrics related to your physical and mental health and fitness. These metrics include step count, heart rate, sleep, quality, blood, oxygen level, ECG, etc.
Using these metrics you’re wearable device provides instant feedback about your activity and progress toward your goals. They constantly track your activity and provide you with real-time feedback that forces you to follow a healthy lifestyle and ultimately stay motivated.
The best thing is, that when you achieve the small goals suggested by your wearable device, you get a sense of achievement, which ultimately keeps you motivated towards your bigger goals.
For example, if you are working towards improving your sleep quality, and you set a goal on your device regarding your sleep. The tracker will notify you when you are close to meeting this goal. It will also notify you if you are not following the routine properly. The regular notifications keep you engaged in your goal and stay motivated throughout the day.
That’s the way how wearable devices can help you stay motivated in your life.
Gamification Elements used in the device
We all love to play games on our mobile phones. Right?
Well, most wearable devices come with gamification features such as challenges, badges, leaderboards, rewards, etc. When you set your goal for a particular thing, such as a step counter for 12,000 steps per day. So when you achieve 12,000 steps a day, you will be rewarded with a badge.
You will also get access to leaderboards where the names of other users are highlighted who achieved the goals at 1st position, 2nd position, and so on.
These elements make it fun and engaging to achieve your goals and introduce friendly competition between you and other users, which pushes them to achieve new milestones.
In 2020 National Institutes of Health highlighted that Gamification elements like badges and streaks boosted motivation by 60% in wearable device users. When the users have seen that they earned badge by achieving a new milestone and competing on a leaderboard, they tend to achieve another milestone, which is a sign of positivity and motivation.
Feedback and Reminders
Another powerful element in motivation is real-time feedback. As wearable devices continuously, track your performance and give immediate and real-time feedback about your progress, it’s actually helpful in elements like heart rate monitoring, which, when users track in real-time, they can adjust their workouts to stay within a targeted zone.
Even I don’t go above 140-150 heartbeats per minute when I play badminton in the evening with my son. I know that my heart can’t endure that pressure. So I adjust my activity according to my heartbeat per minute.
A survey by Deloitte conducted in 2022 revealed that 66% of wearable device users reported that they are more aware of their daily activity levels, just because of real-time feedback given by their wearable device.
When you get regular reminders to move, drink water, medication, and do other routine work, it improves your fitness and wellness routine and ultimately stay motivated.
Wearable Device Types
Wearable devices are available in various types. Each of them is equipped with unique features and sensors. And many types are in the queue to be released soon.
Let us see some common types,
- Fitness Trackers: fitness trackers are specially designed to monitor your physical activity like steps, distance, calories burned, heart rate, etc.
- Smartwatches: smartwatches are all-in-one devices that track your fitness and wellness activities as well as connect with your smartphone to show your notifications, attend phone, calls, and manage tasks. They are also equipped with sleep-tracking features.
- Smart Rings: smart rings are screenless devices that you can wear on your finger. They work like smartwatches, but they don’t have a screen, so you need a smartphone to see all the data. They’re specially built to track your health and wellness.
- Sleep Trackers: although smart watches and smart rings have sleep tracking features they they can’t provide as accurate results as a dedicated sleep tracker provides. Sleep trackers are just built to track your sleep and guide you through achieving better sleep quality.
- Mental health trackers: mental health, trackers or stress trackers are built to track stress levels. They monitor your stress levels and guide you through breathing exercises and meditation to lower your stress levels, if they see a spike in your stress levels.
Each of these devices offers different types of health and wellness tracking features. You can select one according to your needs.
Benefits of Wearable Tech
When it comes to motivation and positive thinking, wearable tech is really beneficial for us. Here are some key benefits of wearable tech in the context of motivational and positive thinking.
- It Improves Physical Activity: wearable tech is proven to increase your daily activity. A study published in The Lancet (2021) shows that US citizens who use fitness trackers are more active than those who don’t use them. This study found that fitness trackers increased daily step counts by an average of 1,235 steps per day. As it improves the physical activity it is natural that you will feel motivated and positive.
