Wearable Technology: Helping People Take Charge of Their Health and Fitness

It used to be that if you wanted an update on your overall health, you would have to visit your doctor’s office where medical professionals would check your vital signs. Now, you no longer need to make that trip to see your doctor. Instead, you can get a baseline snapshot of your health just by using a wearable technology device that collects this type of data in real-time. The data collection capabilities of wearable technology devices can cover a broad range of health metrics depending on the apps that are built into these devices. With the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and communication capabilities powering wearable technology devices, these electronics can be a valuable tool in helping people take charge of their own health and fitness.

Joel Martin, associate professor of the Kinesiology Program and director of operations of the Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing (S.M.A.R.T.) Laboratory at George Mason University, recently shared his thoughts on how wearable technology can improve an individual’s ability to monitor their own health.

The data collection capabilities of wearable technology can help a person assess their health status.

Wearable technology devices provide a 24/7 feed of data points that are critical measures of an individual’s baseline health status. These devices can be powerful tools that enable a person to detect any changes in their overall health or well-being that may occur. Because of the communication capabilities of these devices, the data they collect can be delivered electronically to a person’s physician. This can result in a more comprehensive medical record that details a person’s health history, which in turn can support more informed decision-making on preventative health care and wellness strategies.

The data collected by wearables can track day-to-day changes in health readings and show trends over a longer period. This can give a person the information they need to address health problems as soon as they arise. Sudden and unexplained variations in data readings can be an early warning of a health condition that may require the more immediate attention of a physician. For example, wearable technology devices might show abnormal and persistent changes in resting heart rate which could indicate a risk of heart disease. Readings of this nature would prompt the individual to seek medical care. This could potentially avert a medical crisis that otherwise might have occurred had the data providing an early warning sign of heart disease not been readily available.

The integration of AI with wearable technology allows these devices to personalize recommendations on health strategies and preventative measures.

The integration of AI with wearable technology enables these devices to develop personalized recommendations tailored to the individual wearing these devices. The recommendations are based on the AI algorithm analysis of the data points collected over time which reflect the person’s lifestyle behaviors and fitness habits. For example, a device might send an alert to an individual who has been working at their desk for an extended time that they have been sedentary for too long and recommend that they engage in some physical activity. Another example could be a notification informing an individual that they need to get at least eight hours of sleep to ensure adequate recovery after a vigorous workout.

Fitness trackers can help individuals meet exercise goals.

Sticking to an exercise program can sometimes be difficult. Individuals may become discouraged if they feel that they are not making enough progress in their fitness journey. Wearable technology can help individuals set small, achievable goals such as the number of steps taken during the day or during a workout session. This can bolster a person’s self-confidence and increase their belief that they can improve their physical fitness.

Wearables can play a key role in helping individuals track the intensity and duration of their workouts. Through a wearable device, an individual can determine if they have reached the desired heart rate zone calculated as a percentage of their maximum heart rate. Each heart rate zone (there are five) requires the expenditure of a certain amount of energy during exercise and is linked to specific fitness goals such as weight loss, building endurance, increasing strength, or improving cardiovascular health. The information recorded by a wearable device allows an individual to structure their exercise program so that they can reach their desired goals and derive the maximum benefit from working out.

Wearable technology continues to rank first among fitness trends worldwide.

Wearable technology continued its ranking as first among the top twenty trends in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 2025 Worldwide Fitness Trends survey. An article describing the survey results notes that wearables “can support healthy lifestyle behavior change through goal setting, personalized coaching, or connecting with apps to provide actionable insights.”

For more information on degree offerings in the Kinesiology Program at George Mason University, please visit the program website.