Just when we thought that wearable technologies such as Google Glass, smart watches, and various health devices were about to become just another trend, it looks like Android Wear and iWatch (yet to be announced but heavily rumored) are about to change everything. Google I/O 2014 showed the release of an Android Wear SDK to the public, which in turn allows for the creative freedom of development for Android-based smart watches. Apple is almost guaranteed to follow suit shortly with a public release of a wearable technology of their own and respective SDKs.

Application development for wearable technology will be drastically different than that of smartphones or tablets. Wearable applications need to be simple yet effective. They need to relay precise information to the user and give a user experience that does not negatively impact the flow of everyday life. Smartphones take the user away from the real world (introverted perspective) but wearable technology is attempting to keep the user engaged in the real world while integrating virtual elements discretely (extroverted perspective).

Health and Fitness organizations need to jump on board with certain wearable technologies not only because it can give customers convenient access to statistics and updates but these type of devices can also produce raw data. Raw data is beneficial to any organization in an analytical capacity. Research and development teams pour over raw data and gain tremendous amounts of advantageous information, which in turn helps develop and grow almost every aspect within the business.

Apple has “HealthKit”, which is their user-friendly grouping of health beneficial applications with iOS 8’s release and Google has “Google Fit”, which is their offering of applications to help user’s keep track of their healthy living lifestyles. What this means for mobile development is that businesses in the health and fitness industry need to engage their customers by giving them more of what they want, which is statistics on their progress and the ability to customize their healthy living choices on the fly. Mobile applications that are tied to both a smartphone and a wearable device can be useful to any individual looking to maintain their health, especially in terms of daily activities and exercise.

What Wearables Would be of Interest to the Fitness Industry?

These wearable devices can be used to send data to a device owned by a business to keep track of multiple statistics from a developed application. When reading about these wearables, keep in mind the idea of having clients use these devices to send information to the main hub so that a business can analyze the data and come to advantageous conclusions to help their business grow.

Fitbit Flex

At under $100, the Fitbit Flex is a simple way to track steps, sleep patterns and calories while syncing via Bluetooth to the iPhone and/or multiple Android devices (as well as PCs and Macs). The benefit to syncing to devices via Bluetooth is to view and analyze statistics before, during and after sessions on alternate devices. The device is lightweight and comfortable to wear. It is water resistant with an assortment of features to use when developing applications for it.

Jawbone Up24

With wireless syncing, lightweight and iOS/Android compatibility, the Jawbone Up24 is a great wearable to have around the wrist. This device is very simplistic with no display for stats but makes up for it with functionality and features. The Jawbone Up API allows developers to build applications to process data quickly and efficiently.

Razer Nabu SmartBand

The benefit to this wearable in comparison to the others is the ability to track fitness statistics as well as view notifications from a nearby mobile device. Whenever a call, text, email or social media notification appears on a mobile device, the Razer Nabu Smartband has pushed the same alert. The open platform that Razer is putting together is for Android and iOS and gives the device the ability for media playback controls, smart home control, data exchanging between smartband devices, and much more.

Keep In Mind…

Google and Apple have their new operating systems on the horizon and with this comes a slew of new wearables and SDKs. It can not be ignored that a focus on health and fitness from both of these companies will garner interest from every inch of the tech world.

What needs to be imagined (and brought to reality) is the benefits of what wearable technology can do for fitness centers, gyms, personal trainers, etc. in terms of engagement and interactivity. Having memberships include packages that give access to applications and devices, as well as added benefits for succeeding with these elements, can greatly influence the attractiveness of a business because of how powerful mobile technology has become over the past decade.

There is a great opportunity here for health and fitness organizations to fully engage their customer base in something new and exciting. Wearable technology is hitting the market with tremendous speed and its success can not be ignored. Big corporations such as Nike and Adidas have their own variations of wearable devices already and the integration with mobile applications has been a huge success with their user base. It is always a risk to try something new but this risk is definitely worth taking.