FOR graphic designer Melissa James, 25, long hours at work hinders her from hitting the gym to exercise. One weekends, she says, she is so tired she just wants to rest at home.
She realises that her lifestyle is sedentary, making her susceptible to lifestyle diseases but for now, time isn’t what she has.
In a bid to make her move more during work and not sit too long at her desk, she decided to try wearing a fitness tracker.
Four months into using her Fitbit Charge HR, she says she should have used one sooner.
“What it does is keep you moving even when you cannot slot time for exercise. It calculates your steps, so you know if you have been lazy and sitting around too much. It encourages you to climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator because there are daily steps target to achieve,” she says.
There are thousands like Melissa, who have the intention to exercise but with no time to do so. The massive growth of the wearables industry is a result of this — that people are concerned about their health and want to do something about it.
Wearables come at many pricepoints.
You can buy a Mi-Band from Xiaomi, for example, for less than RM70. Jawbone’s Tracking Wristband costs ten times more, so does the Garmin Vivosmart HR.
Fitbit’s top-end sportswatch, the Fitbit Surge, which comes complete with GPS and continuous heart rate monitor, is currently RM1,200.
FitbitAsia-Pacific vice-president Steve Morley says life for urbanites is getting unhealthier with long work hours, high stress level and inconsistent meal times, so a fitness tracker is a way people “do something about it”.
“It incorporates being active in your daily activities, whether it is taking a longer route on foot or using the stairs instead of the escalators,” he says at an event in Singapore, recently.
The San Francisco start-up, which began in 2007, experienced 200 per cent growth last year inSoutheast Asia, a sign that the trend is picking up, especially among urban dwellers.
Fitbit reached Singapore in 2013, followed by Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Out of 18 milliondownloads so far, Morley says, 72 per cent are still active users (when the company ended its 2015 financial year) and that does not include trackers from other brands.
Fitness tracker is a global phenomenon, he says, thanks to a huge interest in wellness and the busy lifestyle of urbanites.
“Most of our customers are people looking for an everyday fitness tool, a simple band that can track their steps and stairs climbed. Heart rate is a bonus because you can find out if your heart recovers fast from climbing the stairs,” says Morley.
“This reflects the consciousness of wanting to live a healthy lifestyle. It started with sports brands producing bands to monitor simple things like steps but, as the field expands, those in the technology and watch industries also come into the segment, offering their own expertise.”
EVOLUTION OF DATAFICATION
Datafication has long been a method for health management. When it comes to losing weight, for example, nutritionists often advocate keeping a food diary to see how much food you have taken in a day.
When you see a long list of food staring back at you, including a cookie you sneaked in while typing, it’s easier to be aware that you are not eating as little as you think.
Fitness trackers work on the same premise. Psychologically, it motivates you to achieve certain targets. Because humans beings are a driven lot, setting a target gets you there faster than a mere promise that you will be walking more today.
“When you get to the train station, for example, you make a conscious effort to take the stairs because you know your fitness tracker is recording your every move. If you don’t wear one, you might say, stairs tomorrow,” says Morley.
“These little changes we make in our lives literally add up to become something bigger and better. And breaking up exercise as 10,000 steps and 10 floors daily is much more achievable then perhaps, scheduling a gym session.”
At 50, Morley is the typical Fitbit customer. He was a footballer when he was younger but a knee injury forced him to quit the game for good. In the morning, he sets aside time for a swim.
The rest of the day, he walks. And since he was relocated to Singapore last year, he said he has lost 5kg with those small changes.
For Melissa, the numbers on her wrist force her to walk more to hit the target. “If by 2pm, I have only walked 5,000 steps, then I know I have been sitting too long so I get up and move about,” she says.
“I take the stairs whenever I can because I feel motivated when the tracker vibrates when I have reached my target.
When I started using it, 10,000 steps was a feat to achieve. Now, it feels easier.
I don’t exercise much but in some ways, my fitness is improving.”
SLEEP MONITORING
Manager Basil Lim, 28, says his fitness tracker helps him monitor his sleep. “It’s very accurate and I can track how well rested I am. What I notice is if I exercise in the morning, I have more deep sleep at night and if I have alcohol in the evening, I sleep less.”
He says such data helps him to adjust his lifestyle accordingly. He explains: “Of course, if I don’t wear a fitness tracker, I’d still feel restless but having the numbers on the appshows me that there is a correlation between drinking and the quality of my sleep.”
Fitness trackers often have challenges built into them so friends can group together and challenge one another remotely for an exercise. For Lim and his friends, these challenges are done together, whether it’s playing futsal or participating in a run.
“The human factor needs to be there. After a futsal or hiking session, we compare notes on our trackers.”
Can a device then, make someone fitter?
Research says no. In February, The Telegraph reported a study from Lancaster University which states that there is “no empirical evidence that devices which monitor movement and heart rate have a long-term effect on wellbeing”.
Researchers say many wearers giveup after six months and activities revert to normal when the novelty wears off.
Lim agrees. An active exerciser, he says that the motivation has to come from within.
“It can help you achieve your exercise goals but you need to consciously decide to want to be fitter,” he says.
“Giving someone a fitness tracker as a gift when the person isn’t interested in working out won’t make him or her any healthier.”
FITNESS ON YOUR WRIST
FITBIT’S new addition to its stable is the Alta, a slim, sleek fitness wristband with health and fitness features to keep you moving.
The band is equipped with Reminders to Move, nudging you to stay active throughout the day.
Research shows that your metabolism can slow down after prolonged sitting, and sedentary time is associated with an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Those looking for more advanced features can try Blaze, the brand’s answer to the Apple Watch and Samsung Gear S2.
Apart from the standard call and message notifications, the watch also has features like FitStar for on-screen workouts. It has simple exercises you can follow step-by-step.
The SmartTrack automatic exercise recognition helps motivate and push your fitness further.
Instead of keying in an exercise, this one detects walking, running and other exercises automatically.
TAPPING ON WOMEN
YOU know fitness tracker is a huge trend beyond the wellness industry when Swarovski, the maker of costume jewellery, is taking the same path.
Called Activity Tracking Jewellery, the device is designed in collaboration with Misfit. The Activity Crystal at the heart of the collection is generating extensive interest among modern women, thanks to the unique pairing of glamour and femininity with wearable technology.
It saves fitness goals and you can review activities since the crystal synchronises with the wearer’s smartphone.
“With this, we are bringing our jewellery expertise and global reach to a category which has historically been dominated by male consumers,” says its Asia-Pacific product marketing senior vice president Joan Ng.