When exercise got a score

Over the past few weeks we’ve been exploring how technology has shaped exercise over time.
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We started about 150 years ago with some of the earliest tools that changed how people moved — bicycles, spring resistance machines, and some fascinating home exercise inventions.
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Then we moved into the era when music made movement personal. Walkmans, Discmen, iPods, and eventually the playlists many of us carry on our phones today.
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Last week I shared a story from my synchronized swimming days, when a new piece of training technology changed how we practiced and stayed connected to the rhythm of the routine.
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Each of those moments reflected a shift in how technology interacted with movement.
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But in the past 15–20 years, something different has happened.
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Technology stopped just surrounding our movement.
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It started measuring it.
 ✔ Step counters.
 ✔ Heart rate monitors.
 ✔ Sleep tracking.
 ✔ GPS watches

Suddenly movement wasn’t just something we experienced.
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It was something we could track.
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Devices like Fitbit and the Apple Watch made it possible to see how many steps we take in a day, how our heart rate responds to exercise, and even how well we sleep at night.
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For many people, this information has been incredibly motivating.
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It can bring awareness to patterns we might not otherwise notice.
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But here’s something I see often from a movement perspective.
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More information doesn’t always mean more clarity.
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Sometimes people end up with lots of data but aren’t quite sure what to do with it.
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Your watch might tell you your heart rate.
Your phone might tell you your step count.
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But neither one can fully answer a very personal question:
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Your body has always been giving you information.
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Technology has simply given us new ways to notice it.
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And that’s where this story of exercise technology gets even more interesting.
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For most of human history, technology helped us move.
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Now it’s starting to help us understand how we move.
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More on that next week. 
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Before we get there, I’m curious about one more thing.
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 Have you ever used a fitness tracker or wearable device?
A Fitbit?
An Apple Watch?
A GPS running watch?
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Did you find the data helpful, motivating, confusing… or a bit of all three?
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If a thought comes to mind, comment below and let me know. I always enjoy hearing your perspectives.
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Stay well and happy moving,
Lisa