How the health program works. How to use the Health app on iOS? Adding Personal Information
Electronic devices are increasingly participating in our daily life, becoming full-fledged assistants in many matters. This trend extends to monitoring the physical parameters of the user’s body. With the help of technology, it is possible to track your own condition, count your heart rate and determine your sleep phases. Apple smartphones are no exception. The devices are equipped with new software for processing data on the activity of the user’s body. Let's take a closer look at how to use the Health app on iPhone.
In addition to calculating the distance traveled by the user, a number of other functions are available:
How does a pedometer work on iPhone?
A feature of all iPhones, from the 5th model to the latest X, is a built-in electronic-mechanical pedometer. The function based on the amplitude of vibrations of the smartphone transforms impulses into the number of steps taken, in other words, it counts steps.
If you don't see your step count in the Today tab, tracking may not be enabled.
It's easy to enable by following the step-by-step instructions:
- On the main screen, select the “Settings” icon (gray gear), then look for the “Privacy” item, then click on the “Movement and Fitness” link.
- Opposite the Fitness Tracking function, activate the switch so that it lights up green. In the same way, move the slider opposite the “Health” application.
After this, the iPhone will begin collecting statistics on its owner’s activities: the number of steps, floors traveled, and counting the total distance.
There are also third-party programs with similar functionality. It is recommended to install them from the repository App Store.
Conclusion
The “Health” direction is the summation and demonstration of activity indicators of the phone owner.
When a sedentary lifestyle becomes habitual, it is difficult to maintain a healthy level of activity for the body. Apple devices help with this, as well as special program. Athletes benefit from having additional devices: a smart watch or a fitness bracelet. In this way, it is easy to collect data on physical activity levels and avoid physiological problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Launch the Health app and you will see the Control Panel screen. If you're using an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, your phone's built-in step sensor will automatically show you information about your physical activity. This sensor tracks the number of steps you have taken, the distance you have walked, and the number of steps you have climbed. You can see data for this activity for the last day, week or year.
If you have an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, then you can use this application as quick remedy viewing data on the number of steps and you do not need a separate pedometer or any kind of fitness tracker. And if you don't have any additional device or app, that's all you can see in the Health app. Again, provided you have a phone latest model with this sensor.
Although the dashboard automatically shows only step count data, in reality you can choose to show any type of data here.
Medical ID
The Medical ID tab allows you to create a medical ID. This is information that can be shown on your smartphone's lock screen without entering a password. This feature is unlikely to be very useful to users from Russia, especially since they don’t really know about it in the USA either.
The idea is that you can add information about yourself that may be useful when emergency- information about diseases and allergies, blood type, organ donor status, contacts in case of an emergency, etc. This important data can be accessed right from the screen of your locked phone if it is needed by medical professionals or first responders. This is something like a digital version of the medical identification bracelet that many of you have seen in American films about hospitals. True, this thing will be useful if someone thinks to look at your phone in an emergency situation. And also click on the “Call Help” button on the lock screen, and then click on the Medical ID item. Perhaps this will work in the future, but for now it doesn't. It's better to wear a hospital bracelet with similar information. Somehow more reliable.
Health Data
The Health Data tab provides access to big list different types of data about your health. This is a real list of all types of data that HealthKit can track Apple. This service allows various third party devices and health monitoring applications provide data to the Health application, and also access it if you have the appropriate access rights. The Health app is supposed to be the central hub where all your health data is stored.
If you use an app or device that integrates with HealthKit, it may automatically add your data to Various types(categories) of information that are installed in the Health application. Similar to how the iPhone constantly stores updated data on the number of steps received from its own pedometer sensor. For example, smart watches Apple Watch can receive fitness data that integrates with HealthKit.
But, of course, you can manually add data to this database yourself. For example, if you weigh yourself daily, click Health Data > Body Measurements > Weight, then select Add Data Point and enter the required data. And so, add the latest measurements every day and after a while you will be able to track how this indicator of your health is changing. You can even slide the Show on Dashboard switch to the "ON" position and this data will be shown on the main screen of the application.
Obviously this is not the most convenient function And going forward, Apple expects you to purchase a Bluetooth-enabled wireless scale that will automatically send your weight to HealthKit every time you weigh yourself. But, if you prefer to measure everything manually - weight, blood pressure, sleep duration, caffeine consumption, etc., then, as they say, the flag is in your hands. You are only limited by the types of data that Apple includes in the app.
For each type of data, you can also click on the "Share Data" item and you will see all the applications that automatically transfer data to the Health application, as well as applications that have the right to see such data.
