The Beginning:

In September of 2018, I was browsing the internet when one of the ads that stalks you and knows your business informed me: “If you can read for 10 minutes every day, you can have a healthier life.”  At that time, I had been consistently trying to be healthy, fit, and eat better for more than a decade with mixed results.  By mixed results, I mean pretty terrible results – I would take one step forward and many, many steps backward.  I was gradually becoming more out of shape (and of course older.)

I read every day anyway and this app offered a 45-day free trial, so I gave it a shot.

That was an app called Noom, which for me, ended up being the “Gateway App” which led down a deep dive into health, fitness, and wellness technology.  This is not a commercial for Noom, although I did benefit from the app greatly. Not only from the concepts which it taught, but more importantly from the introduction to using technology to facilitate health and wellness.  Noom is one of the many apps, wearables, gadgets and fitness gear tools I have tested since then.  In the end, it did not end up being part of my ongoing program. This is mostly due to the cost barrier (it is now listed at $59 per month) and the fact that I don’t believe that a single app by itself is the best way to approach integrating technology into a wellness program.

The Journey:

For the next six months after my initial introduction to fitness technology, I embraced the concept whole-heartedly.  Although I have been obsessed with technology my entire life (or at least since it was available), I had somehow missed this aspect of technology or, perhaps, avoided it.  Once I began to see the benefits, I made up for lost time and used or tested anything I could find related to health, fitness and wellness technology, provided it was not cost prohibitive or potentially dangerous.

This six-month odyssey led me to losing over 60 pounds, dramatically lowering my blood pressure and, at the age of 55, being in the best physical condition of my life since high school.  Although the large and relatively quick and painless weight loss is the most noticeable benefit of the experience, it was by no means the only one.  I also gained energy and focus in many other areas as well due to the leverage provided by wellness technology.

I am NOT an Expert:

I want to emphasize that although I have been in the technology industry for a good deal of time, I by no means consider myself an expert in health, fitness, and wellness technology.  I am certainly not an expert in health and fitness in general, in fact I have apparently failed at that for at least a decade leading up to this.

This series of blogs is NOT intended to be taken as medical advice.  As always, with any change to your diet, activity, or other physical habits, consult your physician before making changes.   It should go without saying that if you rely on a computer professional for medical advice, this will most likely end badly for you.

The Concept:

Over the next several months, I will break down my journey into sections – review of wearables and overall health apps, followed by a discussion of technology which relates to what I have determined as the “5 Pillars of Wellness.”  These are my own selection and are not tied to any of the many “Pillars of Health” books and videos which exist throughout the world.

I’m hoping to provide practical, real world ways in which technology can effectively be used to enhance your life by assisting to form a healthier, happier and more fit person.  In my experience, this has led to more effectiveness in my professional life as well.

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