Our interaction with nature didn’t end with just the close proximity to mountains and forests. Our day-to-day lives, too, had a very close relationship with nature. Partly, because we didn’t have electricity and its side effects for many years. And partly, because there was no smartphone in those days to get stuff delivered right at the doorstep.
We needed water like everyone else. The only option was to fetch it from the neighborhood well. Want groceries? We had to walk for two kilometers and also carry the bags while coming back. Feel like visiting a friend’s house? In the absence of personal vehicles or cab-calling smartphones, walking was once again the only option. Same solution also worked if you wanted to relax for a while at the end of the day.
Don’t get me wrong. My idea here is not to give you a false impression that life those days sucked. Well, actually, it was quite the opposite. Life was fun, and much uncomplicated. We knew how to appreciate whatever we had. With all the manual work involved, we didn’t have to put in any additional effort to stay fit. Physical activity was as much a part of life as breathing, eating or sleeping.
But, somehow, within a couple of decades, all of us and thousands more with very similar lifestyles moved to the cities. Some strange chemical reaction made sure that we got addicted to screens, and we were all pushed into cubicles in air conditioned buildings with nothing but the screen to stare at for the whole day.
And the result? We are sometimes too busy to do anything other than starting at the screen, and some other times, too lazy to do anything other than ordering stuff to be door-delivered.
To put it in fewer words, we always find excuses to avoid physical activity. And in most cases, blame the advancements in the field of technology for what mostly is our laziness.
Technology is only a tool. It works the way we want it to work. If we choose to binge watch one TV series after another on our mobile phone, is it the fault of technology that had made it so easy?
Absolutely not. The problem with our physical activity these days – or rather the lack of it – is mostly because of the way we are using technology. If we somehow make time for a bit of physical activity every day, we can be healthier and also save a bit of time that we otherwise spend to blame technology.
How can we “somehow” make time for physical activity? Easiest answer would be to go back to the live-close-to-the-nature lifestyle that I mentioned earlier. But that is easier said than done. Another option would be to reduce usage of technology. That, too, is close to impossible.
So what do we do? One possible option is to become smarter, and get technology to help us. Yes, use the same technology – which we blame as the reason for our physical inactivity – to help us become more active and get fit.
Smart Wearable devices can be the best help, to monitor our physical activity and present us the facts every day, day after day. Devices like smart watch or activity trackers can help us keep track of how much did we walk on a given day, how many calories did we burn, and so on. Not just that, such devices also provide us vital statistics that can be very helpful in taking necessary steps to maintain our good health. The fact that the smart wearables also add to our style statement, is the cherry on top. Not just that, smart watches can also make our lives easier by giving us access to alerts, messages and emails even when we are not looking at our smartphone.
Coming back to physical activity, an important question needs to be answered. The question is very simple: Given our busy schedules, how do we make time for this physical activity?
The same technology which keeps us busy, can be used for this purpose too. There are many devices nowadays that have converted our good old home into a Smart Home. Such devices, with a bit of planning, can take care of many routine tasks. For example, if you want to go for a walk in the morning - or - take a day off and go for a trek, you can still keep an eye on what is happening back home by using a Smart Camera. Even if you are at home exercising, you can use other smart devices to get work done. Smart lights, for example, can be controlled using a smartphone or even using a smart assistant.
Like the old saying goes, there is definitely a way where there is a will. The only way to get the will in place, though, requires us to be smarter and develop the urge to get fit!
Come, Let's #GetFitWithFlipkart and start a #SmartHomeRevolution!
Images: Courtesy of Freepik.com
