Fit tech & gadgets: how much do they contribute to your performance? 

So, you’ve treated yourself to the next best fit tech for Christmas and you’ve already set your 2022 fitness goals. This year is going to be your year! Over the last decade, the fit-tech industry has boomed and whether you’re looking to lose weight, lower your stress level or enhance your sporting performance… there’s an app or gadget for all our health and wellbeing needs. But what if we’re so busy looking for the next ​performance-enhancing gadget, that we forget to ​tune into what matters the most – our body – the chief vessel itself? 

No matter how we dress it, style it, mask it and measure it… if we’re not educating ourselves on our body’s unique structure, its abilities and limitations, strengths and weaknesses, then we may never know exactly how to reach our full potential.  Before we start setting goals on a gadget, it’s important to understand exactly how our body works uniquely. What underlying problems could be holding us back and what could our body be capable of with the right training? 

“A runner might set a 2022 goal of beating their best PB yet. But at the same time, they could be completely unaware of having reduced flexibility in their lower limb muscles, asymmetry in strength between legs, or even running gait flaws, just to mention a few! All of these aspects can put runners off balance, altering their gait and slowing them down as a whole” Without identifying that, they’d be measuring their goals, training, and checking in on their fit tech while being completely unaware of a small structural change they could make that would take their running performance to another level entirely.” Says senior musculoskeletal physiotherapist, Ludovica Pasquinucci. 

How useful is fit tech for achieving new performance goals? 

Today we are more curious than ever to know as much as possible about our overall wellness, which encompasses everything from working out and eating well to mindfulness and sleep quality. And it goes without saying that fit tech apps and gadgets have been a true blessing. When gyms across the country shut down, they helped many of us stay sane during lockdown.  

As the fitness industry pivoted online to survive, gyms improved their digital offerings and members improved their home set-ups, investing in a range of equipment, apps, wearables, and fitness trackers. Personal trainers, yoga instructors and physiotherapists even extended their services to virtual appointments. Digital fitness is here to stay. 

Whatever your goal, there is no doubt that smart health and fitness products and apps can help you get there. Fitness trackers, in all their forms, provide valuable data for those who are serious about tracking progress, measuring goals and enhancing their performance. Apple has added an electrocardiogram (ECG) function, which allows for an even more detailed analysis of your heart health. Meanwhile, Fitbit’s latest watch works with more advanced heart rate sensors that use algorithms to reveal insights on your heart while giving instantaneous feedback during your workout. You can even measure heart rate, cadence, and steps with this Hexoskin high-tech tank. 

Can fit tech do it all? 

Fit tech just keeps getting better. But what happens to your snazzy gadgets when you get injured? Unfortunately, tech in all its wearable glory, can’t yet help you identify an injury, it’s cause, how to recover, or how to prevent it from happening again. That’s where a bespoke a physiotherapy treatment plan steps forward while your fit tech patiently waits for you to return.  

However, if you’re familiar with physiotherapy, then you’ll know that it’s not all about injury recovery. Self-awareness and discovery are essential to self-improvement. Because every body is different and truly understanding how your body functions uniquely, can provide invaluable and performance enhancing information. And Bodycheck is the perfect place to start – a bespoke assessment, and head-to-toe MOT, designed to identify and optimise your personal strengths and weaknesses, catch underlying problems early, and create a personalised programme that enables you to increase your performance, plot progress and reach your body’s maximum potential. So you can go on using your fitness gadgets with a fuller understanding of what your body can really achieve…