‍The Spren app allows you to keep track of your body’s most important biomarkers with a simple but accurate body composition scan taken from your smartphone's camera. Spren uses validated machine learning algorithms and computer vision to provide you with reliable and valid insights to help you measure progress toward your deeper health goals.

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This body composition data enables you to track your progress towards your goals—you can compare lifestyle improvements to changes in body composition, allowing you to maintain motivation and remain confident in the pursuit of your health goals.

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We know how challenging it can be to make positive changes, especially when you’re seeing no results.

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So, this blog post will explain how Spren can keep you on track, ensuring you see progress—no matter how big or small—towards your deeper health goals.

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What are deeper health goals?

At some point or another, we’ve all made some kind of health goal.

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It could be as simple as wanting to eat healthier, lose weight, or go to the gym four times a week. These are what we call basic health goals—it’s something we set out to achieve but with little context behind the goal.

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Deeper health goals, on the other hand, contain more context. For example, eating healthier to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes or going to the gym to lower your blood pressure. 

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It’s all about providing a reason behind your reason for change—why do you want to make these changes? And why is change important to you—what are the consequences if you don’t implement these changes?

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Often, your health goals—such as wanting to lose weight—will begin as standard goals. And that’s completely normal! However, later on, you may discover other reasons for wanting to lose weight, for example, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes [1]. 

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You can use the SMART goal-setting method to increase the likelihood of sticking to your newly found lifestyle habits and long-term goals.

What are SMART goals?

SMART goals help you stick to your deeper health goals, achieving your results in your desired timeframe.

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But what does “SMART” stand for, and why should you care [5]?

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• Specific—write down your goals in plain language and know exactly what you want to achieve.

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• Measurable—measure your goals to track progress.

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• Achievable—ensure your goals are possible to prevent disappointment.

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• Relevant—why do you want to achieve this goal? 

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• Timely—set a realistic timeframe to remain on track with your goal.

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In particular, when working towards deeper health goals, the measurement principle is fundamental. You can use a body composition analysis tool, such as Spren, to accurately measure your progress.

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Using this proven goal-setting method will further increase the likelihood of you sticking to your deeper health goals. So take the time to write down your goals using the SMART goal-setting formula. 

How does Spren work?

Spren is a body composition analysis tool that produces similarly accurate results to DEXA scans—often labeled the gold standard body composition method [2]—but unlike DEXA scans, Spren is much more convenient.

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Moreover, unlike DEXA scans—and other methods, such as underwater weighing—you can perform a body composition analysis using nothing but your smartphone. Spren uses your smartphone camera and machine learning algorithms to generate accurate and reliable body composition results.

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This is dissimilar to any other body composition analysis tool out there. Many current methods, such as DEXA scans, skinfold tests, and underwater weighing, are invasive, expensive, and inaccessible to most people.

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Think about it: who has the time, money, or opportunity to routinely measure their body composition using underwater weighing? 

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Once you perform a scan using the Spren app, you’re provided with several useful biomarkers, including:

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• Body fat %
• Fat mass
• Lean mass
• Android fat
• Gynoid fat
• Resting metabolic rate

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These key insights allow you to measure your progress toward your deeper health goals. For example, high fat mass is associated with an increased risk of mortality [3], and high body fat % is positively related to both heart disease and metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes [4]. 

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With these measurements, you can accurately track your progress by measuring body fat percentage and focusing on reducing total fat mass. These are just a couple of examples of how Spren and body composition analysis tools can help you accurately track and measure your progress toward your goals.

Why is it important to measure body composition? 

We’ve covered this above briefly, but routinely measuring your body composition using an accurate method provides a more holistic view of your overall health.

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By measuring your goals, you’re providing yourself with the confidence that you’re making progress. Working towards a deeper health goal without an accurate measurement form can further cloud your progress—so measure what you can to stay on track.

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It can be difficult, if not impossible to measure biomarkers such as android and gynoid fat and body fat % without tools such as body composition analysis. 

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You can use this invaluable data to see changes that go beyond the scale—an outdated method that does not show useful data. And, as previously mentioned, the sooner you see progress, the more likely you’ll stick to those deeper health goals.

Download Spren to stay on top of your health goals

When you’re looking to achieve deeper health goals, you need an accurate and reliable method of measuring your progress.

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Working towards big goals such as losing weight can be difficult to track—but when you have the data to see reductions in total fat mass, for example, you can accurately measure your progress and remain confident that you’re on the right path.

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To ensure you’re making progress towards your deeper health goals, download the Spren app today and try your first body composition scan from your smartphone. 

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FAQs

What are deeper health goals?

Deeper health goals often go beyond the scale—it’s about providing context to your original goals, for instance, losing weight to reduce your risk of a stroke.

How do you measure your progress toward your health goals?

You can use body composition analysis tools, such as Spren, to accurately measure your progress toward your deeper health goals. This also increases motivation as you can see your progress.

How does Spren work?

Spren uses your smartphone camera, machine learning algorithms, and computer vision to perform an accurate body composition assessment.

How much does Spren cost?

Spren is available for a small monthly subscription (and discounted annual plan), producing similar results to DEXA scans but at a cheaper cost and done from the comfort of your own home with no added hardware.

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References:

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1. Kernan, W.N., Inzucchi, S.E., Sawan, C., Macko, R.F. and Furie, K.L., 2013. Obesity: a stubbornly obvious target for stroke prevention. Stroke, 44(1), pp.278-286.

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2. Shepherd, J.A., Ng, B.K., Sommer, M.J. and Heymsfield, S.B., 2017. Body composition by DXA. Bone, 104, pp.101-105.

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3. Lee, D.H. and Giovannucci, E.L., 2018. Body composition and mortality in the general population: A review of epidemiologic studies. Experimental Biology and Medicine, 243(17-18), pp.1275-1285.

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4. Kim, J.Y., Han, S.H. and Yang, B.M., 2013. Implication of high‐body‐fat percentage on cardiometabolic risk in middle‐aged, healthy, normal‐weight adults. Obesity, 21(8), pp.1571-1577.

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5. Les MacLeod EdD, M.P.H., 2012. Making SMART goals smarter. Physician executive, 38(2), p.68.

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6. Mery, C.M., Rubio, V., Duarte-Rojo, A., Suazo-Barahona, J., Peláez-Luna, M., Milke, P. and Robles-Díaz, G., 2002. Android fat distribution as predictor of severity in acute pancreatitis. Pancreatology, 2(6), pp.543-549.