Over half of UK gym-goers (53%) claim to regularly wear fitness trackers when working out at the gym, with 28% claiming to always wear one, according to a survey by Better.
The charitable social enterprise polled 2,000 UK gym-goers to find out how the gadgets affect motivation.
Since using a fitness tracker, over half (55%) of respondents experienced increased motivation, 53% noticed they are exercising more frequently and consistently and 48% started to reach their goals. Overall, the most frequent users of fitness trackers were men between the ages of 45-54.
Those who used fitness trackers are twice as likely to enjoy their gym workout (61%) compared to those who don’t (30%). Additionally, those who always use fitness trackers claim to be more confident in the gym (48%) than those who don’t (13%).
When asked about the main reason for monitoring fitness activity respondents claimed tracking progress was the most important reason (71%). Nearly one in three (62%) do so for increased motivation to reach fitness goals and just under half (46%) track their activity to understand their body better. Almost a third of users say they track activity to give training a competitive edge when measuring results against their friends.
The Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends 2020 named wearable technology as the Number One industry trend, as it has been since 2016. Additionally, by 2023, the Global wearable fitness tracker market is set to be worth £47,552 million by 2023 according to the latest Global Wearable Fitness Tracker Market Research Report.
Better spoke to Dr Haider Raad, wearable tech expert and professor at Xavier University in Ohio, USA, to find out why fitness tracker have such a positive impact on a person’s exercise life. Dr Raad stated “The consistency and motivation experienced by the respondents are attributed to the immediate feedback and useful data available while exercising…the user could instantly get a sense of how their performance metrics are contributing to their fitness goals.
The real-time data provided by these trackers about the workout intensity, heart rate, number of calories burnt, kilometres walked, etc. could be highly effective at creating an engaging workout experience.”
For more information, please visit: https://www.better.org.uk/lp/fitness-tracker-benefits