By Scott Kramer
While not one to obsess about my weight, I do step on the scale every now and then. Especially this time of year, when holiday parties and sugar-filled desserts seem to be commonplace. Mind you, we have a plain, old-fashioned scale: Step on it, let the dial settle in on the weight, and that’s it. But apparently we have been missing out.
For three weeks, we have been trying out Nokia’s Body Cardio ($180), which is described by the manufacturer as the world’s most advanced smart scale. Looking like a sleek scale — and offered in white or black — it displays within seconds of you stepping on it a wide view of your health. The machine accurately measures weight within 0.2 pounds, body mass index (BMI), body composition (fat, muscle, water and bone mass), standing heart rate and something called pulse wave velocity — a measurement that Nokia touts as a key indicator of cardiac health and associated with hypertension and risks of cardiovascular incidents. It even relays the local weather forecast.
This comprehensive picture of your health is much like getting a snapshot of a physical exam every morning. Which is kind of cool. It can act as a warning sign, before anything gets out of hand. For example, knowing your fat mass and muscle mass can help you target your efforts to lose fat or get stronger. If your water makeup is too high, your body may be retaining water. Too low, and you know you’re dehydrated. I noticed after playing golf one day, in which I’d hardly had any water to drink on the course, that my body water percentage had decreased. While testing the unit, I also came down with a 24-hour stomach flu. I could instantly see that dehydration had set in. Honestly when I saw this, I started drinking a lot of water. And the bug seemed to dissipate quickly. Was recovery quicker than it would have been, had I not noticed? We’ll never know. But it couldn’t have hurt.
The Body Cardio also pairs with Nokia’s free Health Mate smartphone app via WiFi or Bluetooth. Every time you step on the scale, your numbers register in the app. That’s important if you want to see trends. It tracks out everything cleanly, clearly and even in graph mode for easy reference. So I can for instance quickly see if my muscle mass improves after a vigorous workout. While I’m not sure exactly how the scale figures out all of these measurements beyond weight and standing heart rate, the end result is compelling.
This is also imperative if you want to set weight-loss goals. Nokia claims that people who do that within the app report losing twice as much weight. The app can also coach you with tips and encouragement, to help you reach your objective.
The scale itself is less than an inch thick, has a solid aluminum base, and works equally well on a hard floor or thick carpet. And it recognizes up to eight users with independent synchronizing. Which is great for monitoring your entire family.
Scott Kramer is veteran, Southern California-based writer primarily versed in golf and personal technology. Studying Computer Sciences in college, and then working as a programmer/software engineer for about a decade, triggered my passion for today’s high-end, high-tech gadgets. I can’t help myself whenever I see any kind of cool new personal technology. I feel compelled to further check it out and see what it’s all about. And even if I have no use for it personally, I’m always thinking who it might best suit. There are exciting new innovations emerging daily that are shaping the future and simplifying life. And I hope to be your eyes to that world, through the words of this column.