By John Paul de Guzman
Every year, we see trends in the health and fitness industry that include – but are not limited to – group exercise class formats, nutrition and supplements, cardio and strength training equipment, as well as apparel and footwear. When these trends gain momentum, many start to wonder, “Is this the next big thing?” Wearable activity devices are everywhere, both inside and outside of the gym (Green, 2016). Features vary, but most not only monitor your activity; they also track food choices, heart rate, and/or sleep patterns. This article will briefly discuss a history of wearable technology, investigate general consumer concerns, and discuss the impact it has on the fitness industry.
Product development of hardware, sensors, and wearable technology enable fitness trackers to provide certain data for fitness, military, healthcare or medical purposes, kids or aging adults, pets, and other life activities. Fitbit, founded in 2007 by James Park and Eric Friedman and headquartered in San Francisco, CA, is the pioneer of developing hardware for wearables (Li). Their first device was the Fitbit Ultra, a small clip-on device that an individual could wear to track steps, distance, daily calorie expenditure, and sleep. Since then, more and more companies (i.e., Jawbone, Apple, Samsung, Nike, Misfit, etc.) have entered the market and developed their own wearables in the form of bracelets, wrist bands, or smartwatches that are water resistant, flexible, and colorful with fashionable texture (Li). Some wearables are designed not only for fitness monitoring but also for jewelry and fashion. For this reason, product developers know that fitness enthusiasts are hoping to look fashionable inside and outside of the gym. As one can see, aesthetic is one positive aspect to competition in this market.
The other aspect to competition among wearables is function. In pursuit of a healthier lifestyle, consumers love tracking their efforts and progress, a common question consumers have regarding wearable activity devices is, “How accurate are they?” To explore, a study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) analyzed five wearables: Nike+ Fuelband, FitBit Ultra, Jawbone UP, BodyMedia FitCore, and the Adidas MiCoach. Along with these wearables, the subjects in this study also wore a portable metabolic analyzer and the NL-2000i pedometer, which has proven reliability, to make an accurate determination of calories and steps taken (Stackpool). Researchers found that these devices predicted within 10 percent accuracy the number of steps taken during low-intensity treadmill running, walking, and elliptical use. However, none of the devices did a good job of measuring steps during agility-type exercise activities. When it came to predicting calorie expenditure, the devices produced high error rates (Green, 2015). This research suggests that this does not mean there are no benefits to using an activity tracker, but perhaps the accuracy of the device is less important than the fact that they increase awareness of one’s lifestyle habits and motivate people to increase activity. In fact, people are 30 to 40 percent more active when they use wearable activity devices (Stackpool).
Another common question consumers have regarding wearables is, “Which is the best device to purchase?” The best answer is to first determine which information one is interested in tracking. For example, heart rate monitoring is a feature that almost all devices offer, but there are different types. Devices with a more sophisticated heart rate monitor (e.g., built-in optical type) are typically more expensive. Furthermore, it is important to note that some wearables can track your heart rate all day, while others track it only during exercise; the latter is meant for tracking heart rate training (Duffy). If your goal is to improve sleep, some wearables monitor sleep, using an accelerometer, generally monitoring your movement and reporting graphs of data showing the times when you were in light sleep versus deep sleep. If you are interested in tracking sport-specific data, such as in running or cycling, there are many types of sport watches that provide metrics that include but are not limited to distance, pace, lap time, cadence, and are capable of pairing with multiple wireless devices. Lastly, a wearable’s app, whether mobile or web-based, is also important in determining which device is best to purchase because it is where one makes sense of the data that is tracked.
As for the data itself, health and fitness professionals can provide value to their clients when they are not in the gym by helping them understand the data. For example, a personal trainer can review his or her client’s step count data to inspire them by developing a plan to reinforce their goals, and provide continued motivation for them to stay active, especially when they are traveling or otherwise unable to make it to the gym (Green, 2015). Furthermore, gyms and health clubs can incorporate wearable technology into their daily operations to enhance their programming. If integrated successfully, training programs, facility memberships, and daily client interactions increase.
Are wearable activity trackers “the next big thing?” Depending on your lifestyle and health goals, it just might be the “thing” that changes your world and helps you live more actively. The next time you see an advertisement for the next wearable device that claims that it is the latest and greatest product, make an educated decision before making your purchase by considering what information you wish to track, comfort, ease of use (including apps), and whatever additional features might appeal to you.
Follow this link for an overview and comparison of the latest fitness trackers for 2016: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404445,00.asp
References:
Duffy, J. (2016, January 19). The Best Fitness Trackers for 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016,
from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404445,00.asp.
Green, D. (2015, September 1). How Will Wearable Activity Devices Impact the Fitness Industry? ACE PROSOURCE.
Li, X. (2014, May 13). Is fitness trcker going to be just a fad? Retrieved January 18, 2016, from http://ft.parsons.edu/skin/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/final_XiLi.pdf.
Stackpool, C., Porcari, J., Mikat, R., Gillette, C., & Foster, C. (2015). Are Activity Trackers Accurate? ACE PROSOURCE.
About the author:
Raised in the Bay Area, John Paul de Guzman earned his B.S. in Kinesiology from San Francisco State University. As a program manager he enjoys sharing his passion for running with his clients. He is a self-proclaimed marathon runner and is training for his 7th full marathon. Outside of running, he enjoys snowboarding, and hopes to pick up soccer or golf as a new sport for 2016.
