The way in which we conduct our lives is becoming more and more holistic. From our dietary requirements to our lifestyle choices to our social interactions, it seems that wellness has taken the forefront in terms of priorities for many people. Particularly as the pandemic continues, the focus on wellness has helped many people to refocus and live healthier lifestyles.
As society becomes more and more reliant on technology, the wellness industry shows no sign of slowing down because of that. Statistics have shown that the download of health and wellness apps have increased over the last year alone.
(Source: Statista)
The way in which people have access to their health data is becoming more and more accessible as technology advances. From calculating daily step count and calorie tracking to keeping tabs on water intake and monitoring heart rates, our personal technology can curate an accurate data set about our lifestyles. From using our mobile phones to other hardware and tech accessories, it seems that when it comes to our wellness, it is meeting with the world of technology with open arms.
What is Augmented Reality?
Just as the app market has been an asset to the wellness industry, the technology surrounding it is looking like it might be going the same way. Augmented Reality is an interactive experience in which the real world and the virtual world can co-exist. By using augmented reality, your surroundings can be used as a prop to enhance the features that augmented reality is trying to display, it enhances the real world around you.
As Augmented reality is a merge of digital and empirical, it can be an extremely multisensory experience. From visual to auditory, the use of 3D projections can enhance your experience of something, without being too distorted from your actual and real-life surroundings.
You should think of Augmented Reality as layers, with the first and primary layer being your immediate environment. With the use of a headset or virtual eyewear, you can then use apps and software to layer on enhancements in your real world. Whether that be for a game, or to see your daily step count for the day or to be guided by a map on your daily walk, the uses and dimensions of augmented reality are growing more and more as well as advancing to the needs of consumers who want to use it outside of gaming. Augmented reality,, can come paired with features that allow you to experience other sensations, for example, if using a gaming chair, the chair could vibrate to mimic the movement you are actioning while gaming, or even when you are trying to meditate, it can heighten your preferred sound of choice.
As the world has become more virtual in the past year, the adaptation of integrating digital and real-life experiences is now in higher demand than ever before. From virtual and video phone calls to interactive schooling, technology is now showing movement in the wellness sector.
Wellness and Technology
While our life spans are increasing, many people have become educated in preventive action to increase the longevity of their life. From knowing the best time to consume foods to ensuring their water intake is up, it seems that having technology and wellness working as a team is only producing positive results.
Source: Flickr
If you are already an avid wellness fanatic, you may well already be logging your food and drink consumption via an app on your phone. Whether this is for weight loss or simply ensuring that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs, this seems to be a go-to way of pairing up wellness and tech.
The process of inputting foods into an app is already a simple action, but with Augmented reality, the use of smart glasses could give you the opportunity to track your foods just by looking at them. It takes portion control to another level as each individual meal can be monitored rather than the information already given in the app.
A more personalised way to track your food and drink consumption can be provided by augmented reality. The technology would analyse the food as a whole, and use this information to give you more relevant information about your food choices.
Not only would your calorie log be accounted for, but the use of augmented reality can keep track of your body getting the micronutrients it needs and this will all come from you simply looking at a food or drink. An option to display a small tab of information above your plate will allow you to make an informed decision about whether or not the consumption of a certain food aligns with your tracking goals. Consistency is key when it comes to wellness and nutrition and augmented reality might be the answer you need to stay aligned with your wellness goals, no matter what they are.
Many Apps and software provide information and data about our bodies and paired with tech wearables it has become more and more precise. With augmented reality, this data can be monitored even more accurately as it would have a more accurate reading of your daily movement and body. Augmented reality has the ability to display your goals to you at any time and monitor your movements. Whether that be burning a certain amount of calories every day or simply ensuring more movement is integrated into your day, your smart glasses and augmented reality hardware will make sure this information is forefronted for you.
For more advanced athletes, it can give you the intricacies about your performance, for example when your breathing gets out of control on a run, or when you have paced yourself wrong to meet a certain target. For home workouts and gym activity, augmented reality can provide information about your stance and provide you with the information you need to improve and stay focused.
Just as apps have taken the wellness industry by storm, it seems that augmented reality isn’t so far behind and isn’t just for the gaming world anymore.
