Can The Internet Make You Healthy? 4 Ways You Can Use Cyberspace To Get Fit

Studies have shown again and again that motivation and sheer willpower aren't enough to keep you on a healthy path. Even with additional tools and support, most people struggle to adopt a healthy lifestyle, relapsing and cycling through various stages of change. If you strive to follow a healthy lifestyle and fall off the wagon from time to time, you're completely normal. However, that doesn't mean that there's not room for improvement. Tools can increase your likelihood of success. Following are four ways you can use online tools to help you stay healthy.

Get Physically Active

If you have a smartphone, tablet or PC, you can have a personal trainer, free of charge. Simply download one or more of the many exercise apps available to customize your exercise regimen and start tracking your progress. Watch one of the countless exercise videos and view messages from personal trainers and motivation gurus to keep you active. Once you start exercising, you can even keep tabs on how much you're moving by using a pedometer, jogging or heart rate app.  

Keep Tabs on Your Health

Your weight and waist measurements are great numbers to track. However, there are other numbers that are just as important to keep tabs on, such as your total cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. To see what your numbers are, check out your patient portal. If you don't have one, talk to your doctor to see how you can set one up and gain access to all of your test results. Once you're in, you can monitor your lab results to make sure your numbers are in healthy ranges. 

Count Daily Calorie Intake

If you're trying to lose weight, you have to track your calories. Online you can find databases that have calorie and nutrition information for every food imaginable, regardless of whether it comes from a store or restaurant. Some apps will even help you figure out how many calories you need per day and track them for you. If you're particularly active one day, you can consume more calories. How much more? Your calorie tracker will let you know.

Connect with Motivators

Unless you're an endless well of motivation, you will need some outside motivation from time to time. One of the best ways to get motivated and stay on track is to connect with other people that have the same goals as you. You can find them easily online through social media. You may even want to join a few healthy lifestyle groups. 

There are many ways the internet can help you establish, follow and monitor your health goals. If you've had trouble staying on track in the past, perhaps the endless amount of tools on the internet can help.