Health and activity trackers have easily led the fitness tech category and this is expected to continue next year.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has released its fitness trend forecast for 2017 and has placed wearable technology devices at the top. Consumers are owning and using these devices to a rapidly growing degree, says the “Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2017.”
The report was published in the Health & Fitness Journal from the American College of Sports Medicine.
These wearable technology devices are making it possible for people to track their steps, activity intensity, calories burned and other fitness metrics. FACSM survey lead author and College of Education & Human Development dean at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Walter R. Thompson, PhD, explained “The health data collected by wearable technology can be used to inform the user about their current fitness level and help them make healthier lifestyle choices.”
The survey has placed wearable technology devices at the top of its eleventh annual survey results.
The survey involves the participation of over 1,800 health and fitness professionals from around the world. Many of those pros are ACSM certified. It is used to provide insight within a spectrum of fitness fields. The participants in the survey were allowed to choose from 42 possible fitness trends. Among the results, the top 20 were ranked and shared within the ACSM outcomes publication.
Among the leading trends from that top 20 list are the following:
1. Wearable tech – this trend included smartwatches, fitness and health trackers, GPS tracking devices and heart rate monitors.
2. Body Weight Training – this is a technique that is considered highly effective and affordable as it requires very little equipment.
3. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – this involves peppering a workout with intense, brief explosions of physical activity followed by a moment of recovery before returning to the intensity again.
4. Fitness Professionals with Education and Experience – a greater focus is being placed on certification, education and experience in fitness among experts than simply seeking big promises or having some kind of celebrity.
5. Strength training – cardio may be the top calorie burner, but strength training is gaining emphasis for its metabolism boosting and spectrum of additional health and fitness benefits.
Still, among all these broad and widespread trends, wearable technology devices clearly lead the way among consumers and pros alike.
As the fast food chain scrambles for a more healthful image, its wearable tech effort flops.
For a very short time, kids were finding McDonald’s fitness tracker devices in their Happy Meals. This wearable technology gadget was taking the place of the traditional toy the company ads to its kids’ meals.
Shortly after rolling out the Step It wearable technology, kids started complaining of skin irritations.
The McDonald’s fitness tracker made headlines and drummed up a lot of attention for the Happy Meals. However, shortly after its August 9 roll out in the United States and Canada, it was removed. The removal of the wearables was voluntary by the fast food chain. It was in response to several complaints of wrist irritation from wearing the Step It activity bands.
A spokesperson from the company released a statement. It said “We have taken this swift and voluntary step after receiving limited reports of potential skin irritations that may be associated from wearing the band.”
The McDonald’s fitness tracker is under investigation to determine the source of the skin issue.
The spokesperson underscored that the safety of their customers is of their highest priority. They are conducting a thorough investigation into the problem with the wearable technology band. In the meanwhile, an alternative Happy Meal toy is being distributed to children.
The Step It activity tracker was essentially a pedometer that was worn on a child’s wrist. It was a very basic device meant to promote activity. It provided blinking lights to encourage kids to keep up the good work when they were moving around.
The wearable tech device was designed with four buttons. The first was a power button. The other three let the child identify his or her activity. Activities included: walking, jumping rope and general sports. This allowed the device to more accurately track the type of motion it was sensing.
The McDonald’s fitness tracker isn’t the first wearable technology to have been taken down from skin irritations. The current ruler of the activity band market, Fitbit, once suffered similar struggles. Its own first wearable had to be recalled in 2014 and in 2015. The Fitbit Surge has also received some complaints regarding skin irritations.
