Misc

I've worn a Garmin wearable fitness tracker religiously for the last 9 months. The device has now become unreliable, but with so much data collected, I was curious to quantify patterns based on physical activity and sleep (this model measures both). However, while I can view a daily step count using the online service Garmin Connect , I also wanted to download my total step count for each day and run my own separate analysis. But this isn't possible (see below). I own the device, but not the data. Garmin can provide access to an API , but this remains expensive according to this reddit feed. It would actually be cheaper to build my own device and use that instead. Personally, I don't see how preventing customers from accessing their own raw data can continue. I understand why a manufacture would restrict access to the exact algorithm that takes accelerometer data and converts this data into steps, but my request outlined above is entirely reasonable. Man...

It is well acknowledged that what we eat is important and UK Governments have spent a small fortune on campaigns  that encourage people to think carefully about what they eat. These are typically known as nudge strategies. As the name suggests, they attempt to 'nudge' the public into changing their behaviour. Whether this actually works remains open to debate . For example, most people who smoke know it is bad for their health, but reminding them of that fact will not always have the desired effect on their behaviour. On the other hand, the public smoking ban has been very  effective  in helping people kick the habit because it removes temptation and encourages people to adopt effective coping strategies. I guess that could be described as a bit more than a nudge! Anyway, this got me thinking about diet as I was walking around the supermarket. Glancing at the shelves, it struck me that temptation is everywhere. Every aisle is packed with products that contain too much ...

I recently attempted to take some exercise at my local gym and failed miserably. Not through injury or lack of motivation, but simply because I have not yet completed a gym induction programme. Prevented from using the treadmill, I was instead allowed to go for a swim (without any armbands)! The previous day I was also permitted to play squash in the same sports centre without any induction. So what carries more risk - squash or a treadmill? A quick literature search found one paper* that looked at hospital admissions relating to squash injuries in Victoria, Australia between 2000 and 2001. The authors found an overall injury rate of 35.5 injured players per 100,000. Over 90% of these patients were not admitted to the hospital and were discharged the same day. As for running on a treadmill, I couldn't find any meaningful numbers relating to hospital admissions based on running inside or outside. Using some common sense, running inside ...