Wearable Fitness Tech

The Trendy Choice 2017 saw a major spike in the wearable fitness technology trend and it will only continue to grow. It is estimated that the wearable tech industry will grow $5 Billion over the next two years! It is now more commonplace to see fitness buffs and everyday people wearing a new FitBit or another type of fitness tracker. But it doesn’t stop there! These gadgets can go a long way in helping you reach your training goals. Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider adding a piece of fitness tech to your workout arsenal as well as a couple new ways to track your fitness!

Heart Rate Tracking/Step Counter One of the more basic usage for fitness trackers is Heart Rate tracking. Training in the proper heart rate zones can give you the edge in your workouts and being able to easily check your heart rate on the fly can be very appealing for many fitness enthusiasts. Getting 10,000 steps a day should be everybody’s goal and with a basic tracker, you will be better equipped to step your way to better health. Almost all of the fitness trackers on the market now offer HR tracking and a pedometer feature so whatever your budget, you can find the right one for you.

Stress Management Stress management is a major draw for these products and they work by using the information gathered to help you make better decisions throughout the day and feel better equipped to handle stressful situations. Some items like the Fitbit Charge 2 can even take you through guided breathing routines to help calm your nerves!

Sleep Tracking During rest, your activity tracker can monitor how restful your sleep is and if you are getting enough of it. It will show you when you enter REM sleep, which is the deepest and most restful sleep promoting recovery of your body, and give insight on how to better achieve it. In the morning, you review your sleep log and put your new practices to the test aiming for a better night’s sleep each and every night. As you know, getting a good night’s sleep is important to keep you in good health and ready for that next workout!

Clothing A new trending in wearable fitness technology, smart clothing is now on the market. Geared more towards athletes who want to push their training sessions and performance to the next level, companies are moving away from the a simple watch or band you wear around your wrists and bringing that same data tracking information right to your outfit! These items boast the ability to recover faster and track things like your speed cadence and even monitor your form during exercise.

Smart Shoes If you don’t like wearing watches or straps, you now have the chance to buy Smart Shoes! They house fitness trackers in the soles of the shoe to record all of your fitness data syncing up with their companion app. These shoes allow you to go on your run without needing to bring your phone or wear a traditional tracking device on your wrists. Time, distance, splits, duration and more will be sent to your phone for review after your run!

Are they right for you? Knowledge is power in every area of life and the information you can learn about eating and training habits using this equipment can go a long way in helping you create strategies for your health and wellness plan that are completely unique to you! If you are more of a novice, go with a lower end model that tracks your basics like: Calories consumed/burned Heart Rate Steps (Distance traveled) Sleep Management For those of you who are more serious about your training (and have a few extra bucks laying around) one of the mid-tier to high end fitness trackers will do you well!

References https://www.wareable.com/wearable-tech/stress-beating-tech-to-keep-you-sane http://www.active.com/triathlon/articles/training-zones-explained http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/19/9-new-technology-gadgets-for-fitness-buffs.html#slide=6 https://www.wareable.com/fitness-trackers/the-best-fitness-tracker https://www.forbes.com/sites/leebelltech/2017/07/06/best-wearable-tech-health-fitness- gadgets-2017-updated/2/#289238cb5da2