Smartphones, Not Just For Emails and Facebook Anymore

April 2nd, 2012

In the business section of today’s New York Times, an article discusses how people are utilizing the smartphone for their health.  The article, titled “As Smartphones Become Health Aids, Ads May Follow”  mentions how apps can help users track their diet and exercise.  It is interesting to note that while people are becoming more sedentary because of technology, adopting certain apps can actually have a good impact on your health.

I personally use an app on my iphone called Runkeeper to log my runs outdoors.  The app is also able to draw your running path on a map showing exactly where you went, the total distance, average time per mile, and total calories burned.  There are also options to track cycling, hiking, skiing and walking.  I find this app very useful and a great motivating tool, and a huge advancement from pedometers.  You can even upload your runs to facebook and see how you compare to your friends.  In a way, it is making an individual sport more of a competitive one.  You can see the stats on your previous runs and try to beat your fastest mile times.  The best part is that the basic app is free to download.

For tracking your diet, there are a multitude of apps.  I recommend Calorie Tracker by LIVESTRONG.com.  You can set your calorie goal (ask your physician if you are not sure), and see how many calories you have consumed at any given day.  A unique feature of this app is that it also shows many calories you have left in the day.  While the process may seem tedious at first, over time you will learn how to manage calories and portion sizes on your own.

I generally don’t tell patients to spend more time on their phone, but in the case of health-related apps it can be a good thing.