The GoWear fit system measures calories and activity throughout your day- time at the gym, while shopping, playing with the kids, doing household chores, sitting at the movies, even sleeping. In other words, when you’re wearing it, you’re measuring your life!
This is the crux behind BodyMedia, the company that makes the GoWear Fit Calorie Managment System. According to Ivo Stivoric, Co-Founder of BodyMedia and the company’s Chief Technology Officer and VP of New Products, “We’ve spent a lot of time studying weight management from a clinical perspective. Many variables are involved in overall good health and fitness, and our mission is to harness the power of technology so it can measure all of these variables that aid in good healthy direction and choices.”
The GoWear device does offer appeal to the masses, taking a do-it-yourself-style approach to measuring calories. A competitor, bodybugg, accompanies device sales with personal coaching and membership add-ons. In other words, fitness clubs use the bodybugg in conjunction with a set program, show you how, when and where to use it, and what to do with the information you gather from it.
[adsense]The GoWear Fit system encourages users to take matters into their own hands, using their state-of-the-art monitoring system, and then subsequently charging you with the task to use that information in a productive fitness, eating and sleeping regiment on your own terms.
A major difference with GoWear and other devices is the fact that it not only monitors your “active time”, but it also looks at your hours of sleep and your sleep efficiency. There is a lot of connection to weight management and good sleep, so in effect, the GoWear Fit system offers a more balanced system. It knows you’re sleeping and it can see your sleep interruptions, providing invaluable information to help you improve in that area as well. “Everything is a function of the sensors,” says Stivoric. “The GoWear fit device really takes advantage of its own sensor technology by being able to measure a lot of your life’s movement and idle time. From that, you are empowered to make the necessary changes and improvements.”
The biggest thing BodyMedia is focused on is providing a dashboard for people, so they can engage active health managment. “Whether it’s weight management or diabetes or other conditions, that’s what were in the business of doing as a user standpoint, moving product line and technology along to achieve wellness. GoWear fit and future devices are the foundation for looking at answers to good health”, says Stivoric. ($249 armband and display, www.gowearfit.com)
