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Health and fitness apps now gain popularity in Kenya
The Samsung Galaxy Gear S watch running a pedometer application. The smart watch recently launched in Kenya allows one to set fitness goals and monitor progress. PHOTO | SARAH OOKO
With the start of a new year comes the number one goal for most people – to live a healthier life and exercise more.
As Kenyans embrace healthy lifestyles to improve the quality of their lives and prevent diseases, multinational technology companies and software developers are tapping on this global trend towards wellness to come up with innovations aimed at making life easier for health-conscious individuals.
Samsung recently introduced a new smart watch in Kenya for sports enthusiasts. The Samsung Galaxy Gear S watch has an inbuilt health and fitness application called S-Health that helps fitness enthusiasts set fitness goals and monitor their progress.
Previous models of the watch – Samsung Galaxy Gear 1, Gear 2 and Gear Fit – also had this fitness software but they had to work in sync with certain smartphones.
“Previously, you could not use the watch to monitor any form of exercise you were doing if you did not have your phone with you,” says Ryan Mule, an expert on the technology from Samsung Electronics East Africa. “The Galaxy Gear S solves this problem.”
Milka Wangui, an avid athlete who jogs every evening, says she prefers the watch compared to the Samsung smart phone she has been using for a year now.
“Sometimes the phone would fall or heat up and cause discomfort on my skin. This is an uncomfortable feeling especially when you are exercising,” Ms Wangui told Digital Business.
The Galaxy Gear S has a smooth curved screen, allowing easy viewing of the screen, while the S-Health application has five useful features: the pedometer, exercise monitor, heart rate monitor, sleep monitor and ultraviolet sensor.
The pedometer, which is also known as the walking mate, counts the number of steps taken by an individual daily as well as the calories burned.
Users have an option of setting targets on the number of steps they would like to make per day, week or month. The phone alerts you when you are lagging behind your targets. It does the same once you achieve your goals.
These reminders are especially useful for busy Kenyans like Ms Wangui, who due to hectic careers and family obligations, may end up dropping or putting off their exercise regimes.
Another feature of S-Health is that it generates histograms, which show variations in speed and distances covered, allowing users to determine their fastest or slowest speeds. Mr Mule adds that the watch can also measure the heart rate during exercise and display it on the screen.
When S-Health is set on exercise mode, it allows users to monitor specific sporting activities they may be involved in. This includes running, walking, cycling and jogging.
“You can always keep track of the frequencies of exercises done over time, distance and speed,” notes Mr Mule.
The Samsung Galaxy Gear S watch also gives users the option of choosing a digital coach to guide them in physical fitness activities.
The coaching feature, Mr Mule explains, lets users know if they are exerting themselves too hard, enough or not. It also provides personalised exercise guidance as determined by a person’s profile as well as the heart rate information recorded.
The coaching feature resembles the typical gym trainer, only that the services it offers are free of charge.
The Samsung Galaxy Gear S can also monitor sleep patterns. By detecting body movements, it can also determine the exact amount of time that was dedicated to sleep alone.
The smart watch also comes with an ultra violet sensor that protects users from dangerous sun rays that increase the risk of skin cancer. The watch also offers protection tips, for instance informing users to apply sunscreen on hot days.
It will also remind them to wear sunglasses on a bright day as well as be careful around bright surfaces like sand, water and snow that reflect sunlight.
There are other fitness applications that one can download on his/her smartphone free of charge. They include MapMyFitness, Argus, Fitbit, Runtastic, Strava, MapMyRun, iJoggerFL, Moves, Endomondo, MSN Health Fitness and RunKeeper.
Most of these applications come in different packages, with free versions that offer minimal features for light exercisers to paid-up ones designed for professional athletes.
Argus, tracks your activity directly through your iPhone, watching your movements throughout the day. The Moves app can automatically tell if you are walking, running, bicycling, and taking transit or riding in automobiles. It shows you a timeline of your day and how much time you spent doing different activities.
The Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout helps you squeeze some exercise into your day at an intensity level that’s right for you. The app coaches you through each move as it comes up in the workout.
Strava allows users to compare themselves to other users on particular segments of a road or trail while Endomondo acts like an electronic coach, allowing users to set goals and giving feedback in real-time during a variety of exercises. It focuses on the community aspects of staying motivated to reach your fitness activity goals.
