Wearables Can Improve Your Health

Watch what’s coming.

From Fitbits to wristwatches, the accuracy of many of the wearable fitness products on the market have been validated in peer-reviewed studies, according to Harshal Kirane, MD, a psychiatrist and director of addiction services at Staten Island University Hospital.

Many of the devices -- which measure heart rates and track calorioes burned, miles traveled, etc -- are low cost and easy to use and can be used to watch your weight, record your blood pressure, count your calories and post the number of steps you take daily. But will wearing them improve your health?

“While these devices perform their tasks, their effectiveness to bring about behavioral change has not been studied to the same degree,” said Dr. Kirane, commenting on a recent article published in the the American Journal of Internet Research. “So far wearables seem to be working best when used in peer/group context, particularly if specific goals are outlined as part of a behavior intervention program. This means having target goals from the outset as part of a lifestyle program, incentivizing with elements of competition and rewards, and focusing on individuals who achieve positive health benefits.”