Checkups With Dr. Algorithm: Using AI To Get Fit (Part 3/3)

Welcome to this week’s Deep-Fried Dive with Fry Guy! In these long-form articles, Fry Guy conducts in-depth analyses of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) developments and developers. Today, Fry Guy dives into AI’s ability to help people monitor their health. We hope you enjoy!

*Notice: We do not receive any monetary compensation from the people and projects we feature in the Sunday Deep-Fried Dives with Fry Guy. We explore these projects and developers solely to showcase interesting and cutting-edge AI developments and uses.*

Want to maintain good health?

Forget about the $199/month infomercial on the TV, and stop searching the web for conflicting and impersonal answers about what you should or shouldn’t eat!

As AI continues to improve, resources are emerging left and right that can help people improve and monitor their health. In this three-part series, we have been exploring some of these tools and gadgets—ones that are helping people design workout schedules, optimize their nutrition, and monitor their overall health. Today, we are exploring the last part: how can AI help you monitor your overall health?

HEALTH MONITORING MADE EASIER

When was the last time you went to the doctor? A few weeks ago, a couple of months ago? Years? Most people agree that going to the doctor to get a yearly physical exam is invaluable, as it allows you to get your vitals checked, address any concerns you have about your overall health, assess any medications you take, and track your progress. But what if you want to track these things more frequently? What if you have health goals you are trying to achieve, but you don’t have time (or resources) to schedule a visit to the doctor every week? After all, that seems a bit excessive unless there is some condition that requires you to do so. Are there other ways to monitor your overall health beyond a yearly checkup?

Of course, there are practical ways to monitor your health, such as checking your heart rate or getting your blood pressure taken at a CVS or Rite Aid from time to time. However, AI-powered health gadgets have been emerging all over the place that allow users to monitor their health on a daily basis. These can be useful for the average person who just wants to know more about their bodily function or for the person who is looking for an effective way to track their fitness or athletic goals.

A RING WITH SUPERPOWERS

For a long time, wearable health monitors have been bulky and uncomfortable. Old-timey heart monitors, for instance, required bulky straps that rubbed against your shoulders and squeezed your chest all day. Over the past decade, health watches from Garmin and Apple have come onto the scene. These devices have changed the way we think about wearable health monitors—they don’t have to be bulky or unstylish. Smartwatches have been around for years now, and they can be helpful for users to monitor basic things like activity and heart rate. However, such gadgets are not new, and they are not yet great at implementing AI-driven insights. While smartwatches are super cool, there are other gadgets that can use AI to track your overall health in unique ways.

One sweet gadget that can help users track their health is the Oura Ring. The Oura Ring is a smart ring that a user wears on their finger 24/7, and it connects to a mobile application. Throughout the day and night, it tracks over 20 biometrics that impact one’s wellbeing. It boasts the following features:

1. Wake up rested.

While users are sleeping, the Oura Ring is not. Throughout the night, it tracks users’ time asleep, including how many times they woke up throughout the night, how long they were in a REM state of deep sleep, and how much of their sleep was simply a light sleep. Each morning, the Oura Ring provides users with these statistics, including an overall Sleep Score. It will also suggest optimal bedtimes for users based on their sleep patterns and tendencies. This can help users better understand their sleep patterns and get more rest.

2. Get Going.

Throughout the day, the Oura Ring tracks a user’s daily movement, including how many steps one takes, stairs they have climbed, how much time they have spent standing or sitting, and whether they have worked out at all. These activities can easily be shared with friends to promote encouragement from others.

3. Find balance.

The Oura Ring uses biometrics to detect when users get stressed throughout the day. A healthy amount of stress is okay, but if a user is having a day more stressful than usual, the Oura Ring will encourage the user to take five minutes to listen to a suggested, relaxing song or to take a few deep breaths. This helps users monitor their mental health throughout the day and achieve balance in their routines.

A BREATHALYZER FOR YOUR HEALTH

As we explore in Part 2, a healthy diet is vital to a healthy life. But how do you know if your diet is working? Tools like FoodMarble and Lumen are changing the game, offering AI-driven insights to digestive function and metabolism.

Imagine if your breath could spill the secrets of your metabolism. That’s exactly what Lumen does. This sleek, pocket-sized device can analyze your breath to give you a real-time metabolic report card—providing science-backed insights to help you fine-tune your lifestyle.

Using the power of CO₂ analysis, Lumen determines what fuel your body is using—fats or carbohydrates—based on your Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER). The process is as easy as breathing (literally). The device operates in three steps:

1. Exhale into the device: Lumen’s sensors measure the CO₂ concentration in the breath.

2. Crunch the numbers: The device calculates the user’s metabolic state.

3. Get personalized insights: The data syncs with the Lumen app, which gives users tailored nutrition and lifestyle recommendations based on their metabolism.

Metabolism isn’t static—it shifts throughout the day based on what you eat, how you exercise, and even how well you slept. Tools like Lumen can leverage AI to help users optimize their diets, get tips for improving their energy efficiency, and optimize their exercise strategies to hit their goals.

A DOCTOR IN YOUR POCKET

As we discussed in the beginning, seeing a human doctor regularly is important. As of now (and possibly forever), there is no substitute for human care and insight. However, for minor health concerns or questions, AI is beginning to play a role. Previously, to get healthcare advice, people would have to search online (maybe you still do). Most of the time, however, online answers to health questions are very general and difficult to find. It’s hard to know if the information you discover is reliable or not. Not to mention, much of the content online uses medical lingo that can be, itself, hard to sort through. Recently, AI has been reshaping the way we search for minor medical advice.

Tools like Doctronic, CodyMD, and others have emerged over the past few years as virtual assistants to offer medical advice to users. One of the best medical AI platforms is Leny. Leny is currently in beta testing, and it is designed and monitored by medical professionals from all across the world. Because it is currently in beta, the platform is completely free and very simple to use. All users have to do is chat with the Leny bot in natural language, like you are texting a human doctor or nurse. Users can ask simple questions like, “How can I treat my sinus infection?” or ask more detailed questions about prescriptions or more complicated health conditions. In seconds, Leny offers a reply that is backed by clinical research. Of course, Leny should not be relied upon for advice about serious medical conditions and its answers should be taken with a grain of salt. The tool is to be used as a guide for non-serious health concerns or questions. Tools like Leny and others allow users to have access to clinically-backed medical advice 24/7—no appointment needed.

THE FUTURE OF FITNESS

AI is flipping the script on personal health—turning what used to be a guessing game into a science-backed, data-driven strategy. Whether it’s the Oura Ring acting as your tiny wellness coach, Lumen decoding your metabolism from a breathalyzer test, or Leny offering quick medical insights without the WebMD-induced panic attack, AI is making it easier (and way more fun) to take control of your health. No more sifting through contradictory diet advice or wondering if you’re sleeping enough—now, your body gives you the answers, and AI translates them into a course of action.

Of course, while AI health tools are impressive, they’re not replacements for human doctors (sorry, robots—you’re not getting that M.D. just yet). But they do bridge the gap between yearly checkups and daily health management, helping you track, tweak, and optimize your wellbeing in real time. Now all we need is for AI to find a way to make greasy French fries healthier!