Maybe this is why you can’t lose the weight
After decades of pushing single plans and products that didn’t prove effective for a large chunk of the population, the health and wellness industry is finally zeroing in on more precise solutions tailored to the individual.
Here’s a look at some of the latest programs, tools and products designed to take your overall health to the next level.
At-home diet testing
Viome, a Silicon Valley startup founded by tech billionaire Naveen Jain, uses an analysis of the microorganisms in your gut microbiome, as well as your metabolism and the proteins in your blood to make create personalized dietary recommendations that he says will enhance biochemistry, promote weight loss and ward off disease.
The new service delivers test kits that collect information through stool samples, saliva and blood glucose testing. The results and dietary recommendations are delivered via a consumer app. Follow-up tests kits track progress.
Cost: $59 a month for a yearlong plan, or an upfront annual discount of $599. Viome.com
Personalized coaching
Getting a workout plan from your gym is certainly a start, but what if it doesn’t work for your body? TRX, maker of the popular suspension trainer, has launched TRX MAPS, which analyzes your individual mobility, muscle activation, posture and symmetry to prescribe a better workout just for you. The unit scans your body as you squat and in 22 seconds delivers a digital assessment of your body’s weak areas to your smartphone. This information can be used by a trainer to tailor daily workouts to address these deficiencies and to help clients avoid injuries. Fitness enthusiasts also can get their own customized workouts to stretch and strengthen these areas on their own via the TRX consumer app.
“It’s very tailored to the individual user,†says Paul Zadoff, TRX president. “We can show you how to train better and get fit more quickly.†But just as important, he says, “we can make you more durable.â€
Cost: Varies with the gym. App subscription is $4.99 a month. Get.TrxTraining.com
A new kind of fitness tracking
Fitness tracking is getting more individualized too, so that all of that activity you engage in, from spinning to yoga to house cleaning, now counts toward your fitness goal. Rather than shooting for the traditional one-size-fits-all 10,000 steps, Mio Global’s Slice fitness tracker looks at your overall daily effort.
It translates heart rate data from its bracelet into a single personal activity intelligence (PAI) score, so any effort that gets your heart rate up increases your score and helps you reach a personalized goal, which changes as your fitness improves. The idea is to try to keep your individual PAI score above 100 each day to decrease your risk of disease and increase your lifespan. The algorithms behind PAI use a host of factors from age to gender to resting heart rate and are derived from the Hunt Study, which tracked outcomes for 45,000 individuals over 25 years, pinpointing the activity threshold necessary for greater health.
Cost: $129. MioGlobal.com
Customized meal delivery
Trying to go Whole 30? Not sure whether the Mediterranean diet is right for you? Prepared meal delivery service Territory (formerly called Power Supply) allows you to filter prepared meals by nutrients, calories and diet programs (Paleo, low carb, etc.) and get deliveries up to twice a week. You can also filter your picks at the outset to avoid ingredients that are problematic for you.
Price: Meals start at $10.50. Shipping is $4.99, or free if picked up at local gyms. TerritoryFoods.com
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