The Ultimate Guide To Health And Fitness Tech In 2020

Whether you’re just getting started counting steps or training for a triathlon with the help of technology, here’s exactly what you need to amp up your fitness routine this year.

- Jill Duffy

Google will pay $2.1 billion for Fitbit, according to announcements from both companies last November. Fitbit has been around only since 2007, but it’s a star in the fitness-tech world. It’s hardly the only one: Garmin, a company founded in 1989 and once known for GPS devices, saw 28 percent growth in its fitness division from the third quarter of 2018 to the same period in 2019. And just a few years ago in 2015, fitness clothing maker Under Armour bought MyFitnessPal, a free app that does little more than let users count calories. The price: $475 million. There’s big money behind fitness tech—and for good reason.

The market for fitness technology is vast, strong, and growing. It encompasses everything from weight-loss apps to socks with built-in running sensors. Fitness tech has gone mainstream, as wrist devices incorporate heart rate monitors, step counters, and sleep-detecting technology. Your bathroom scale can now check your heart health, and your full-length mirror can use augmented reality to become a virtual exercise class.

I’ve reviewed lots of products in all these categories; here’s a comprehensive overview of what I’ve found to be the best assists for your health and fitness.

FITNESS TRACKERS

Fitness trackers are at the heart of the fitness technology movement. They have broad appeal; practically anybody can use them. And you can extend a fitness tracker’s capabilities by connecting it to other devices and apps. But their main appeal is that they can create a snapshot of your physical fitness at any given time—how active you are, your weight fluctuation, your resting heart rate, how many calories you consume. When you can see and understand your lifestyle, you’re better empowered to make healthy changes.