Carlos would be the first to admit he’s never been very active. He’s worked a desk job most of his life. In his spare time, he loves to catch a movie or play chess at the local community center with his friends. He’s otherwise always been a pretty healthy guy, skipping the fast food for meals he cooked at home with fresh ingredients.
He thought he was doing enough to stay healthy. But he found out the hard way that he could be doing more.
In late August, this 62-year-old experienced a heart health scare. It convinced him that he needed to be doing more to be active.
As a hearing aid wearer, Carlos was delighted to find out that hearing aids today not only help you hear. They can do a lot more. He used his hearing aids’ built-in fitness tracker to set goals and track his progress. He’s now more motivated to move. He feels better than he has in a long time thanks in part to his hearable fitness tracker.
And in the process, he’s learned that hearing aids are doing a lot more than helping people hear better these days.
Game-Changing Hearing Aids
Today’s hearing aids use state-of-the-art technology to support an active lifestyle. Thanks to these hearing aids, people like Carlos are spending more time outside with family and friends. They’re engaged in sports and enjoying nature.
They can explore new hobbies and carry on conversations at social gatherings with ease. Let’s look at some of the specific features that every person who wants to stay active will appreciate.
Hearing Aids That Track Your Fitness
Fitness tracking hearing aids can track your steps and heart rate throughout the day as well as your overall activity level. This helps you stay accountable to yourself.
How many times have you fibbed to yourself how much exercise you did?
Most people do. But when you have a hearable device that actually tracks that activity, you have objective data to confirm your actual activity level. Unlike trackers that you wear on your wrist, hearing aids stay in place so they’re highly accurate.
These fitness-tracking devices coach you into getting in more steps and activity each day.
An AARP study found that older adults who wear fitness trackers are more active, sleep better and feel more committed to healthy habits.
Wireless Connectivity
You remember the days when everything had a wire. You could only walk 10 feet from the wall telephone before that spiral cord would pull you back.
Then cordless phones came along to free us from the wall phones. Finally, we got cell phones. We can talk on the phone from almost anywhere, even long distance. And if you have a smartphone you can do a whole lot more on your phone than talk.
Hearing aids have kept up with this technology. They use Bluetooth to wirelessly connect your hearing aid to your smartphone. This can stream music or your grand son’s voice straight from the phone into your ear, eliminating background noise.
Are you planning a big trip to another country next year? Hearing aids can even help you translate with the help of a smartphone app.
It’s easier to stay active with these kinds of tools right in your ear.
Hearing Aid Coaching
One of the top struggles new hearing aid wearers face is getting used to wearing their hearing aids. If you’re not wearing your hearing aids, you’re not getting the full benefits they offer.
At first, it may feel strange in the ear. You may choose to only put it in when you absolutely have to. But the longer you wear these devices, the better it gets.
In fact, new hearing aid wearers on average wear their hearing aids for fewer than 6 hours a day. People who’ve been wearing them for a year or more wear them most of the day.
Why? Because they’ve realized just how great it is to hear better almost everywhere they go.
But just like deciding to get in shape, getting through that learning curve takes some willpower. That’s why the latest and greatest in hearing aid fitness technology is so exciting. Today many hearing aids track how much you use them and where you use them.
They encourage you to set goals for your listening in different settings. As you complete the goals, your hearing aids are learning how you hear best in different places.
Each of these features empowers hearing aid wearers to stay active and involved, living life and exploring new experiences. Speak to your hearing specialist about these newer fitness-focused hearing aid features.