As the world around us continues to evolve, so does the popularity of health and fitness. Even after decades of scientific research, we can wake up in the morning and find new and exciting studies suggesting ways in which we can improve our physical and mental well-being.
With technology taking a more prominent role in society, using health tech products can provide a great way to give us an extra edge when looking to optimize our health.
As we move halfway into 2024, men’s health remains a global priority. Compared to women, men are twice as likely to die from preventable, non-communicable diseases. Men are also at a much greater risk of health conditions and much less likely to access the healthcare required.
When looking at the reasons for this discrepancy between sexes, communication difficulties and societal stigma seem to be two of the main causes. Online and digital Health tech products can help to bridge the stigma, allowing males to more effectively interact with their own health and the support networks available.
We’ve looked at some of the best at-home healthcare products that are transforming men’s healthcare for the better.
eBikes
In a world full of different exercise modes, cycling remains one of the most commonly used and enjoyable forms. As a low-impact form of activity, cycling is accessible and easy to do for most ability levels and age groups. However, pain and injury can still be a debilitating issue that reduces participation as males continue to age.
As a way to combat this and improve exercise participation, eBikes are powered by both human power and an electric motor that assists with the propulsion of the bike wheels. By making it easier to cycle on normal terrain and uphill, eBikes provide a great way to improve exercise accessibility in males who can't cycle anymore due to knee pain and injury.
Alongside improving physical health markers and mental health, it provides a great way for males to get their hobbies back and exercise with friends. Thanks to eBikes, those who previously gave up cycling are now getting back into it together all because of a little help from the electric motor.
What we like about it:
- eBikes provide a great low-impact exercise method to improve participation in those with injury or age-related issues.
- They promote outdoor exercise participation which can in itself help to improve mental health when done in different landscapes and with friends.
- No additional training is required. They use the same motion as a normal bike with the addition of an electric motor.
Red light therapy
Perhaps one of the biggest issues for maintaining or improving health status can be pain and injury. Whether you’re a recreational gym goer or an elite athlete, you tend to experience these same barriers to participation.
One of the newest and most promising methods to help with pain and injury from the comfort of your own home is to use something known as red light therapy. It works by using low levels of red light that targets your skin and body cells to promote cell function and tissue repair. Its main mechanism is thought to be an increase in mitochondria which act as energy sources for your body cells.
Again, due to the social stigma, men presenting with pain and injury prefer to ignore or forget about these issues rather than deal with them. With several types of handheld red light devices that can be used from the comfort of their home, red light therapy can provide a comfortable and non-invasive way to improve pain and injury and improve men's health.
What we like about it:
- Most red light devices can be comfortably worn whilst still carrying out normal daily tasks and life.
- As technology develops, red light gadgets and devices can be bought at an affordable price.
- Red light therapy provides an accessible, elite-level recovery option for men.
- Many different sleep aids and wearable tools are available depending on your needs and preferences.
AI-Based Chatbots
For most people, making the initial step to improve their health can be as simple as having someone to talk to. As part of the process, they can discuss their health status, exchange educational information, and be kept accountable.
For most males, talking to others when it comes to their health can be the hardest barrier to overcome. Some choose to ignore the issue completely or use quick-fix solutions that often mask the root cause of the issue.
For digital health companies, AI chatbots can provide an invaluable way to enhance patient engagement and improve compliance. For most males, talking to a robot that utilizes natural language processing can provide the healthcare company with useful information that they may not have volunteered to a human. This information can then be used to better inform their healthcare service going forward and move on to the next step when helping to form a suitable treatment plan. This may be using other health tech software or human intervention.
Using an AI chatbot is as simple as downloading the software and beginning to chat. Some healthcare companies will often provide information to help with the setup process.
What we like about it:
- Provides males with a non-human reference point which may be easier to talk to and find out information regarding their health.
- Easy to set up and costs nothing in most cases.
- Provides on-demand fitness information regarding general health and wellness. Also processes information much faster than humans can.
Wearable Technology
As people look for more convenient ways to monitor their health and fitness from the comfort of their own homes, the popularity of wearable technology continues to rise. When it first came out, wearable technology consisted of simple pedometers and basic heart rate monitors. Now, we can find technology that we can place on our clothing or wear around our wrists that provides us with things like sleep analysis, stress management, and activity tracking.
One of the biggest barriers for men to make meaningful health changes is knowing their current health status. With social stigma stopping some men from employing the help of others to improve their health, wearable technology provides a non-invasive reference point that they can refer to and build upon.
Using a smartwatch is as simple as pairing it with your phone and wrapping it around your wrist. Once it's paired, you’re able to get on-demand feedback when needed.
What we like about it:
Smart Mirrors
As the popularity of home workout technology continues to increase, so does the popularity of home training software such as smart mirrors. To the naked eye, these look like big mirrors that most of us usually use to do our hair or check our outfits. However, smart mirrors are so much more.
Simply put, these are big digital mirrors with integrated technology that gives you access to a huge range of trainer-led workouts. They use Wifi and Bluetooth technology that gives you access to the different workouts once you’ve downloaded an app.
Smart mirrors are great for bridging the gap between men's and women's health for several reasons. When using one, you can get exactly the same physical benefits that a gym environment can provide by following the trainer-led workout video, taking out the initial hurdle of going to the gym around others. Also, they offer an immersive workout exercise from the comfort of your own home which helps to improve motivation, confidence, mood, and energy levels when used regularly.
Smart mirrors work based on technology meaning all you need is a suitable wifi or Bluetooth connection, a power outlet, and a big enough home space.
What we like about it:
The Future of Men’s Health
These are just some of the amazing at home health tech products that can be used to transform men’s healthcare and start to bridge the gap between the genders.
In our top five list, we’ve included a range of different products that allow men to better monitor their health and begin to make more positive lifestyle changes.
Have a go at some of them and let us know what you think!
References
- https://www.who.int/news/item/04-04-2019-uneven-access-to-health-services-drives-life-expectancy-gaps-who
- https://wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/servlet/linkout?suffix=null&dbid=8&doi=10.1002/tre.882&key=31741441&getFTLinkType=true&doiForPubOfPage=10.1002/tre.882&refDoi=10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32759-X&linkType=PMID&linkSource=FULL_TEXT&linkLocation=Reference
- https://wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tre.882
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6293244/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9980499/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8521858/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9330198/
