It's essential for your beloved senior to stay active. They may be an avid walker or participate in yoga-inspired stretching. Regardless of the preferred activity, here are a few ideal wearables to keep your senior moving safely.
Emergency Alert Necklace
While it might not seem necessary for those seniors who seem to be continuously on the move, it could be a good idea to insist your beloved senior wear an emergency alert device. They are usually sold in necklace or bracelet form, but either can be a lifesaver in the event of an injury, unpredicted fall or sudden health event. These typically require a subscription to a call center service so it may not be an option for your loved one. In place of a medical alert device, consider providing your senior with a strapped pouch to carry a cell phone instead.
Heart Rate Trackers
There are different brands and styles of fitness trackers on the market, and each offers its own unique features. For the minimalist senior in your life, consider the most basic versions that can be worn as a bracelet and provide in the moment statistics of heart rate, pulse, and breathing. If your loved one is tech-savvy, consider offering the more enhanced fitness trackers that offer pairing to computers and other devices for long-term goal tracking, step and activity monitoring, and diet.
Here are some examples of great heart rate monitors.
Withings Go
This stylish fitness tracker is easy to use for seniors. The simple display switches between time and your activity progress when touched. The Withings Go display is also easy to read in any light conditions. The tracker is water-resistant, and the battery can go eight months without a single charge. It is the perfect tracker for seniors that don't want to waste their time fiddling with settings, display, or charging a battery.
Fitbit Blaze
The Fitbit Blaze resembles a wrist watch and tracks heart rate, steps taken, distance traveled, and sleep time. It can easily be customized with one of many wrist straps that are available to suit your style. The battery will need to be recharged, but users could go up to five full days without having to deal with it. Seniors will love the easy-to-read display that can even be seen in the bright sunlight. Seniors looking for a non-sporty design should choose the Fitbit Blaze.
Moov Now
Seniors looking to get the most features for a great price will find the Moov Now to be their best option. It is fully waterproof with swimming tracking for the seniors who love to workout in the pool. When paired with your smartphone, it will provide real-time audio feedback for the workout that you completed, and it is also able to coach you through those workouts. The best feature of the Moov Now is seniors can go six months without recharging the battery.
Sleep Trackers
Don't forget that in addition to a healthy exercise routine, it is also imperative to monitor your beloved senior's quality of sleep. Consider offering a sleep tracking device, often worn on the wrist during sleep. It will provide detailed information about sleep stages, achieved rest and breathing patterns throughout the night.
Keep your beloved seniors active and arm them with the smart wearables that help promote their healthy lifestyles. And for some exercise ideas, check out our guide to balance exercises for seniors.
