This is how the little guy looks like (all photos via link to Zensorium website):-
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| Vibrant colours to brighten my day (I have the blue and pink one) |
Basically, all I had to do was to download and set up an app call Tinke on my IPhone, and then plugin the device, like this:-
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| Here is how Tinke looks like when it is powered by the phone |
Tinke draws power from the IPhone therefore it is fuss free. Don't have to bother about chargers or wires. The device is so small I can keep it snugly in my pocket.
Basically, it measures the following four parameters and compiles them into a health indicator called the Vita Index, and a stress level indicator called the Zen Index.
i) Heart Rate - how fast your heart is pumping
ii) Blood Oxygen Level - the amount of oxygen in your blood
iii) Respiratory Rate - how many air exchanges or breathes you take in
iv) Heart Rate Variability - whether your heart rate is constant and beating in a regular pattern
My heart rate is typically in the 60s range.. i.e. my heart beats 60+ times a minute. According to established studies, the lower the heart rate, the better because that means your heart does not have to work so hard to keep you alive. People who exercise regularly tend to have lower heart rates, even in the 40s and 50s! When I caught a cold a few months back, my heart rate soared to the 90s as my body was working overtime to try and get rid of the nasty bugs.
As for blood oxygen level, the higher the value the better (maximum is 100). My blood oxygen level is typically from 95 to 99, which puts me in a normal range. I find that after each exercise session (I jog regularly), my blood oxygen level is at the high 90s around 99. So again, this indicator is a good check of the efficiency of my workout.
For respiratory rate, I think that this ties in with the heart rate and blood oxygen level. Mine is typically about 15-18. I have the impression that when my respiratory rate increases, my heart rate and blood oxygen level should increase, cos that should mean that my metabolism is higher due to additional oxygen intake, which in turn leads to higher blood oxygen level.
Finally, for heart rate variability, the idea is to conduct a few breathing exercises (the app showed me how) to try and make me breathe regularly. By me breathing regularly = heart rate should be pretty constant. So, if my heart rate variability is high, this means that my heart hence body is stressed cos it is beating erratically.
Finding it difficult to remember all of the above? Fret not. As mentioned, the device helps to keep track of my overall wellbeing by compiling each value into two indices - Vita Index and Zen Index. Like a lot of other fitness and health devices, Tinke allows data trending to let me know whether my health is improving over time. It also has cool socia media capability for me to share my health indicators with my friends. Maybe that will let others know whether I have a problem or am about to have a problem with my health before anything bad happens to me?
In case you would like to know more about Tinke, this instructional video says it all...
Last but not least, if you would like to also keep your health in check, this nifty device is now for sale at USD 119 here Introducing Tinké, the quick, revolutionary way to quantify your fitness, wellness and stress levels!
Will post more photographs when I have the chance to do so.
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