As lockdowns continue across the globe, working from home, living at home, and socializing from a distance all take their toll on our bodies and minds. Fortunately, there are ways to make your indoor time a bit healthier and a lot more pleasant. Enter the stage, technology.
It's a fresh new year, so you might have thought about ways to get yourself in better shape. If you've used the lockdown as an excuse to delay a start on this, we suggest you give tech for fitness a chance. Creative tech solutions abound – from smart fitness mirrors to comprehensive fitness apps, there's something for everyone. For example, if you're looking to make gains, we recommend the Tempo Studio and Tonal, two smart strength-training machines. They both feature large touch screens on which you can browse and play workouts led by experienced instructors who walk you through each move. Talk about having an entire gym's worth of strength training equipment—and a virtual personal trainer—in your home.
You don't need to be the next Master Chef to improve the taste and nutrition of your lockdown food. There are numerous fun gadgets to help you as you learn your way in the kitchen or as you experiment with new recipes. For example, Drop is a Wi-Fi-equipped food scale connecting to a recipe app to simplify baking. If you're short on an ingredient, it can adjust measurements, offer substitutions and give you screen-by-screen, illustrated instructions as you cook.
If you're into the Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets, there is plenty of Wi-Fi-operated kitchen tech for you. Take, for example, this intelligent crockpot with WeMo technology that allows you to control temperature and time from your phone. On the same premise of remote connectivity, you can also enjoy a smart kettle or The Meater+. This Bluetooth-connected monitor uses wireless probes to measure the temperature of your meat as it's cooking, alerting you on your phone when it's reached the desired temperature.
Tech can help you attain some degree of domestic bliss, even during a lockdown. For starters, lighting plays a significant role in mood and sleep regulation – and Lumie, a smart "bodyclock," can mimic subtle light changes, ease you into sleep, and gently wake you. If you want to be able to control the scents and humidity of your home, you can use Moodo Air, a 2-in-1, mix-and-match diffuser, and purifier. Too much lavender, insufficient mint? Use its partner app to adjust the potency of its capsules – or add the Air to your smart home setup and have Alexa create a fragrance cocktail for you.