As fitness trackers such as Fitbit, Nike+ FuelBand and Jawbone Up rise in popularity, so does the technology’s presence in health clubs, as more and more members use fitness trackers to monitor workouts, diets and more. Nasario Mejia, the vice president of fitness for Crunch, believes fitness trackers have a definite impact on member behavior.
“These devices allow you to understand where you have challenges and the best way to go about correcting your path to ensure success,” explained Mejia. “In addition, these devices have created a competitive environment where individuals can share information via social media, results consoles or direct feedback from the device. This has increased people’s awareness of not just their fitness programs, but also that of the individuals in their immediate circles.”
To Mejia, this impact is a good thing. “[Fitness trackers] allow the individual to count calories, get heart rate, track workouts and overall monitor [their] activity,” he said. “They also provide, in some cases, real time feedback on the success of the fitness program.”
With this in mind, when members sign up to work with a personal trainer, Crunch has begun suggesting members also purchase a fitness tracker. Specifically, Crunch favors dotFit’s Exerspy armband. Mejia prefers this device, “Because it is backed by substantial and well-founded science,” he said. “Not only is it one of the most accurate devices available, but it is also supported by one of the most comprehensive online programs on the market.”
Crunch’s personal trainers even go through an extensive certification process to ensure they’re aware of the science and technology behind Exerspy.
With Exerspy, members gain access to the online dotFIT nutrition program, and the armband tracks information such as calories burned, steps taken and physical activity. “Using the Exerspy takes the guesswork out of managing your calorie expenditure,” continued Mejia. “It also allows you to measure your sleep efficiency, which is extremely important in the recovery phase of a fitness program. Combining it with the online nutrition program connects the user with very valuable information regarding calories consumed throughout the day.”
According to Mejia, any member — no matter what their age, gender or fitness level is — could benefit from tracking their fitness with any device. “I actually believe fitness trackers are applicable to any member who is looking to achieve a goal or just wants to increase awareness of what he or she is achieving inside the club,” he said. “They can be used to lose weight, gain weight or simply improve performance in some sort of sport or activity. The feedback individuals gain from these devices is invaluable and can be utilized to improve fitness goals by just about anybody.”
By using these devices, Mejia believes clubs will witness members having a higher amount of success reaching their fitness goals. “Anytime you actually receive feedback on your progress, regardless of your event, the rate of success is much higher,” he said. “These devices allow you to understand where you have challenges and the best way to go about correcting your path to ensure success.”
By Rachel Zabonick