Sources
The Sources tab in the "Default" state looks a little, let's say, lonely. This page will only be populated when applications that are installed from the AppStore request permission to update your health information.
For example, if you have a fitness tracker that tracks your sleep time or a scale that transmits your weight data to your smartphone via Bluetooth. The corresponding app on your smartphone will ask for permission to integrate with HealthKit. It will then upload the data to the Health app and you will have access to all your data in one place. This data can then be used by other apps, allowing you to gain greater insight into your health over the course of weeks, months or years.
Note that apps where you enter data manually can also integrate with HealthKit, with all the implications described above.
This application is not very similar to regular ones Apple products, characterized by functionality brought to a “shine”. When you try it out, Health doesn't give you a very positive feeling, especially considering the amount of noise Apple made last year touting the merits of its "landmark" product to the media. Mainly because it was created somewhat “in advance” and there is no required set tools - software and hardware. Of course, the opportunity is already available to you manual entry it contains all your health data, but the original purpose of the product involves the use of devices and applications that do this automatically, constantly and unnoticed by you. We believe that in the near future this situation will change.
Application. How to use Fitbit with Apple Health
If you have a Fitbit tracker, you can sync its data with Health app and control them there. Although this will have to be done indirectly and this is due to the unclear position of the manufacturer. You may remember some of Fitbit's controversial statements on this topic.
However, there is a new $1.99 Sync Solver For Fitbit app on the App Store that will help sync data collected by Fitbit trackers with the app. Apple Health. Sync Solver For Fitbit can transmit information about the number of steps and sleep, calories consumed and burned, distance traveled, weight, body mass index and other indicators.
Everything is simple here. First, sync your Fitbit app with the tracker of the same name so that the data is transferred to the system. Then launch Sync Solver, which will prompt you to import data from the Fitbit app to Apple Health. In this case, you will need to confirm privileges for both reading and writing data in Sync Solver.
Note that imported data will appear in Health with the Sync Solver logo rather than Fitbit, but this will not in any way affect the accuracy of the data or its disappearance.
If you might have thought that the Health app was just another pointless program, you should definitely reconsider. Unlike the Stocks, Compass, or Tips apps, the program is one of the few that can't be uninstalled. Just set up Health properly and it will turn into powerful tool, useful for maintaining or achieving good shape.
The Health app satisfies the most demanding health and fitness needs. Yes, at the base software interface HealthKit it provides collection Apple watch Watch data on your daily activity, heart rate and completed workouts.
However, the Health app is more than just a data store. With every iOS update Apple is improving the program. Still think that “Health” is just wasting your device’s memory space? We advise you to take a closer look at the application from a different angle! Especially if you Apple owner Watch. You will certainly appreciate the useful and well-presented content of the application, which can help you implement your personal fitness plan.
The Long Journey of the Health App for iPhone
The Health program had very modest beginnings and has grown a long way development. Released in 2014 as part of iOS 8, the application was quite simple and could only present data about the user’s health in the format of boring statistics. In order to find useful information, had to scroll through whole line characteristics unknown to most users, such as the vick expiratory flow rate or the perfusion index. The application contained several unfinished (including best case scenario- simplified) diagrams.
Application “Health” as part of iOS 11 is a completely different bird. It provides a convenient, clear overview at a glance key statistics about your health in the “Today” tab. Interactive charts allow you to visually evaluate your data. Set up your favorites statistical parameters. For example, you can even display maps of your training routes.
Tab “Today” has such a strange name because it displays not only information of the current day. Here you can view graphs of your activity by day, week, month and even year. Apple has added so many features to the app that it's easy to get confused. So just remember: double tap to the Today tab always displays information for the current day.
Health and Activity Apps: What's the Difference?
If you're using an Apple Watch, the app Activity is installed on your iPhone automatically. On the surface, the Health and Activity apps look very similar, but they have one important difference: Activity only displays data collected by the Apple Watch, while Health processes all the user's health and activity information.
This means that if you log a workout on Apple Watch, you'll see it in both apps. However, any activity or workout logged on the iPhone will only appear in the app "Health". It is “Health” that is the repository of your medical data (blood type, presence/absence of allergies, etc.).
I would like to believe that with the release Apple will present us with a unified version of the applications " Health" and "Activity", which will help eliminate duplication that confuses the user.
How to fill out the application "Health" with useful statistics
An old adage from the fitness world that goes like this: What you put in is what you get out,” is also true for the Health app. It will be useful to you exactly to the extent that you enter into it exactly the data you need.
Great news for Apple Watch owners - most likely, you are already viewing many useful statistics. Four built into Apple Watch programs your information is automatically added to “Health”: “Activity”, “Training”, “Pulse” and “Breathing”.
