Hannah Fry on getting fit: tech empowers us, but data alone doesn’t tell the full story

It’s never been easier to track your workouts – and that can be a great motivator when aiming to achieve health goals – but numbers should inform wellbeing, rather than be the end result

There have been a number of meticulous weight watchers in history, but Santorio Santorio is probably the most interesting. Back in the 1500s, he dedicated his life to monitoring his body, weighing both everything he put into it … and everything that came out.

For one particular scientific exploration, he invented what he called a Sanctorean weighing chair – a seat set up next to a dining table, on a steelyard balance, which strictly monitored body weight.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip6
Take your health tracking to the next level with Galaxy AI
If you want to keep on top of your health, an easy place to start is pairing Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip6 with Samsung Galaxy wearables. With the free Samsung Health app, users can track sleep patterns, heart rate, blood pressure and calories. This info can be used to manage your wellness by informing your Energy score – a daily measurement of your physical and mental energy and readiness from Galaxy AI. Alternatively, plug in and tune out to calming meditation programmes on mindfulness and relaxation.