
Sleep monitoring: Many fitness wearables, including “smart rings” and smartwatches, now come complete with sleep tracking, boasting in-depth data collection that calculates how long a user spent in each stage of sleep (i.e., deep, REM, and light) plus any periods awake.Today, blood oxygen monitoring is a common feature in numerous smartwatches. Blood oxygen level: Demand for pulse oximeters (a device used to measure the oxygen saturation of the blood) spiked in the early days of the pandemic as people rushed to monitor themselves, or their loved ones, for COVID-19.That said, several smartwatch companies (e.g., Apple and Fitbit) have started experimenting with blood pressure tech, and it’s likely just a matter of time before the feature is widely available to consumers. Blood pressure: Although Samsung’s Galaxy Watch can measure a user’s blood pressure, this feature isn’t available in the United States yet, as the company is still awaiting Food and Drug Administration clearance.It’s hypothesized that early detections could help save lives. At its core, this function aims to detect atrial fibrillation, the most common irregular heart rhythm, which affects up to six million Americans-and leads to 150,000 deaths a year. Heart health: Today’s fitness trackers (more specifically, smartwatches) are now capable of taking an electrocardiogram (ECG), a recording of the heart’s electric rhythm.Technological advancements have made the following innovations possible in the field: Features Worth Highlighting in the Wearables Industry That said, it’s worth noting that the features mentioned above are the “bare minimum” of what you could expect of a fitness wearable. It’s mainly due to the pandemic, as it highlighted the importance of health for many consumers-in turn, leading them to seek out ways they could monitor various health-related parameters (e.g., steps covered, calories burned, heart rate). According to Fortune Business Insights, the market is projected to grow from USD 36.34 billion (in 2020) to USD 114.36 billion in 2028.īut what’s up with this surge in consumer demand?

To say that wearable tech has exploded in popularity is an understatement. After all, you don’t want to be the trainer who goes, “Pelo- what?” when a client seeks your opinion on it.īelow, discover the latest innovative fitness devices and tools you need to know about. Understanding this seismic shift in the fitness industry will be critical to better positioning yourself for maximum marketability with clients.

Imaginably, this sentiment brings about serious implications for you as a fitness professional. Given that the world has spent the last two years in and out of lockdowns (due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), it’s no surprise to learn that technology is increasingly cementing its place within people’s fitness routines.Ĭonsumers are now exercising at home and spending on “high-tech” fitness technology solutions more than ever.Īnd most important of all? Surveys show that they don’t plan on stopping their use of “smart” fitness-even after the pandemic abates.
