Top 20 fitness trends of 2016: wearable tech beats all
Digital devices that track steps and heart rate prove more popular than high-intensity interval training, calisthenics and yoga in a survey of more than 2,800 health and fitness professionals from around the world
Have you been tracking your daily step count, run route, heart rate or sleep quality with a wearable device? If you haven’t, perhaps it’s time to get on the bandwagon. Wearable technology is the top fitness trend for 2016, according to exercise professionals polled by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
“Wearable technology has overtaken activities like body weight training and high-intensity interval training to claim the number one spot in this year’s survey,” says Walter Thompson, lead author of the survey and associate dean in the College of Education & Human Development at Georgia State University in Atlanta. “Consumer interest in fitness technology may signal that the low-cost, DIY exercise trend is waning.”
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Introduced a few years ago, wearable technology includes fitness trackers, smartwatches, heart rate monitors, and GPS tracking devices. Popular fitness and activity trackers include those from Misfit, Garmin, Jawbone and Fitbit. The Apple Watch is the new “kit” on the block.
The market for wearable technology is growing rapidly, with global device shipments reaching 76.1 million units in 2015, up 163.6 per cent from 2014, according to a recent report by research firm IDC. By 2019, worldwide shipments are expected to reach 173.4 million units, a growth rate of nearly 23 per cent over the next five years.
“Tech devices are now central to our daily lives and have changed the way we plan and manage our workouts,” Thompson says. “Wearable devices provide immediate feedback that can make the wearer more aware of their level of activity and motivate them to achieve their fitness goals.”
It’s the first time wearable technology has appeared in the ACSM’s Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends annual report, which is in its 10th year.