Big Data impacts all aspects of our lives. Believe it or not, it goes beyond work- making its way into both your home and personal lives.
Let’s look at one area for now- one area that has a big effect on our personal lives: health and fitness. What ways can we use Big Data to become an overall healthier country? How can we use Big Data to customize fitness and diet plans? How is Big Data being used in wearable technology today?
Health and fitness have become an area of primary interest over the last few years- and for the right reasons. Current statistics from the NIH tell us that in the U.S, more than two thirds of adults are considered to be overweight or obese. More than one third of adults are considered to be obese and more than 1 in 20 have extreme obesity. There are many things that need to be done to change these statistics, but for now, Big Data can play a key role in bringing awareness and creating action plans.
The new generation of personal physical fitness tracking tools and apps are combining Big Data with mobile and wearable technology. These apps offer users the ability to record, save, track and monitor various data from their workouts to keep a consistent plan or improve in different areas. Many of these apps and devices are also offering users the ability to connect with other users to compare their progress and support each other.
Being able to physically see the data over a period of time becomes such a big part of beginning a new fitness plan. We want to see progress, and Big Data is giving us just that.
With all of that being said, the user-generated data that is being collected becomes a two way street. Not only is it accessible to our own eyes, but it is also being received by the companies who are making these products. This data provides them with the ability to tailor their updates and apps to what people want, or even combine their product with other apps to expand their capabilities and enhance the user experience.
The most popular companies and apps that are in the Big Data and fitness space today include: Nike + FuelBand, Garmin, TomTom, Jawbone, Pact, Fitbit, RunKeeper, MyFitnessPal, Moves, RxAnalytics, Strava, Runtastic, and MapMyFitness. All of these companies and apps are shaping how we stay fit in many different, new, and exciting ways.
Nearly two thirds of American adults own a smartphone today and these fitness apps and devices are competitive while still keeping to relatively low prices. This puts the power of Big Data and fitness in your hands!
Click here to learn more about where the big data revolution is taking us.
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