We live in a time where rapid technological advancements profoundly improve nearly every aspect of our lives. From entertainment to communication to education and even healthcare, these developments have had a resoundingly positive effect on our collective and individual well-being—elevating our quality of life in ways previously never imagined.
One area in particular that has completely changed since the onslaught of smartphones and devices are tech applications and tools that empower health and wellness. In 2022, the global wellness economy reached $5.6 trillion. And as the world continues morph into its post-pandemic existence, the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) predicts that the wellness economy will see an 8.6% average annual growth, reaching $8.5 trillion in 2027. Those numbers are massive, and with the rise of modern technologies, namely artificial intelligence and machine learning, there remains enormous potential for health technology (health tech) innovations as we continue carrying on through this decade.
Digital Solutions Are Reshaping Health and Wellness
Wellness is a generalized term that encompasses so much. The UMKC School of Medicine defines wellness, “not just about physical activity and good nutrition. It includes positive choices and a sense of fulfillment spiritually, occupationally, psychologically, physically, environmentally and socially.” It creates a multidimensional understanding around the behaviors that promote a healthy and successful life.
Health and wellness takes many shapes and forms. For some, practices like meditation, yoga, and herbal medicine are cornerstones of health maintenance. While others emphasize physical fitness, community engagement, or work-life balance as integral to wellness. There is no universal standard that we must all apply to; but fortunately, for whatever matters most to you, there’s likely a technology or application now available to track towards it.
This is the first post in an ongoing series where we explore some of the trendiest digital technologies that inspires us all to lead healthier and happier lives:
1. For Wearing: Evie Ring
In a world full of wearable tech, Evie is a smart ring set apart by the simple fact that it’s not designed for everyone. Yes, that’s right; because it’s a wearable for women. It does many things its competitors accomplishes such as tracks sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, steps, and more. But Evie is designed with the understanding that men and women are vastly different, and that data is often in flux when a woman wears a smart ring—not because they might be under the weather or recovering from a hard workout the day prior, but because of the natural hormonal fluctuations that happen during a woman’s cycle. Evie takes these variations into consideration, making its’ personalized health findings more accurate and meaningful to this demographic. Not to mention, it’s designed like real jewelry, making it fashionably blend into day-to-day wear.
2. For Home: BMind Mirror
Something we saw at CES earlier this year was a rise in digital technologies centered around a type of health that is extremely hard to see or measure: mental health. One of our favorite finds was BMind from Baracoda, a bathroom mirror designed to improve self-worth and confidence. As users stand in front of the mirror, it uses facial and gesture recognition and voice commands to analyze one’s expression and tone. It’ll then provide recommendations and affirmations and improve one’s mental state based on their current level of well-being. Wouldn’t you want your everyday mirror to hold the ability to improve your overall mood and better manage your stress?
3. For Sleep: DeRucci’s smart mattress and smart pillow
What if you could combine your best mattress with your sleep tracker? The DeRucci T11 Pro contains patented AI technology, which adjusts to the individual’s health for optimal sleep, in addition to alerting an individual about potential health issues arising from their sleep data. Couple this with the company’s Anti-Snore Smart Pillow, which pairs with an app and remote to manually move your head to a comfortable position before you fall asleep. According to an internal clinical study, the company says its pillow can reduce snoring up to 89%.
4. For Beauty: Lipcure Beam
The next wave of beauty tech is filled with advanced devices that are poised to fling our current skincare routines out the window. Korean skincare brand Amorepacific’s Lipcure Beam is a perfect example, using technology to provide immediate lip treatments and leave a custom-tinted hue. It works by using a brush-like applicator to emit visible light and material on the lips to maximize riboflavin and create a makeup effect, strengthening the collagen fibers in the lips and forming a moisturize barrier as a result. With an endless number of serums and lotions on the market, it’s great to see how the beauty industry is starting to create space for technology and we are eager to see what will come next.
5. For Meditation: Headspace XR
To meditate, all you have to do is sit, close your eyes and not think. Easy right? If you are like the many who have taken it upon yourself to master the art of meditation, you’ll know that it’s much more challenging to disconnect from your surroundings and your thoughts. Which is why Headspace have taken their application to the next level: virtual reality. With Headspace XR, meditation turns into a virtual mental health playground where you walk around as a gender-neutral avatar and explore an interactive realm that aligns with your breathwork and movements—alone or with friends. This technology is designed to engage younger generations with the idea of mindfulness and meditation with a new, innovative medium that appeals heavily to that demographic. But it’s really for anyone, of any age. According to a study conducted by Gallup and Meta, a quarter of adults worldwide feel very or fairly lonely. Technologies like this can provide a new way for addressing the aloneness many might experience.
6. For Health: EverlyWell
When it comes to knowing about our health nowadays, more is more. How else can we plan for a healthier future? Yet extensive blood work and doctor appointments to review them doesn’t fit into our busy schedules nowadays. That’s why on-demand health and wellness tests are like EverlyWell are growing in popularity. These routine health tests help support your preventive care and provide early detection for diseases like cancer. Lab Corp also has their own version of the tests, which tout to be the same test your doctor orders, and can be specialized around women’s health, men’s health, food sensitivity, sexual health and nutritional health.
