Disruptive Force of Wearable Technology in Fitness Industry

Serve exercise on the plate of users and see how they make excuses to not move a limb. Now beautify the plate with technology and see how easily fitness is picked up by users.

Smartwatches, GPS tracking devices, heart-rate monitors, and wearable activity trackers are emerging and evolving at an unprecedented rate, thereby reviving the very definition of health clubs, exercises, and fitness. In fact, technology is shattering the mundane physical fitness norms and glorifying them to translate fitness into fun. 

Wearable technology is doing plentiful for the fitness industry. Fitness, the pioneer of wearable technology, has been channelling the lives of users towards a better dimension. From showing time to showing active hours, wearable technology in fitness has surpassed itself for the better.

The individuals of North America and APAC are ahead of the usage curve with over 22% and 20% ownership of smartwatch and smart wristband ownership.

What does this show?

Being a developed region, it is evident for North America to stay at the forefront of the technological revolution. However, the APAC region, consisting of mainly developing countries, adopts wearable technology in fitness industry.

What can we expect about wearable technology in fitness industry?

Growing fitness enthusiasm will create better scope for wearable technology in fitness industry.

What are the Types of Wearable Technology in Fitness Industry?

The ‘WeaRevolution’ is out and about in different shades, shapes, and sizes in the fitness industry. You will find numerous examples of wearable technology with specialized purposes. In standard terms, wearable smart devices can be classified into near-body, electronic textiles, on-body, and in-body wearables.

If you want to develop an app with wearable technology in fitness industry, below are the types  you can experiment with:

Smartwatches/ Wristbands:

Smartwatches are a more pronounced form of wearable technologies. Several smartphone companies have been entering into the segment to diversify their product offerings.

Head-mounted Displays:

The fitness industry is exploring numerous devices to extract data out. Head-mounted devices such as helmets and gears are equipped with sensors to track the physical activities of users.

Smart Rings:

Smart rings offer notifications through light or vibrations to notify users about the parameters set by them. Some smart rings collect data about the sleep patterns through integrated sensors and NFC chips to act as a peripheral tool to support mobile devices.

Smart Clothing:

Smart clothing such as smart pants, smart socks, and swimsuits enable lifestyle-related information and even location-tracking for users.

Smart Shoes:

Smart shoes can be integrated with sensors to help athletes and fitness enthusiasts for tracking the running form and physical activities.

Wearables are turning into a holistic solution for the propagation of health and wellness. The AI-powered wearable devices have become smarter and are fast-replacing fitness instructors. The apps are evolving with wearable technology in fitness industry to send alerts about incorrect posture and similar metrics set by users.

Wearable-based Fitness is Here to Stay: Top Wearable Technology Trends

Wearable technology is causing serious waves on the back of the growing public consciousness. Besides the general awareness, movies and web series are playing an integral part in influencing users about wearable technology, especially for fitness.

The high rate of innovation and evolution has turned the wearable into a thriving industry. The general norms that define wearable technologies get redundant with every new possibility explored about it. Now, imagine two of the best industries growing in parallel at a massive scale. If they intersect at a point, it becomes a mammoth of a trend.

The same goes with the intersection of the wearable and fitness industry. Users of the day need data for everything they do. Hence, it is the right time to explore the trends to leverage the early mass-market phase of development.

Health Consciousness Blurs the Line Between Wearable and Fitness

Do you remember when constant monitoring of the heart rate required wearing an uncomfortable wire across the body? Well, the wearable is taking over the discomfort. The developers and designers are coming up with smart bands and smartwatches with advanced capabilities to monitor electrocardiogram.

Since the increase in the body temperature is one of the crucial determiners to viral infections (read: pandemic lingers), the advanced sensors are built with thermometers, which helps detect the accumulated data for the epidemiologists to identify the nature of the infection.

Greater Affordability Leads to Increased Adoption

The general rule for any technology remains the same–the initial adoption rate determines the future of the technology. Once the adoption rate begins to spike, developers crack their knuckles and brace themselves for experimenting with the technology. 

Over time, the advancements in wearable technology have improved the efficiency of production. Since the competition is fierce, there is a severe price drop in fitness gadgets, tapping a new user segment of budget-conscious users. In order to achieve this reduction in production, the software serves as the key. Enterprises outsource fitness app development projects to companies belonging to developing countries for better prices.

