assisted living and elderly care.” The true potential for exoskeletons has still to be experienced, however. Tech and aging expert Andrew


Carle suggests that lighter exoskele- tons could impact the need for wheel- chairs, canes and assistive devices. Exoskeletons could also affect such things as home care and caregiving. And, yes they could also impact the fit- ness industry. So, will frail adults function bet-


ter with an exoskeleton suit? What about individuals whose lives have been changed by stroke, multiple scle- rosis, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) or Parkinson’s? How will exoskeletons impact the fitness industry? We’ll have to wait and see, of course, but indica- tors point to immense ripple effects. Factor in the potential market for


soft exosuits, which one CEO calls “powered clothing.” Made of technical fabrics, these garments sense where and when people need “a little bit of strength” and deliver it, says Rich Mahoney in a recent NBC News MACH article. Think about the potential im- pact in an aging society. Who would have thought even a


few years ago that we would entertain the concept of a fashionable robotic suit that could transform how we func- tion and age? Yet, here we are.


Wearables for wellness Another area of technology to pay at- tention to is wearables, which may re- shape the possibilities for better dis- ease prevention and health promotion. A recent MarketsandMarkets report predicts that the wearable technology market will reach USD$51.60 billion by 2022 at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 15.51 percent between 2016 and 2022. No wonder Harvard Medical School professor John J. Ratey, MD, calls wearables “the biggest thing in high-tech these days.” Whether they are worn for health


or performance purposes, wearables can tell your members, as well as their support teams (personal trainer, nutri- tionist, doctor, physiotherapist, etc.), what is occurring within their bod- ies in real time. Timely data provides opportunities for more immediate, precise recommendations. As an ex- ample, if individuals are training for a 5K walk, they (and you) can monitor performance indicators (such as heart


“These technologies will become part of our lives going well beyond shelter, water and ‘Did you take your medications today?’”


rate and oxygen level) and adjust to improve outcomes. If tracking overall health is the goal, they (and you) can do so as well. Wearables can be worn on a wrist or


in a shirt, underwear or pants. It’s pos- sible to use feedback from these tools to monitor changes in everything from blood pressure and blood sugar, to en- ergy, memory and stability. Physicians can also be alerted if vital signs show change, and even when an immediate risk of heart attack is recognized. In fact, wearable technology may act as a first responder by dialing 911 when needed, sending an ambulance and us- ing GPS to give directions. In most cases, though, wearables


will simply enable a team to provide real-time diagnoses and responses. This is a very important point. Our customers today demand more re- al-time precision health and fitness solutions. This brings me to something that


Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Joseph Coughlin, PhD, stressed in an interview earlier this year. “Wearables are becoming the new health platform, particularly for chronic conditions and the like,” says Coughlin. However, “the challenge for the Internet of Things and the related wearables market is that they become only the platform for the ‘medicaliza- tion’ of aging.” He believed they would fail if they did so. According to Coughlin, “These


technologies will become part of our lives when they introduce more than medical care in quantified living about how well I feel today. When it’s about how well they introduce fun, how well they remind me of places and spac- es I’ve enjoyed, how well they remind me of how to connect with friends and family—so going well beyond shelter, water and ‘Did you take your medica- tions today?’” Whether for medical care, perfor-


mance or lifestyle, wearables have the capacity to monitor and inspire


change. But, these devices need to be fun and to connect us to more than our heart rate. As fitness professionals and organizations, we need to under- stand the options available, what they can achieve and what we can do to get the most out of them.


Transformation is underway As a society, we want to live longer and live well. And we increasingly look to technology to help improve our func- tion, independence and quality of life as we age. Advances in technol- ogy will provide new and additional ways for the active-aging industry to support older-adult health and well- being. This opportunity is not to be underestimated. According to a 2016 white pa-


per from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and the CTA Foundation, the active-aging mar- ket in the United States alone—older adults and their family caregivers— “represented a $24.4-billion market opportunity in 2015 and will grow to $42.7 billion in 2020.” This reflects a 12 percent compound annual growth rate over this period “for tech products that support a proactive way of living that balances growing older with the active pursuit of quality of life.”


• Will the above technologies


transform our lives and those of our members? • Will we embrace a control centre


for health and well-being in biometric clothing? • Will a wearable robotic exoskel-


eton become a fashion statement that improves function and quality of life?


Only the future will tell. But tech-


nology will surely help us re-imagine— and disrupt—the way we age. FBC


Colin Milner, is the CEO of the International Council on Active Aging®. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.


November/December 2017 Fitness Business Canada 25


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