Back to Human: Watch your Movement

A generation ago, if you told people that your watch could remind you to move and (gasp!) stand up every hour or so, they would have laughed it off as insane. A gadget to nudge humans to carry out basic human behaviour seemed utterly absurd. Back then, physical activity was woven into the fabric of everyday life — whether through walking to work, manual labour, or simply getting up to adjust the television. Imagining we’d one day be so stationary as to require a reminder to move sounded like the punchline of a bad joke.

Fast forward to today, and the ridiculous has become reality. Many of us spend hours hunched over screens, barely leaving our seats except for the occasional trek to the kitchen or pantry. The digital age and modern work environments have created a culture of inactivity, where sitting for prolonged periods is the norm. This shift has led to a surge in health issues, from obesity and heart disease to declining mental fitness. The convenience of technology has come at a steep price, making the absurd necessity of movement reminders a reflection of a deeper societal problem.

The solution isn’t just in accepting these prompts as normal but in radically rethinking our relationship with motion. We need to stop viewing physical activity as an inconvenience and start recognising it as essential to our well-being. Regularly moving can help improve our health, and even enhance our social lives by encouraging face-to-face interactions. By embracing an active lifestyle, we can reject the absurdity of needing reminders to move and adopt a healthier, more human way of living.

Originally posted on LinkedIn.