Fitness Carter: CES 2014 Preview: Health and Fitness Tech

In 2013, technologies promoting fitness and health found their footing among a mass consumer audience like never before. The quantified-self movement, in conjunction with good-old-fashioned self improvement, merged to create a market of people hungry for data that could help them make actionable changes in their activity levels, diet, and overall wellness.

Dozens of activity trackers ^[1] and hundreds of apps and websites promoting a better you took off, made money (to put it bluntly), and are now in a position to experiment with people's comfort zones. And where better to see how these companies will push the envelope than at the International CES, which kicks off in Las Vegas next week?

The upcoming 2014 CES will expand its digital fitness show floor space by 30 percent ^[2] compared to the year prior, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. Here's a sneak peek at some of the innovations I expect to see.

Tracking Taken Further
In 2014, quantified selfers will have more data to track than ever before. We'll see a serious uptick in the kinds of measurements different devices collect.

The most rudimentary fitness trackers work like smart pedometers, collecting information about how many steps you take, and how those steps tally up to miles. Already, several trackers capture more advanced measurements than distance alone: stairs climbed, sleep, intense movement, heart rate, perspiration, and skin temperature.

Moving forward, however, more sensors will incorporate heart rate monitoring without a chest strap, following in the footsteps of the MIO Alpha BLE ^[3] , Basis B1 Band ^[4] , and Withings Pulse ^[5] , which all contain a heart rate sensor that does not have to sit on your sternum.

And new metrics, such as muscle quality and the amount of oxygen in the blood stream, will start to be implemented in everyday consumer electronics.

Power of the Network
Networks will play an even more important role in the fitness-technology revolution, too. In the home, we could start to see wellness trackers take on all-new roles, monitoring wellness behaviors rather than just activity. Has your child brushed her teeth? Did you drink eight glasses of water today? Trackers will start to be used in new ways, and when they're connected by a network, we'll rely less and less on self-reported data and more on information actually captured by these devices.

Wearables Redefined
The majority of wearable devices for fitness come in two forms: clip-ons and wristbands. Get ready for wearable fitness devices to take on all-new meaning this year (be prepared for "wearables" to become part of the consumer lexicon). Bracelets and watches are all well and good, but advances in technology are making it possible for "smart" bras, socks, and other clothing to finally reach the masses. It won't just be specialty products for niche sports markets (like the Reebok Checklight impact-detecting skull cap ^[6] ), although they may still steer toward sports and fitness enthusiasts for another year or two.

PCMag will be in Las Vegas for CES next week, so check back for all the big news.

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