Trying to get fit or lose weight but lacking the motivation and willpower? A new app that acts like a digital personal coach monitors fitness, activity, sleep and diet and provides tips for health and productivity.
The app called Larklife gathers data via a wristband and provides personalised advice which is displayed on the smartphone app. It can deduct if the wearer is not getting enough sleep and how sedentary they are, according to its creators.
"In the background it's as if you had your own personal fitness trainer, productivity coach and sleep coach all working together to give you the easiest way to improve at this moment," said Julia Hu, CEO and co-founder of the Mountain View, California-based company Lark.
After a poor night's sleep, for example, the app might suggest extra protein for breakfast, based on research that it can improve mental focus when someone is sleep deprived. Thirty minutes after a workout, it might remind the user to drink water to keep hydrated. The app is part of the growing wearable technology market, which is expected to nearly double by 2014, according to a report by research firm Juniper Research. Many wearable technology devices connect with smartphone apps to display the data they gather.
There is a growing supply of health and fitness tracking apps and gadgets on the market, including the Nike+ FuelBand, Fitbit and Jawbone UP, but Hu said her product provides real-time advice and does not focus on tracking metrics like calories burned or distance travelled.
The Larklife app provides its coaching wirelessly in real-time.
All the advice that the app provides is based on real-time data from the wristband, such as a reminder that the wearer has been sitting for more than 100 minutes and should walk around.