As the flexible electronics industry continues to evolve thanks to innovations from companies like FlexEnable, wearables are slowly becoming integrated into our daily routines. But one particular aspect of our lives has been dominated by wearables for some time. In fact, this sector of the market is probably responsible for our greater overall awareness of wearables, and just how easily they can fit into our everyday lives.
That sector is the fitness industry. In gyms around the world you’ll find people of all ages, abilities and fitness levels sporting straps, monitors, pedometers, mp3 players and a host of other wearable tech to chart their progress or keep them motivated and entertained while they spin, jog, lift and sweat.
So if you’re off to burn some calories and buff those abs for the upcoming swimsuit season, what wearable tech should you be sporting? Here’s our pick of the top three:
Fitbands
These are a no-brainer for anyone who wants to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep a close eye on their progress. Fitbands such as the funky FitBit, the Jawbone UP MOVE, and a host of other alternatives from such sports luminaries as Garmin, don’t just count the number of calories you’ve burned. They’ll also give you detailed data on the amount of activity you’re engaged in throughout the day (particularly useful if your job is a sedentary one), your sleep patterns and a wealth of other information.
All of this can be charted daily via an app to your mobile, PC or tablet, so you can see in real time how your fitness regime is progressing. They’re also affordable, so anyone who is serious about not just fitness but their health in general should be sporting one of these bands.
Pedometers
If you’re not quite ready to hit the gym yet but just want to try and get those recommended 10,000 steps a day clocked up, then a pedometer clipped onto a belt or pocket, like the Jawbone UP MOVE, is a great way to ease yourself into wearable fitness products. These count every step you make during the day, including popping out for that morning cup of coffee through to a six-mile run.
Smart clothing
The next generation of wearable trackers has been woven into the fibres of our clothing. OMSignal’s biometric smartshirt records and streams data from your workout wirelessly to your phone, so you can track your progress in real time. You can gain insights into your heart rate, breathing rate and balance while you’re working out. This kind of seamless integration of technology will make it easier for us to monitor our health: you simply have to get dressed in the morning and you’re tracking.
Fitness wearables don’t just chart your progress, but can also act as real motivators in the constant battle to get fitter and lead a healthier lifestyle. And it’s this aspect of the wearable market that makes it so appealing to ordinary people. We may not be quite ready for embedded tech yet, but fitness wearables introduce ordinary people to the next generation of technology.