A number of innovative products are coming out of Finland designed to help users improve their health and fitness. These products track workouts, fat loss, sleep patterns and heart rate during exercise in an effort to promote healthier living.
Beddit is a solution that tracks various conditions while the user sleeps. The user places a strap-like sensor under the sheet, which measures snoring, heart rate, breathing and movement. This information is compiled to compute an overall sleep score, which is transmitted to a smartphone app. With this information, the user can make changes that improve the quality of their sleep.
Caktus has developed a product called The Hug, a sensor that measures daily water intake in an effort to promote better hydration. An infographic created by the company illustrates the benefits of hydration as well as the problems from not drinking enough water. Wrapping the sensor around a water bottle measures how much water the user drinks and the information is sent to a smartphone app.
HeiaHeia is a fitness tracking app similar to Strava, which allows users to track workouts. One of the features that sets it apart from Strava is its greater granularity. Bicyclists can track road cycling, mountain biking and indoor cycle machines and group them all in one location. Other sports like swimming and running can also be included. It has a social media aspect where friends can share workouts with each other and give encouragement or derision, depending on the situation.
These are only a fraction of the wellness solutions coming out of Finland. They come at an important time, especially in the U.S. where healthcare is going through some cultural changes. Individuals are not only being encouraged to take preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of needing to visit the doctor; they also have pretty powerful tools to measure data and keep themselves on track.
While no one should ever use technology as a replacement for medical care from a trained doctor, it does arm users with valuable information. In the past, someone with a sleep disorder for example, would have to go to a clinic, spend the night there and be tested. A solution like Beddit gives these same users data that a doctor can examine and take action on with the first visit, potentially treating problems sooner. Information is power and when applied to health, leads to a better quality of life for everyone.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
