Heart rate variability – what to know about this biometric most fitness trackers measure

Tiny fluctuations in the time between each beat of your heart can provide clues about how much stress your body is experiencing.

Anne R. Crecelius, Associate Professor of Health and Sport Science, University of Dayton • conversation
Dec. 26, 2022 • ~8 min

A boom in fitness trackers isn't leading to a boom in physical activity – men, women, kids and adults in developed countries are all moving less

Research is revealing that fitness trackers alone can be helpful facilitators toward changing a sedentary lifestyle but don’t motivate people to increase their physical activity.

Lindsay Toth, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, University of North Florida • conversation
May 4, 2022 • ~8 min

Wyss Institute develops face masks to detect COVID

A team of researchers from the Wyss Institute has found a way to embed synthetic biology reactions into fabrics, creating wearable biosensors that can be customized to detect pathogens and toxins and alert the wearer.

Lindsay Brownell • harvard
June 28, 2021 • ~10 min

It's far too easy for abusers to exploit smart toys and trackers

We believe fitness trackers keep us healthy, and connected toys keep children safe – but such devices are easily abused.

Madeline Carr, Professor of Global Politics and Cybersecurity, UCL • conversation
June 4, 2021 • ~8 min

Connected workouts can help you get fit alongside virtual buddies during the pandemic

From step counters and active video games to apps for exercisers and tech-enabled gear, there are a lot of ways to combine your workouts with your digital life.

Karin Pfeiffer, Professor of Kinesiology, Michigan State University • conversation
Jan. 7, 2021 • ~9 min

Wearable fitness devices deliver early warning of possible COVID-19 infection

Fitness information like resting heart rate collected by wearable devices can't diagnose diseases, but it can signal when something is wrong. That can be enough to prompt a COVID-19 test.

Albert H. Titus, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York • conversation
Aug. 7, 2020 • ~9 min

Fitness tracker data could predict your marathon performance – new research

Training data collected by fitness trackers may be useful to predict marathon performance

Barry Smyth, Professor of Computer Science, University College Dublin • conversation
June 23, 2020 • ~4 min

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