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A new WinterGreen Research report predicts that the global fitness wearables market will grow to reach $14.9 billion (£9.77bn) by 2021.

This growth will be driven by professional athletes, consumers and teams looking for a performance advantage.

The current focus in the fitness wearables market is not on what data can be shown, but on the meaningfulness of the data in improving and managing personal fitness and athletic performance. The devices are being used in teams to improve players' performance. They are also being used to increase the quality and level of exercise. Among sports teams, this kind of smart technology is expected to give a huge competitive edge to early adopters, which in turn will drive market growth.

Among recreational consumers and enterprise wellness programmes, wearable technology and software will make a big mark in fitness training, injury prevention and improving individual performance according to the report. The sports analytics market is expected to utilise wearables as it expands beyond on-field ply analysis to biometrics. Wearable fitness devices, together with sports analytics, are making it possible to analyse heart, muscle, joint, cadence, respiratory and endurance parameters of recreational and professional athletes.

In a broader context, the report predicts that smartphone adoption worldwide will reach 9.5 billion by the end of 2021. Apps are also being improved upon to provide motion tracking and other features suitable for sports or fitness applications. As professionals increase their use of fitness wearables, amateur and semi-professional athletes will also adopt the technology.

 

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