To make sure the settings are correct, run iPhone app Watch and make sure your heart rate and fitness trackers are active. Also make sure to turn on the activity tracker. If you haven't already done so, run it on Apple Watch app“Activity” and follow the standard instructions.
If you don't have an Apple Watch, don't despair either. iPhone's built-in coprocessor (for iPhone models 5s and later) collects information about your activity when you are on the move and have your phone in your pocket or wallet. You may find that the device has already counted the number of steps, time spent standing, and even the number of stairs climbed ( last function works for iPhone devices 6 and later, as it uses the barometer built into the device).
The best part is that these statistics - this is only a small part compared to all the possibilities of the Health program. You only need to set the application settings correctly.
Collect nutrition and sleep data from third-party apps with HealthKit
When you go to the “Health Data” tab, you will see four large squares with the most popular types of data that the Health application processes: “Activity”, “Awareness”, “Nutrition”, “Sleep”.
If you have an Apple Watch, the Activity and Mindfulness categories are well served by Apple's built-in apps. (For example, to record minutes of "mindfulness" you could use standard application"Breathing".) However, for the categories "Nutrition" and "Sleep" the current picture is such that you will need to use third party applications For full download data.
So that you can choose the programs to suit your taste, the Health application is equipped with convenient recommendations. Just click on one of the squares and you will see a list of applications that collect certain type data. Links to download them in the App Store will also be displayed here.
For example, to track sleep on iPhone will do popular app Sleep Cycle, and in the case of the Apple Watch, you should try the Pillow program.
Update data using third-party devices
If you're serious about tracking your health data, you'll probably find the built-in sensors in your iPhone and Apple Watch just not good enough. For such a case, there are many special gadgets compatible with the Health application.
Apple recently snapped up Beddit, a company that makes a sleep tracker that you can place under the sheets of your bed. Not cheap ($149) , but with comfort, because you don’t have to sleep with a watch on your hand.
As for heart rate tracking, optical Apple sensors Watch is not accurate enough. For example, serious athletes prefer Polar Bluetooth chest pulse sensors and others. These are electrode sensors, the reliability of which is much higher than optical ones.
Worthy of attention and scales With Wi-Fi interface. You can enter your weight manually in the Health app, but on a regular basis such an activity can become quite troublesome. To automate the process, for example, smart scales Nokia Body Composition Wi-Fi Scale are useful. By collecting data from the gadget, Health will be able to create a graph of your weight changes. Scales can also provide an estimate of body fat percentage, but the accuracy of such measurements is not always satisfactory.
Conflict of information received from different sources? Prioritizing data sources will help
As you start using more and more apps to record health and fitness activity data, issues of data duplication and conflict arise. For example, if you log a workout on your iPhone while wearing your Apple Watch, both devices will record the number of calories you burned during the session. If Health counts this data twice, you may end up seeing incorrect information.
To solve this Apple problems compares the date, time and duration of recorded activities. If they match, then data from one source is ignored, and data from the other is uploaded to the Health application. By default, priority is given to data coming from Apple Watch, but you can customize the prioritization yourself. To do this, simply select desired type data (for example, “Steps”). Now click " Data sources and access" and then select the option " Change"in the right top corner screen. You can now change the order of an item in the list of data sources, simple drag and drop it up and down. To do this, hold down the icon with the image of three gray stripes, located to the right of the program name. Upper springs from the list are given priority over those below. All results will be displayed, however, if there is a conflict of data of the same type, only the source with highest priority will be taken into account when compiling statistics.
Third Party Applications: Access Control Settings
In the “Sources” tab you can see a list of all third party programs, which the user has approved access to the Health app. Even if you have other health and fitness apps installed on your iPhone, they will never appear in the list unless you have given them access to your Health app data.
Most third-party programs that integrate with the Health app will ask for access permission when they first launch. However, some work differently, requesting access to certain types of information only when you use functions associated with that data.
You can revoke an application’s access to Health program data in the “Sources” tab. However, you should think carefully before committing such an action. If you revoke access, the program won't be notified, so the next time you use it, it won't even be able to warn you that it's no longer recording your health and fitness data.
Favorite Settings: Turn Health into your personal fitness dashboard
Customize the Today tab by adding certain types of metrics to your favorites category. To do this, select the type of data you want to display in the Today tab and make sure the Add to Favorites switch is active.