5G Could be a New Gamer-changer

All in all, wearable and ‘FiTech’ is nothing more than data. The key to it is faster and secure data transmission to the receiving end. While working within a larger conduit, developers are eagerly looking at the 5G technology to exponentially increase the data’s efficiency.

With 5G in the frame, wearables will be able to turn lighter and smaller, on the back of the increased bandwidth that requires fewer data processing hardware. As a result, if there is even a little hesitance towards the wearable devices for fitness on the grounds of discomfort, it is going to shed away.

What are the Top Benefits of Wearable Technology in Fitness Industry?

Want to know an amazing stat about fitness?

As per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, less than 5% of adults engage in 30 minutes of physical activities per day. The rate is increasing gradually with the glamour that wearable technology offers to get in shape.

If you are looking for more reasons to develop an app with wearable technology in fitness, get to know the benefits:

Wearable Improves the Work Out Time:

Be it a solo workout session or a competition with friends, a wearable-based fitness tracker encourages accountability among users. The push notifications and streak features help users get and stay on track to push harder and stay consistent in their workout regime.

Helps Set Fitness Goals:

Setting a fitness goal is the stepping stone to realizing it. Using a fitness tracker, users can identify their daily fitness progression as they work out towards their goals.

Users can use their smartphones to access the fitness app and set goals. Besides this, the integrated wearable on their wrists can provide them with the necessary motivation to keep them on track.

Calorie Counter and Cleaning Eating:

The activity trackers with wearable technology in fitness industry have come a long way. Today, they are beyond the traditional use of tracking. Developers of fitness bands are offering the functionality to help users log details about their food and drink intake.

The broader scale of usability creates a bigger and better room for the use of wearable in the fitness industry.

Sleep Trackers:

As per the standards set by the healthcare industry, about seven to nine hours of sleep are required to carry out the day with optimum efficiency. As a result, fitness trackers are turning popular sources to collect information about sleep patterns.

Users can just wear the devices on their wrists or fingers. The device tracks the heart rate and the movement of the person to monitor the depth and quality of sleep.

Monitors Multiple Parameters:

Users can skip routine body checkups and save a lot of time using wearable technology. With numerous sensors integrated into the smart band, a user can self-test to find out any unusuality in the numbers.

Today, developers are integrating temperature sensors to help users keep a tab on their body temperature.

Better Connectivity:

With wearable technology, wrist bands are connected to smartphones and smart devices. This enables the sharing of data with friends to stay competitive about fitness goals.

Users can record the data to other devices and get a detailed report regarding their fitness levels.

The #1 factor leading to increasing sales of wearables for fitness is word-of-mouth marketing. In addition to this, Instagram, Facebook, and fitness apps like Strava further increase the attraction quotient for these gadgets.

What are the Best Features of Wearable Technology in Fitness?

If you are seeking some inspiration to design and develop a wearable fitness gadget, you have to start being specific. The first step is to recognize the purpose of the band–What should be the primary goal of your band? What would users receive out of it? Who should use it?

After the recognition of the primary purpose of the band, you should move to the features. At this point, you should be able to decide whether you want to start with all the features at once or have a systematic launch of your wearable.

Below are the high-rated and most-used features of wearable technology in fitness gadgets:

All-day Activity Tracking:

Users don’t have to assume how much physical exertion they underwent while using a wearable device for fitness. The all-day activity tracking feature comes real handy for users to get a glimpse of their day using their fitness apps.

Call Notifications:

The wearable gadgets of the day tend to offer multiple features that users use on a daily basis. Call notification is one of these. Some of the advanced wearable devices come with the accept call and reject call options for better convenience.

Text Notification:

Users can access the text notifications on their wearable devices without having to unlock their smartphones.

Sleep Monitoring:

The wearable bracelet or band, or ring, tracks users’ movement during their sleep time along with their heart rate to gauge their sleep patterns.

GPS Tracking:

For runners and athletes who prefer outdoor workout sessions, the wearable fitness gadgets enable GPS tracking to determine the total distance covered.

Blood Oxygen Monitoring:

The advent of a new sensor–Pulse Arrival Time–facilitates the monitoring of blood oxygen level among individuals. The wearable device uses PAT to determine the time taken for a pulse of blood to travel to the wrist from the heart.

