Current Wearables and Sensors

So where are we now with current health and fitness wearable trackers?

The wearables market is one of the fastest growing segments of the fitness industry. An article from Forbes predicts that sales of smartwatches will double by 2022. Advancements in sensor embedded clothing and fitness apparel technology continue to lead to new innovations. One prediction is that revenue in this sector will grow 5 times from 2017-2022. Everything from headbands, arm sleeves, t-shirts and earbuds has been, or will be, fitted with sensors to better track health and fitness data.

However, the experience of gathering the data - although much improved from the days of workout diaries and journals is still very cumbersome. Having to wait for GPS signals, low battery warnings, having set laundry and wash cycles in order to ensure that embedded clothing is clean and ready for workouts can be a nuisance and distracts from the enjoyment of working out. Current wearables are hardly unobtrusive. In fact the naked running movement, where runners go without fitness trackers, can be seen as a reaction to these over complications in the fitness world.

Clearly the opportunity exists for a simplified experience.