LONDON, UK - In a recent motion research paper, iHealth’s Wave activity tracker was used to monitor movement in adults aged 64 or older. The study found that an overwhelming majority of participants showed increased levels of physical activity while wearing the iHealth Wave.

The study was conducted by Sentab Ltd, an iHealth ecosystem partner and developer of a TV-based therapeutic solution for older adults; designed to empower users with video communication and wellbeing through physical activity and cognitive stimuli. Following a group of adults in Estonia and the UK, the study tracked changes in physical exercise and found that participants were more willing to engage in activity when supplied with an activity monitor, were given instructional exercise videos and provided with feedback on their progress.

“We’re delighted that this research reinforces our own findings and that our products are making a real difference in users lives. iHealth’s mission is to empower individuals to take charge of their own health and well-being. A big part of staying healthy is staying active; our range of products are specifically designed to support a healthy lifestyle.” Commented iHealth CEO EMEA, Stéphane Kerrien.

“As population in growing older, the healthcare system is under tremendous financial stress. More effort should be put into health prevention and the research that we conducted has shown that fairly inexpensive technological solution can help achieve exceptional results!” said Tarmo Pihl, the CEO of Sentab.

The global population is aging rapidly. It is estimated that 21% of the population will be aged >60 years by 2050. A major challenge of the growing number of old people is the potential increase in healthcare demands due to age-related chronic diseases and disabilities.

In total, 85% of respondents said they engaged in physical activity either somewhat or considerably more than before. The study also found that the average number of steps older adults made per day was at 4,100, while the recommended norm for the age group was at 7,000. The average time they were active per day was around 40 minutes, whereas the recommended target is 60 minutes.

“Our key findings were that activity monitoring can have a significantly positive effect on behavioural change of an older adult, prompting them to engage in physical activity more often. Our participants graded themselves as feeling ‘good’ after engaging in exercise; this showed some correlation between a person’s mental condition and cognitive behaviour” said Mall Maasik, Sr Researcher at Sentab.

The study also found that people are physically active on an average 2.31 times per week. The paper also concludes that the self-evaluation of older adults regarding their health condition is somewhat more pessimistic than their physical abilities demonstrate. It also presents evidence that physical exercises had a highly positive effect on how people felt themselves right after the exercise.

About iHealth

iHealth is a global leader in consumer-friendly mobile health devices and apps that enable individuals to take a more active role in managing their personal health. Based in Silicon Valley, iHealth has designed and manufactured an award-winning line of clinically approved mobile health electronics that include wireless blood pressure monitors; blood glucose meters; body analysis and composition scales; a pulse oximeter and activity tracker. These medical-grade products securely sync with the free iHealth MyVitals and iGluco apps on iOS and Android devices, allowing users to easily chart their personal health data, monitor for changes, and share this information with a doctor or family member using secure cloud connectivity.

iHealth also offers a product line for health professionals, paired with a dedicated application called iHealth PRO; connecting doctors and patients. 

About Sentab

Sentab is developer of a SentabTV, the communication and entertainment hub for TV-s with a digital therapeutic angle. Sentab has integrated a wellbeing measurement index into it’s TV hub to not only provide entertainment and socialisation towards its users, but also help them to get feedback on their social, cognitive and physical activities. Additional to TV box, Sentab has also developed apps and web interface for social media interaction and video calling. That makes it the only solutions provider that can tap into both audiences – tech-savvy and tech-averse – with the simple connectivity to TV. Sentab’s customers are healthcare organisations, managed care groups and individual users that are enjoying entertainment and media over SentabTV device.

For more information please visit ihealthlabs.eu or sentab.com