Do You Fitbit? Why Health Trackers Are So Hot Right Now

Last week, I ran to a yoga class and logged the trip using Strava, a website and mobile app that tracks cycling and running routes, distances, speed and more via GPS. Strapped to my chest was a Wahoo TICKR heart rate monitor that connects to the Strava app on my phone via bluetooth. I’m also an avid cyclist and use Wahoo’s RFLKT, a kind of mini bike computer, to track routes, speed and personal bests. I’ve experimented with sleep monitoring via Sleep Cycle, and I’ve used Withings’ smart scale to keep tabs on my weight and body fat.

I’m not a pro athlete, nor do I consider myself a health freak, but I think there’s definitely something addictive about fitness tracking.

Wearable overload

Smart, fitness-related devices and apps have exploded in popularity over the last few years. From wristbands to necklaces to tiny clip-ons, it’s become a bit tough to keep up with all the latest gadgets. Most popular among bands include Fitbit’s line of activity trackers and Jawbone’s UP24. Meanwhile, a growing array of smart watches are also hitting the market, including Garmin’s fitness and sports wristwear line, Samsung’s new Gear Fit, Basis, a smartwatch capable of monitoring steps taken and even perspiration and heart rate and Pebble, which raised a record $10.2 million on crowdfunding site Kickstarter in fewer than 30 days.

Of course, not to be forgotten is Apple’s iWatch, which the company is reportedly going to unveil this fall. Rumors have it that the smartwatch will sync up with the new “Health” app Apple introduced with last month’s iOS 8 update. The new app is meant to function as an all-in-one resource for monitoring and tracking everything from basic fitness stats (steps, calories, etc.) to blood pressure, heart rate and sleep cycles and maybe one day next-gen data like blood sugar levels, hydration and oxygen saturation. Some even suggest the iWatch, Apple’s first major new product launch since the iPad in 2010, has the potential to either make or break the budding smartwatch market.

Behind the health and fitness tracking craze

So what’s behind the health and fitness tracking craze?

In 2007, Wired Magazine editors Gary Wolf and Kevin Kelly coined the term “quantified self” to refer to the use of new digital technologies to record and compile data on the most intimate aspects of personal life—from physical and mental performance, to foods consumed and even blood oxygen levels. Since then, the “quantified self” idea has since spread from Silicon Valley’s tech-oriented early adopters to a much broader audience interested in health and wellness.

I think on the most basic level the movement taps into deep-seated human impulses—the quest for self-knowledge and self-improvement, with a touch of narcissism thrown in. By carefully tracking the metrics that define our physical lives, it’s possible to identify trends, make adjustments and, in theory, get a bit better at whatever we’re doing—from running 10Ks to trying to get a good night’s sleep. Of course, for people with serious health issues—from obesity to high blood pressure—health and fitness tracking has a much more immediate, practical appeal. 26 million Americans, for instance, have diabetes: For this demographic, a more convenient tool for monitoring blood sugar is potentially lifechanging.

But the bottom line is that personal health and fitness tracking is among the hottest sectors in tech right now. The signs are everywhere. This week for instance, Amazon.co.uk launched its very own wearable technology store, featuring over 100 different products. According to market research firm Canalys, 17 million wearables—including fitness bands and smart watches—will be sold this year. By 2017, that number is expected to nearly triple.

Have you bought into the quantified self trend yet? If so, what are you using, and is it working for you?

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Photo credit: Suman Park via Flickr