The role of technology in our pursuit for living healthier is a double-edged sword. On one side, technology has certainly played a role in making us less likely to be physically active. Tasks which once required some kind of manual labor are doable on the couch while we watch television. It can also be said that our poor modern eating habits are traced to food processing and fast service technology.

On the other side, however, are the many ways technology allows us to be healthier. While the majority of these beneficial technologies are seen in medical science – far from the eyes of your average person – there are several which are accessible by anyone.

Here are several examples of modern tech for living healthier which you can go out and buy today:

DNA testing

While you might associate DNA testing with bad daytime television, more and more people are realizing the health benefits of uncovering your genetics. Thanks to affordable home DNA testing kits, people send off a small sample of saliva and within a few weeks, they’re mailed the results.

Depending on the service doing the testing, these results may include insights into your genetic predisposition for certain diseases and disorders. The website DNAGeek.com can help you find which testing kit is best for finding out potential health issues. This information can help people to better understand how to lead a healthier life custom tailored to their genes.

Fitness tracker

Whether it’s something streamlined like a Fitbit or one with more bells and whistles like an Apple Watch, fitness trackers are a great way to stay on target with exercise goals. What’s more, fitness trackers monitor heart rate, sleep patterns, and other useful information for those interested in improving their health. Those with an eye for fashion can rest easy knowing most models are designed with interchangeable bands, allowing for a virtually endless array of color and pattern choices.

Mobile monitoring

Trackers worn around the wrist can’t monitor everything, at least not yet. In the meantime, additional monitors are being designed to be used on-the-go. Once something you either went to the doctor for or paid 50 cents to use at the supermarket, blood pressure monitoring can be done with a device small enough to fit in your pocket. Similarly, advances in blood glucose monitoring devices are helping diabetics keep their blood sugar under control on-the-go without the need for finger pricking.

Home coaches

Similar to virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa, healthy home coaches focus on monitoring your living environment. Loud noises, bad air readings, and other information will be made available via phone app linked to the device. Home health coaches can be a handy option for when you’re too busy cooking dinner or working from home to reliably assess the potential environmental threats to your health.

While technology can be credited with a vastly reduced need for manual labor throughout the day as well as a less balanced diet for the average person, these downsides are a small price to pay. In the grander scheme of things, technology is far more responsible for improving our health rather than putting it at risk. It’s just a question of whether or not you want to put technology to good use in pursuit of better health and wellness.