With your favorite settings, you can turn Health into a personal dashboard that's tailored to your fitness goals. As an example, we will show you what data will be useful to you if you are planning to lose weight, engage in bodybuilding, or run a marathon:
“Favorites” for those who want to lose weight
If you want to reduce your weight, it usually means you want to reduce your body fat. In this case, it makes sense to make weight and amount of fat the chosen indicators. In order to lose weight, you will need to reduce the number of calories you consume and increase the number you burn, so the “Energy Value” and “Activity Energy” indicators also appear on the favorites list.
- Body fat percentage
- Energy value
- Energy of activity
"Favorites" for bodybuilders
Bodybuilders want to gain weight, but by building muscle, not fat. Therefore, “Weight” and “Lean body mass” are sent to the favorites list. The bodybuilder also pays attention to the ratio of macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) in his diet, so they should also be included in the favorites. If a bodybuilder isn't eating, it usually means he's working out in the gym, so "Workout" becomes another item on the list.
- Lean body mass
- Squirrels
- Carbohydrates
- Total fat
- Workout
"Favorites" for marathon runners
If you are preparing to run a marathon, then one of the the most important aspects Your plan should be volume, because you will need to run a lot of kilometers. Therefore, we add such indicators as “Training” and “Walking and running distance” to the list of favorites. With these activities, you'll also need to track your calories to make sure you're consuming enough. Finally, it's worth adding a Resting Heart Rate stat to track your overall cardio fitness level (the lower your resting heart rate, the higher your resting heart rate typically is).
- Workout
- Walking and running distance
- Energy of activity
- Energy value
- Resting pulse
Export health data
Health app is not only a tool for importing data. You can also export data from there using HealthKit.
Diet apps (Lose It!, MyFitnessPal, and others) count your active calories, so they can use that data to adjust your daily intake.
Unfortunately, not all fitness programs today receive workout data from the Health app. The Strava app, however, promises to add such an option in the near future.
There is also the option to export all information base applications. To do this, go to your profile in “Health” (the silhouette icon located in the upper right corner of the screen in the “Today” tab) and click “Export medical data.”
Plan your fitness routine with the Apple Health app
The Health app, which brings together many disparate elements, can provide you full review your fitness history with all the important stats displayed in one simple dashboard. Additionally, thanks to devices like the Apple Watch, automatic download obtaining the required data is very easy.
If you are serious about getting in good shape, then constant Feedback in real time, which Health provides, will serve you well on the way to your goal. Well, did you “bury” the program in the “Junk” folder? Maybe now is the time to take it out of there and turn your attention.
We thought that annual speeches about the need to get your body in order in the spring were too boring. And we decided to come from the rear, or rather, from the side of new technologies and everyone’s favorite applications, which no one would definitely call boring
Our special top 10 for smartphones looks less like a moral lesson about a healthy lifestyle, and more like a fun game. There are services that track the progress of sleep, and applications that motivate users with strong words. So tune in!
First, let's talk about the Health application, which was built into iOS 8 initially. It is single center collecting data from any other health and fitness applications on your smartphone. “Health” monitors your heart rate, calories burned, blood sugar and cholesterol. The app stores all this information in a single interface, so you can accurate overview One touch is enough. Here you can also create a short medical record for emergency cases, indicating, for example, your blood type and allergens to which you are sensitive. The card will be accessible directly from the lock screen without having to enter a passcode. So, don’t be lazy and fill it out: information about health in emergency situations will not be superfluous. And yes, some of the applications described below support data exchange with Health, which helps to collect all necessary information in a single service.
7 minute Workout - free
An effective 7-minute exercise will give you a great boost throughout the day, and support for the Health app will allow you to track the calories you burn as part of your activities with the app.
Lark - free
The Lark app is designed to work only with new program"Health" in iOS 8, offering this or that help based on the collected iPhone data. For example, the application can remind you to take a break from work or switch to charging. And all this in the form of a live chat, where the user can ask any questions that interest him.
UP by Jawbone - free
Jawbone UP - faithful assistant on the way to healthy image life. UP will first get to know you (by tracking activity, sleep and diet over time) and then offer a set of simple recommendations. Thanks to iOS 8, now you don't even need a special bracelet: just connect and log into the Health app and UP will start tracking your sleep and activity. If you're using an iPhone 6, Health will also count your steps.
MyFitnessPal - free
MyFitnessPal is a simple and convenient calorie counter for iPhone and iPad. Includes one of the largest product databases with over 4 million items and an incredibly easy-to-use information entry system. Great for tracking your diet progress. Supports data exchange with the Health information collection program in iOS 8 on iPhone 6. To make it more interesting for you, you can follow a diet with friends: add girlfriends and share your achievements.
CarrotFit - 99 rub.
