Why is fitness and technology so poor? Do you remember that belt that vibrated your bottom like it was supposed to? What about those awful rubber suits that made your sweat seem like it was a waterfall? This was not a smart idea.
There have been many clunky heart-rate monitors in the past. While the first of these devices appeared in 1800, wearable technology was not available for mass consumption until much later.
A Finnish professor at the University of Oulu created the first wireless tracker in 1977 for the National Cross-Country Ski Team. He founded Polar Electro, the first company to make heart rate monitors that are accessible to everyone.
This technology was adopted by Orangetheory early. The heart rate monitors are, if you will pardon the pun, at the heart and soul of our workouts. Training based on optimal heart rates zones is what truly sets us apart. It is the hardest part of working out.
According to The New York Times, a study of 120 Canadians revealed that many participants overestimated the intensity of their exercise. Their workouts were not as intense as they should have been.
Denise Howard is an excellent example. After taking kickboxing classes for some time, she stopped feeling the benefits.
She says, “My body never felt like it was pushing me,”
She knows when to increase her effort or decrease it to reap the health benefits. Orangetheory Fitness member, she puts on her OTbeat Burn(tm), before every class.
It allows her to track her progress in real-time — every calorie burned and every Splat Point earned, every heartbeat counted and every second spent in each color zone. All that information is available on a tablet right in front her, regardless of whether she’s on the floor, the rower, or on the treadmill. She can also access it on the Orangetheory app whenever she needs to.
Orangetheory founder Ellen Latham says, “What you don’t measure, you can’t achieve.”
There are many fitness trackers available on the market, which is not surprising. According to Forbes.com, the wearable industry (including smart watches), will reach $27 billion by 2023. Orangetheory’s wearables can be used seamlessly with studio technology. This allows members to concentrate on their workout and not log in.
“You can say, Yeah! I sweat a lot,’ but without an Orangetheory watch, how can you tell how long you were in Orangezone?” Aaron Santiso is a Fort Lauderdale physical therapist and has been part Orangetheory’s Medical Advisory Board since 2005. Can we predict the physiological benefits of Orangetheory? Without the data, it’s impossible to predict what will happen.
Orangetheory’s trifecta of science and coaching is also available as wearables. Each of these are essential to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Orangetheory is all about helping you understand science and love your coach. But technology, the third side of the triangle, will help you determine what your body needs. Maybe you need to increase your exercise or slow down. Perhaps you have reached a plateau. The coach can help you overcome the obstacle by using the data from the heart rate monitor.
Aaron states, “Maybe you don’t feel like pushing yourself but the Burn lets your know that you might have more drive in you.” It might be saying, “C’mon, row just slightly faster, or a little harder. You can do it a little faster. Keep it there. Keep it there.
Data is the key. We can see more clearly what we are trying to achieve if we have a measurable Burn device.
Kent Chapman lives in Calgary, Canada and relies on his wearable to hold him accountable. After his January 2016 first class, he bought the wearable. He says he was adamant that he would buy it after his first class in January 2016. He’s now three years old, has lost weight, gained confidence, and stamina and has converted his wife, as well as other family members, to Orangetheory followers.
Kent says that technology is crucial to success. “Being able understand your time in orange, red and green zones, and being in a position to push yourself further to get to another zone, is key.”
Who knows where your journey to More Life might take you if you connect your heart and your workout? You will be able see exactly where your journey is taking you.
