Big Data and its' Importance in the Fitness Industry
The Fitness Industry is projected as one of the fastest growing Industries in the world. The development of fitness related devices such as fitness bands, heart rate trackers and mobile devices has resulted in fitness companies collecting tons of Big Data in relation to individuals’ health, fitness & lifestyle. It is thought to be the single best source of daily individual data ever created and this Big Data is important for the fitness industry as it can be utilized at a macro and micro levels for industry leaders and businesses alike for better decision making.
The Big Data gathered by IoT fitness trackers and devices collectively
has given a great insight into the fitness industry as the data generated is
not just confined to individual and device, it is collected and stored in the cloud,
refined and analysed into what the Scientific American has described as the “World’s
Biggest Health Study”. How is this data then used? For a start at a larger sale
this data collected is intertwined with the health industry and can be used by researchers
and healthcare providers to identify health trends and factors which influence
disease.
IoT devices such as the Fitbit and Garmin have become as
popular as the smartphone, tracking the activity of individuals, data gathered
from the user includes sleep cycle, eating habits, heart rate, and Sp02 levels.
This data can be used by health and fitness coaches to analyse the performance
and progress of individuals, personalising workouts and diet plans so that the
individual achieves their desired results as planned.
Gyms can also collect Big Data themselves which can be used
to grow and scale their business by collecting real time data on when and how their
gyms are utilized. Many gyms now operate a check-in/check-out system which members
use when entering and exiting the gym. This along with class booking systems can
enable gyms owners to collect data about their members such as what classes
they attend, how frequent they attend the gym, and how long they spend in the gym.
This data can then be used by gyms to segment their customer base and create
more targeted marking campaigns.
Overall Big Data can be Big Opportunity for the fitness
industry.
By Kelsey S.
Good read, Kelsey! Everybody has some sort of wearable tech these days - be it watches or rings even. Although I do also think your phone can track these things too - of course your phone has to be glued to your hand and if not the data isn't all that accurate - but still, better than nothing. There are a lot of benefits here when it comes to health and fitness and used correctly can no doubt have many benefits.
ReplyDeleteIt seems everyone is part of the “World's Biggest Health Study '' with so many people having devices that record health and fitness information. There really is the ability to have vast amounts of health data aggregated across large numbers of people. How this can be utilised is endless. There are more studies being conducted now on whether the data obtained from the devices is accurate. John Hopkins conducted a study to see if the sleep patterns of tracking devices actually work. There will be even more data to analyse with markets for new devices after further indepth research such as this being carried out. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/do-sleep-trackers-really-work
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed your blog, Kelsey. The cynic in me has been focusing on how the customer/consumer's data can be capitalised on, but your points on how this data can be used to inform the likes of fitness coaches and instructors shows there are clear, tangible benefits for those who wear them too! And, when used specifically by gyms to inform their offering, the customer also benefits.
ReplyDeleteSuper interesting blog post, Kelsey. Although wearable tech and other smart devices are providing such valuable data for businesses, it's also kind of scary from the consumer side of things to think that so much of our behaviour is being gathered and analysed without us understanding what we're agreeing to when buying these products. Ciara touched on this in her comment about how customer data is being capitalised on and I can see her point. I think those who understand the importance of big data could be doing more to make understanding it's value more accessible and less intimidating.
ReplyDeleteAs you mention in the blog, wearable technology is the best source of individual data being created. I would agree with this statement, they are able to track our every move, what we eat every day, our heart rate and they’re even monitoring us when we’re sleeping, there’s certainly no rest for Big Data! Another good point you mentioned was that gyms can collect their own big data by analysing specific times and days their members attend the gym and seeing if there’s a pattern over time. In turn, they could use this big data to either target through email the day they are expected to attend to entice them to return. Some of us may need more of a push than others to get up and go to the gym. Great blog!
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