The Power of Wearables

“Hey, you should test out this wearable ring,” a co-worker said to me shortly after New Year’s earlier this year—I’m sure timing was coincidental...

I accepted for a few reasons: 1. I was curious how wearable technology had advanced since I wore a Jawbone fitness tracker eight years prior; 2. I am a believer in providing necessary resources to high performers and I was intrigued that wearables could be a positive tool to do that; 3. And finally, a peer and I were interested in writing an article and learning more about wearable technology implications for Service members.

There are many different types of wearables—fitness trackers, health monitors, hearing devices, smart jewelry, and augmented reality headsets to name a few. All of them are designed to store and transmit data back to the user, company, or other institution. This feedback, in the form of beeps, visual charts, numbers, etc. is meant to improve the user’s health, fitness, hearing, life enjoyment, productivity or in aggregate, improve outcomes of a whole community.

For three months I wore the ring everyday without mechanical, blue tooth, or other issues. My engagement with the ring evolved over the course of my test period. I became more comfortable wearing it, developed a charging battle rhythm that maximized wearable on-finger time, and learned how to use the app to my advantage.

Looking back on my “trial run” with the ring, I offer the following observations:

1. I learned that my diet, both food and drink, affected the quality of my sleep, which in turn, directly affected my abilities the following day. Based on my general educational health awareness, I was familiar with how certain foods and drink can affect sleep and health, but to receive real-time feedback from your body was powerful and positively influenced my diet during those three months.

2. My family would routinely ask me about my sleep the night prior, fitness statistics, and heart rate frequently during the trial run. Anecdotally, this reflected the power of integrating technology with community, and how positive accountability looks like. When coupled with accountability partners, wearable technology can have a positive effect.

3. The fitness center and running trails called my name more often during this period. I am a visual person, so my need to visually see fitness progress as displayed on the app made a meaningful impact on how often I would “get to the gym.”

Shortly after the trial run, my family and I visited my parents. On one day, my mom turned to me and said, “You look really strong and fit.” Maybe it was the angle she looked at me, or the beautiful day, or some other phenomenon that inspired her to say those words, but in any case, I chalked them up to my wearable ring test run.

I recommend doing your own wearable test run. Before purchasing another gadget though, I would use the fitness and health tools already available on your smart phone. Depending on your needs and interests, I would then research the wearable options that go beyond smart phones and experience wearable technology for yourself. I am confident that one day, Service members will be issued wearable technology that will improve individual and unit holistic health outcomes.

I am interested to hear stories on how wearable technology has impacted you. Please leave your own experience with wearable technology in the comments.

Finally, now that it has been about six months, I should probably do another “test run” and hope to hear the words, “You look really strong and fit.”

Thanks mom.