Is Exercise Technology Too Interactive? A Boomer’s Perspective on Fitness Technology

I like technology.

There, I said it.

For someone of my generation, that admission may require a little explanation. I grew up in an era when a bicycle had two wheels, a speedometer was something you put on your car, and the most sophisticated piece of athletic technology available was probably a stopwatch—and you had to find someone willing to operate it. Today, my bicycle can tell me my speed, cadence, heart rate, power output, elevation, distance, direction, temperature, wind conditions and, apparently, whether I have successfully completed the ceremonial act of recording all of those things.

And that’s where I sometimes wonder: Has exercise technology become a little too interactive?

When Exercise Technology Starts Demanding My Attention

My primary complaint isn’t that technology provides too much information. As an athlete, I actually appreciate information. My complaint is that some of my equipment seems to believe that every piece of information deserves my immediate attention.

I don’t always agree.

Take wind, for example. Suppose I’ve been riding into a stiff headwind for the last 20 miles. I’m pedaling along, working hard, adjusting my effort and generally aware that Mother Nature has apparently decided I haven’t suffered enough. Then my cycling computer announces: WIND ADVISORY.

Thank you. I had noticed.

Not Every Fitness Notification Is Useful Information

This distinction is important. Good exercise technology should help an athlete understand what’s happening with their body or performance. Heart rate, power, pace, cadence, elevation, recovery data and other measurements can provide useful information—particularly when they’re considered in context rather than treated as isolated numbers.

But not every notification has equal value.

For example, I can appreciate being warned about an actual change in conditions that might affect my safety. That’s useful. But telling me that somebody reportedly saw a loose dog somewhere in a neighborhood at some unspecified time in the past? That’s different.

Dogs just go with the territory when you’re a cyclist.

I’ve encountered loose dogs, aggressive dogs, curious dogs, lazy dogs and dogs who apparently believe chasing bicycles is their life’s calling. I’m not suggesting that safety warnings are unnecessary, but the usefulness of an alert depends on its relevance, timing and context.

When I’m riding, I would generally prefer to spend my attention on riding. That’s particularly true when I’m dealing with traffic, road conditions, terrain, weather, fatigue or the occasional dog with questionable career aspirations.

The Case for Exercising Without Technology

This has led to an interesting countertrend in fitness: exercising without technology. No watch. No computer. No heart-rate monitor. No music/podcast. No GPS. Just you and the activity.

Some athletes refer to this as going “naked.”

I understand the appeal.

There’s something refreshing about riding a bicycle simply because you enjoy riding a bicycle. There is value in occasionally removing the measurement from the experience and allowing your body to tell you something instead.

How do my legs feel? How is my breathing? Do I feel strong today? Am I tired? Am I enjoying this?

Those are useful questions, too.

But I don’t think the answer has to be an all-or-nothing proposition of technology or no technology. Sometimes the vacation from beeps and screens can be rejuvenating and remind us why we took up sport in the first place.

Give Athletes Information That Improves Performance

My relationship with exercise technology is actually pretty simple. I like numbers. I like knowing what my body is doing. I like looking at my performance after a workout and seeing how my pace, power, heart rate or other measurements compare with previous efforts. There’s something satisfying about watching the numbers change over time. And let’s be honest: those numbers can also provide a convenient excuse for complaining.

My personal records are important enough to celebrate and my less reliable personal records are important enough to blame on wind, temperature, equipment, road surfaces, traffic, hydration, nutrition, planetary alignment and—when absolutely necessary—my age.

A good athlete knows when to accept responsibility. A veteran athlete knows when to get creative about avoiding it.

The serious point is that the information is useful because it tells me something about my performance. That’s where technology earns its place.

I May Be a Boomer, But I’m Still Generating Data

Keeping all of this in perspective, when I look around at the people I knew when I was younger, there are noticeably fewer members of my generation still actively participating in sports. My high school publications (obituaries) are certainly one indication of that. Some people have accumulated injuries, responsibilities and the assorted complications that come with getting older. That makes the ability to complain about my current performance statistics something of a privilege.

I’m still here. I’m still riding, and I’m still generating enough numbers to complain about them.

I’ll take it.

“Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all.”
― Arthur C. Clarke