- Sense of Achievement: wearable tech increases the sense of achievement by offering you goals features like Delhi steps or calorie burned. According to a study by According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2022), verification of your activities improves user engagement by 70%. Which is amazing! The sense of achievement ultimately boosts your motivation level.
- Real-Time Feedback Features: As you get instant feedback from your wearable device, you will be aware of your activity levels every time. You will get real-time updates like heart rate, calories burned, and step counts achieved that help you to stay engaged with your goals.
- Improves Mental Health: these days, most wearable devices come with stress, management, features, and exercises related to them, such as mindful meditation, and deep breathing, which improves your mental health and well-being over a long time.
- Keeps You Consistent: you will get regular reminders and track your goals, so you will stay consistent with your activity routine. Behavioral Medicine Reports (2022) found that consistency drives you to become active and conscious of your routines by 50% – 55%.
What Research Shows?
There are multiple types of research conducted in recent years on the impact of wearable technology on the motivation, levels, and overall well-being of humans.
let’s discuss those research researches in this part of the article.
- Statista in 2023 found that 75% of wearable tech users in the US feel more motivated and active just because of the devices they have been using.
- As we have discussed above American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2022) researched goal setting and achievements provided by wearable tech and they found that wearables increased user engagement by 70% due to this feature.
- Another research by Deloitte (2022) shows that 66% of wearable tech users became more aware of their activity levels.
- Pew Research Center (2022) found in their research that 40% of users felt more motivated by sharing their goals and achievements of fitness shown on the companion apps with friends.
- Frontiers in Psychology (2021) shows that stress levels are reduced by 20% – 25% due to wearable tech’s stress management feature. Another study by the Sleep Foundation in 2023 found that 65% of users improve their sleep quality due to the sleep tracking feature in their devices.
- The Lancet found that wearable devices increased daily step counts by an average of 1,235 steps per day of the users.
How it Impacts Socially and Psychologically?
In recent years, wearable tech emerged, not just as an electronic device, but as a personal assistant who guides you through your physical fitness, mental fitness, and overall well-being.
They track your progress. Share with you the results and engage you in the challenges with your friends and community.
That’s how they directly impact your motivation level and dramatically, improve it in a period. They actually impact your social and psychological Outlook and increase your sense of accountability towards the world.
When you try a wearable tech, you will definitely feel relief from stress, and anxiety, and improved mental health.
Limitations of Wearable Tech
While wearable tech has many benefits, they have limitations. After all, they are just electronic devices.
However, if you follow the suggestions given by your wearable device, you will definitely feel motivated and physically active.
Wearable devices have limitations such as battery life and constant wearing, which sometimes feel overwhelming. They can’t fully capture every expectation of your health and well-being due to certain limitations.
You cannot fully rely on wearable devices regarding your health and fitness. They are not a doctor. So if you are suffering from mental fatigue, or you want suggestions on your emotional well, then you require a more holistic approach by consulting a doctor or a counselor.
How to Use Wearable Tech to Stay Motivated?
Above, you have seen how wearable devices can help you stay motivated? Now let us see how you can use them to boost your motivation level.
- You can use your wearable device to set small and achievable goals for your fitness and mental well-being.
- You can engage in challenges by earning badges and trying to come into leaderboards, which is actually fun and engaging.
- Be consistent with your goals, and you will see how wearable devices help you to achieve those goals and stay motivated.
- The real-time feedback provided by your wearable device is actually very useful. You should pay attention to the real-time feedback and follow the suggestions given by your device.
- Also share your progress report with your friends and community, which keeps you motivated in your life.
Conclusion
So the point is, can wearable tech help you stay motivated? Numerous researches show that they can.
They provide you with features like real-time tracking, goal setting, social engagement, and other features that ultimately keep you motivated in your life.
Whether it’s becoming more active, or improving mental health, whatever your goal in your life, they will help you to achieve them.
The data-driven approach to becoming active and fit is the best in your fitness journey as a millennial and helps you become motivated in your life.
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