With sleeker designs and more high-tech options in workout apparel, shoes and health-monitoring devices, golfers and fitness buffs have plenty of choices when it comes to looking cool when golfing, staying active or working out.
“Fitness, as a whole, is on the rise. Consumers want to be healthier, and it’s a trend that continues to grow,” said Eric VanSlyke, a spokesman for TomTom. “Modern design and state of the art technology are a must in today’s fitness bands.”
Companies such as Mio, Fitbit, Garmin, Withings and Tom Tom produce bands and watches that can track steps, keep time and calculate calories burned in addition to measuring speed, distance, heart rate and sleep. Mio also has developed a wrist-based heart monitor that detects the volume of blood beneath your skin and applies an algorithm to measure your heart’s rhythm and display its rate.
“Heart rate is becoming recognized by everyday consumers as an important metric to monitor the effectiveness of your activity,” said Liz Dickinson, founder and CEO of Mio Global. “It used to be that heart rate monitors were only used by competitive athletes or for medical purposes, but now fitness seekers are seeing the benefits in using it to get the most out of their workouts.”
Another trend with monitoring devices is the variety of materials being used and the ability to add elements of style to go along with the ways heart rate and fitness zones can be personalized.
“I can see a tendency for going to more natural materials, like soft fabrics, compression fabrics and even natural leathers,” Dickinson said. “Breathability is a natural quest from users, especially in the sports and fitness areas.”
Another recent development is the ability for fitness bands to play – and store – music.
“It’s no secret that people love listening to music when they work out, and most people are using their phones as their main music device,” VanSlyke said. “But that can feel bulky bouncing around in your pocket, not to mention having to deal with the cord or headphones. Our music storage feature on our new Spark allows consumers to leave their phone in the locker room or at home and still get to enjoy your favorite music through the watch and our wireless Bluetooth headphones.”
Golfers have always been a key focus for Garmin, which has several yardage-measuring devices that can be held in the hand or worn on the wrist. The company has now gotten into the fitness game as well with devices such as its Approach X40 that measures distances to hazards and the green in addition to monitoring calories burned, distance walked and a user’s heart rate and physical intensity levels.