Quick Reply:

Users can access their wearable gadgets to respond to messages and texts. In addition to this, the wearable bands with social media integration offer push notifications and quick actions for users.

Active Zone Minutes:

The wearable gadget helps draw out more workout from a minute by tracking the heart rate and measuring the heart-pumping activities. Users can access the data to find out how hard they have worked out during any heart-pumping activity.

Voice Assistants:

Users can talk to Google Assistant and built-in Alexa to perform more activities without even touching a finger. The virtual voice assistants can be integrated into wearable gadgets for setting alarms, controlling smart homes, view replies, check out notifications, and more.

Payments:

Some of the most advanced wearable devices come with the option to make purchases easy for users. With wearable gadgets, users can add their credit cards and debit cards to make payments quickly from their wrists.

Stress Management:

A wearable gadget does not only take care of users’ physical health but also the mental health. The wearable gadget keeps a tab on the heart rate to understand the stress level in a person and suggests an activity to keep up the pace.

Seek Inspiration from the Top Wearable Gadgets

Undoubtedly, the fitness industry is growing at an exponential pace, on the back of advanced technologies. However, the contribution of wearable technology has been immense. Besides fitness, there is so much that a wearable device can do. And that is the success of wearable technology in the fitness industry.

So, if you have a euphoria to build a successful wearable fitness app, let’s help you learn from the best wearable gadgets:

Garmin Wearables:

Garmin wearables are the natural solutions for born athletes and physical fitness enthusiasts, delivering innovative technology across different outdoor settings–marine, aviation, and land. It holds specialization in the development of wrist-worn wearable devices for fitness tracking and advanced analytics.

Garmin watches are better known for their quality among the ultra runner, regular sport, or keen cyclist. Garmin provides a wide spectrum of wearables for entry-level, advanced-level, and all-purpose wearable devices. It comes with high-resolution screen size, onboard storage, smartwatch capabilities, and Bluetooth connection.

Fitbit Wearables:

Fitbit uses wearable technology to improve health and fitness lifestyles. The Fitbit devices usually consist of activity trackers, which are geared towards boosting fitness levels. The wearable devices from Fitbit unlocks a healthy and balanced life by tracking exercise, weight, sleep, and all-day activities.

The wearable company also enables the community to join and connect with fellow Fitbit users to look for tips, recipes, and more. Users are increasingly shifting towards the Fitbit wearables to log about their activities, food, weight, goals, etc. and stay on track.

Apple Watch:

Apple Watch is officially a premium range of wearable gadgets with the ability to play songs, track location, measure the heart rate, retina display, and push notification. In addition to measuring fitness activities, the Apple Watch is used to track sleeping patterns along with the calories burnt per day.

The Apple Watch consist of Activity Rings that shows the daily activities–red stands for movement, green stands for exercising, and blue denotes standing. In order to further keep the users engaged and motivated, the Apple Watch has personalized coaching, awards, and activity competitions.

Samsung Galaxy Watch:

With a full range of features and accessories, Samsung Galaxy Watches is available at the intersection of an enhanced lifestyle with health. Using the Galaxy Watch developed with Wearable technology, users can determine their exercise patterns, handle their health, and leverage secondary features such as making phone calls, sending text notifications, and playing music.

Users can switch between multiple functionalities by simply rotating the bezel and offering quick access to the convenient features. In addition to this, users can also change the face of the wearable watch as per their taste. The Samsung Galaxy Wearable Watch helps optimize the days of users by allowing them a comprehensive set of the time management system. Users can view daily schedules and keep track of the next task from the to-do list for the day.

Fitness Industry Pivots Online for Survival

With millions of investment coming into fitness technology, the paradigms of the industry are moving with a proclivity towards the digital space. Gyms on Zoom are getting popular, home-based fitness set up, online Yoga training, etc., are the current norms in the fitness industry. Since fitness trainers can’t measure the parameters of users, the distance of physical training comes with its set of limitations. In such a case, wearable technology can help keep the trainers updated with the latest information about their students.

In addition to this, wearables can also prove to be an instrument to facilitate seamless monitoring of body parameters for patients under observation. As a result, the demand and adoption of wearable gadgets are spiking up.

The trend of integrating wearable in the fitness industry is going mainstream. Hence, if you are shooting for the moon in the fitness industry, wearables are the only certainty to fuel your stride.