Fitness Monitors: The Future of Fitness
- Sohil Farahmand
- Oct 18, 2015
- 2 min read
Heart rate monitors have been available in the fitness industry for many years. But with emerging technology over the last decade, these gadgets have recently evolved to have a dramatic influence in the fitness world. Today’s now called ‘fitness monitors’ are so much more sophisticated than the traditional sports watch designed heart rate monitors. In fact, the technology is improving so fast that those sport watch like models are soon going to be obsolete. Today, you can get a sophisticated wearable monitor that not only tracks your heart rate, but also your speed, pace, heart rate zone, calories, distance, and all kinds of other fancy analytics.
The so called ‘fitness tech’ industry is booming with the ever growing consumer demand for fitness monitoring technology. There are many tech companies today that are coming out with fitness monitors at prices that are very affordable. A typical fitness monitor today ranges from $50-$200, which is a pretty good price given their utility.
How do the work?
You start by wearing the fitness monitor, which depending on the model, can be worn around your wrist, ankle, chest, or forearm. Almost all the monitor are compatible with Bluetooth and transmit their data directly to a mobile device. Others monitors have the option to send their data to an ANT+ transmitter which then sends the data to a receptor, where the data is collected and sent it to a mobile device for a live view of the data. This second option is typically useful for group fitness classes where the instructor can monitor the participants' performance. Mobile devices use an App to read the data collected, which are then be saved, exported, and graphed as a performance history of the workout.
There are countless applications of these devices in fitness, ranging from a personal use to more professional uses. Here is a few:
An individual evaluating the effectiveness of their workout.
Personal trainer making sure that their client is working within the preferred heart rate zone.
Coaches monitoring the performance of their athletes on the field.
Group fitness instructors monitoring how effective is their workout.
People with heart conditions can monitor their heart rate on a screen while working out
I personally think that this is the future of fitness. I predict that in a few years, almost every major gym in North America will offer members the option to purchase monitoring devices as part of their membership package. Before long, everyone will be able to measure the intensity and effectiveness of their workout. If this doesn’t bring down obesity in North America, I really don’t know what will.
Comments