By Kaleigh Homer ’15

Like dieting, fitness goes through its share of trendy fixes. Aerobics, Pilates, Cross fit, etc. The list goes on and on. But the newest trend is not an exercise but a device. The Fitbit is a new 3D motion sensor that tracks one’s daily activities and one’s sleep patterns at night. The Fitbit is an all in one pedometer that has everything one needs to be a healthier, more motivated person.

When picking out the right pedometer, one should consider which stats would be most useful because there are many different types of Fitbits. The first is called a Zip, which is a small pedometer that a person can easily clip onto his or her belt. All the other pedometers are in bracelet form like the One, the Flex, the Charge, the Charge HR and the newest one called the Surge. Pedometers range from $59.99 all the way up to $249.95.

The Fitbits work like iPods so the Zip is like the first generation Nano iPod. The Zip is able to count one’s steps, calories and distance, and has a clock that can count the number of minutes he or she have been active for that day. The Surge has GPS tracking, heat rate tracking, and it also tracks all-day activities such as the number of steps taken and distance walked. The Surge also has multi-sport, which means one can track his or her cardio workouts and view the workout summaries that the device provides.

According to Entrepreneurship magazine, the total number of wearable devices with fitness and wellness applications will grow from 16.2 million in 2011 to 93 million in 2017. The magazine also predicts that revenue from sports and wellness mobile apps will rise from $123 million in 2010 to $341 million in 2016.