The CarrotFit app tells users in an aggressive manner that it's time to exercise to lose weight. Syncing with the Health app on iPhone 6 allows you to more accurately track changes in your body. Moreover, the application can give comments to the owner, and not always in a positive way, as many other analogues do. So those who want to download the program will need not only iOS 08 (or more later version), but also a sense of humor.
WebMD - free
WebMD is useful tips from your doctor based on information you collect in the Health app in iOS 8.
Fitnet Personal Fitness Workouts - Free
The description says that Fitnet allows you to set and achieve goals (sounds inspiring) related to your physical development. It includes a convenient weekly calendar and support for the Health app.
Sleepio - the sleep improvement app - free (iPhone)
An application with a detailed approach to improving sleep quality. Sleepio will allow you to monitor and record your rhythm of life, your sleep and wake-up schedule, the quality of your bedroom environment and even your thoughts - all based on the recommendations of Oxford University professors. The program integrates perfectly with your iPhone's Health app, and also allows you to seek advice from experts at any time convenient for you.
Sleep Better - Free (iPhone)
The Sleep Better smart alarm clock from sports solutions developer Runtastic is the first alarm clock to be integrated into the Health app in iOS 8. With it, you can track your sleep cycles and improve your habits so you can wake up easier in the morning. Sleep Better offers an easy way to improve the quality of your sleep, even if you have trouble waking up at night. The app can determine how your daytime activity affects your sleep efficiency.
MotionX-24/7 - 59 rub. (iPhone)
MotionX-24/7 was one of the first apps to monitor activity throughout the day to improve sleep. It is based on 7 years of research experience on the topic of human biomechanics. The service is able to measure your pulse, the distance traveled per day, take into account changes in your weight, notify you about the presence of snoring (!) and draw parallels between these indicators. MotionX-24/7 will inform you when you need a small physical activity to stay in shape. And most importantly, the application is able to wake you up at the optimal time period, taking into account your sleep-wake cycle. Integration and data exchange with the Health app in iOS 8 is also fully supported.
A healthy lifestyle is becoming more and more firmly established in our lives. Many people begin to devote time to something they have never done - physical education. Against this background, there is a growing demand for devices and software that make life easier during sports activities, allowing you to better plan your exercise schedule, spend “excess” calories more efficiently, or avoid overstraining the body, which is fraught with harm, but not good for it.
One type of such means is pedometers, which allow you to measure the distance traveled to determine quantitative indicators of the load received. They exist both as separate devices and as smartphone applications. The latter will be discussed in our short article.
Functional modern smartphones allows you to monitor the movement of the device without third party programs. Special software only converts the received “dry numbers” into visual information on the display. In the case of pedometers, the main component needed for their operation is the accelerometer. This special sensor allows you to track the movements of your smartphone in space, determine their speed and direction. Often the accelerometer is functionally combined with a gyroscope - a related unit that is capable of monitoring the position of an object in space.
The main functions that use the accelerometer and gyroscope are automatic screen rotation and control in 3D games. Pedometer programs also use data from it. The principle of their operation is based on determining the dynamics of the smartphone’s movements.
As you know, a person moves unevenly: in the process of taking each step, both acceleration occurs (at the moment of “pushing off” the foot from the ground) and deceleration (at the time of “landing” on the foot). It is the amplitude of these imperceptible changes that is recorded by sensors, information from which the program reads when it counts steps. In addition, the general acceleration indicator is determined, which makes it possible to calculate the speed of movement.
How accurate will the measurements be?
Very rarely, manufacturers of such sensors (especially for budget devices) take care of them high precision. Moreover, different models and the sensitivity is different, so in rare cases very large (30% or more) deviations are possible, negating the entire value of such functionality.
In general, smartphones are equipped with accelerometers, the reliability of which is quite sufficient at the everyday level. But they can depend on many criteria, including how you hold your smartphone. For example, if it hangs on a cord around the neck, then due to vibrations that do not coincide with the movements of the legs, it is possible to obtain huge errors in the indicators. But in the trouser pocket, as a rule, everything goes well: the accuracy is as close as possible to real indicators, the error is no more than 3-10%.
Results
To count steps, special applications use the readings of the built-in accelerometer and gyroscope. Based on identifying patterns in the movement of an object, a calculation occurs. As for accuracy, everything is individual. More expensive devices (for example, the iPhone) are distinguished by fairly high reliability of indicators, but “no-name” smartphones of Chinese origin can allow gross inaccuracies. The fastening also plays an important role: it is necessary that the device does not make independent movements due to inertia during walking, and this requires a relatively rigid fixation. This can be achieved by putting the smartphone in your trouser pocket or attaching it to your waist belt, in a holster, etc.
