Wireless, GPS dominate workout apps

WE’RE living in interesting times. While obesity becomes a prevalent phenomenon – giving rise to the terminology “globesity” (the global epidemic of obesity), there is also a trend of consumers becoming more health and imageconscious than ever as evident by the mushrooming of fitness clubs everywhere.

With world-class equipment, local fitness club chains have places a great emphasis on members’ experience while working out at their gyms.

For consumers at both end of the spectrum, getting fit has been made a little bit more easier with technology.

UK-based global electronics industry market research provider IMS Research, in a recent report, noted that wireless technologies could encourage, improve and monitor fitness levels.

Research analyst Filomena Berardi says wireless technologies will enable the user to upload data from a sports performance monitor to a host machine such as a cellular handset or notebook PC so that performance can be analysed and recorded.

In addition, real-time data can be monitored between a sensor (such as a heart rate monitor) and an outdoor computer or sport watch, for example.

In terms of the technologies used for these applications, IMS Researh says five-kilohertz wireless technologies today dominate.

GPS has also found a niche in fitness, providing keen cyclists and runners to track directions, routes, distances, cadence, and heart rate. IMS Research estimates around half a million GPS sports and fitness devices were sold in 2008.

“However, as ‘fitness phones’ and MP3 players with sports monitoring functions become more popular, other wireless technologies are expected to capture more of the fitness scene,” Berardi says.

Meanwhile, ANT – a proprietary protocol and silicon solution for ultra-low power practical wireless networking applications – can automatically transfer data from an ANT-enabled sensor to a host computer.

This, according to IMS Research, saves the consumer time and effort in downloading data for analysis.

In addition, ANT’s system has been designed to be used in a busy environment such as a gym, without interference. And it is said to have been designed to optimise power consumption to maximise the life of a single battery cell.

“Bluetooth brings benefits to the market in a legacy of the technology enabled host devices; for example IMS Research estimates over 650 million Bluetooth-enabled cellular handsets and 45 million Bluetooth-enabled notebook PCs were sold in 2008. The upcoming Bluetooth lowenergy standard is also aiming to enter the fitness and sport environment. It is intended that dual-mode Bluetooth host devices will connect to low-energy peripheral sensors used in sports performance monitoring.” Berardi also named Zigbee and BodyLAN as technologies that fit into the fitness industry.

“Zigbee has traditionally been used in industrial applications.

However, recently it has begun making some inroads in the consumer and medical markets.

Zigbee has been doing well in the patient monitoring market and so the leap to sports and fitness should be seamless.

“BodyLAN is another technology that has been tipped to make some impact in the fitness market.

It claims to consume substantially less power than rivals Bluetooth and Zigbee,” Berardi adds.

From the fitness industry’s perspective, regional fitness manager of Fitness First, Dave Nuku, says the fitness club chain places great emphasis on members’ experience while working out at its gyms.

“We believe in the use of technology to enhance the experience of our members. For example, all Fitness First gyms are designed with world-class equipment. We also use audiovisual entertainment modes like the placement of TVs in the cardio areas and the use of upbeat music to encourage and excite members.

“At the same time, we give importance to building a foundation for a great workout experience which includes our added services and expertise as health advocates,” he says.