5.

Omnipotent

ELECTRONIC FITNESS TRACKERS

Pre-listening activity

1. Are you in the favor of the use of fitness trackers?

2. Name a few fitness trackers that you are familiar with

Fill in the first two columns of the table according to the

instructions. Then read the text and fill in the third column.

Instructions

KNEW – the information that you already knew before reading the

text

WOULD LIKE TO KNOW- the information that you would like to

know

HAVE KNOWN – the information that you have known after reading

the text
The Origin of Fitness Trackers

Fitness trackers are devices that are used by people to keep track of

various body parameters like pulse, step detection, heart rate variability,

blood oxygenation, body temperature, and such others. There are

wearable as well as non-wearable trackers. They are aided by the

wireless heart rate monitors in the polar watches of the 1980s. Later,

mobile phones incorporated 3D accelerometers which measure

movement and vibration in a three-dimensional space. Fitness trackers

also track sleep using a process named actigraphy. It translates wrist

movements into sleep patterns. Though it is a useful guide, it is not as

accurate as polysomnography, which is used by the experts to measure

sleep in a lab, and also monitor brain activity.

The Process of Fitness Tracking

Wearable fitness trackers require the users’ physiological details such

as their weight, height, gender to gather accurate data. There are

numerous sensors added to a tracker, but motion sensors are the most

commonly used sensors to determine body movements. Wearable

trackers continuously sense the movements of the body on a 3 axis

accelerometer. The data is recorded throughout, since the time it is worn

and powered up. It enables the tracker to trace if the individual is

walking forward, running fast, or even standing still. The collected data

is stored in the tracker for further processing. Processing occurs when

the data is transferred to the software associated with the fitness tracker

on the smartphone or laptop with which it is synced. The data collected

is later run through a personalized algorithm. This makes it possible for

the software to detect what the different movements recorded actually

imply. It categorizes the movements into different activities and then

generates more information based on these details. These are usually

stored under different headings in the fitness tracker app.

The app gives details such as how many steps have been taken, the

speed and pace of the individual, and even the number of calories likely

to have been burnt. In this way, fitness trackers help an individual in

self-monitoring their activities. Fitness trackers measure motion. Most of

today's wearable trackers come with a 3-axis accelerometer to track

movement in every direction, and some come with a gyroscope too to

measure orientation and rotation. The data collected is then converted

into steps and activity and from there, into calories and sleep quality.
Then there's the altimeter that can measure your altitude. The

information is collected to create an overall reading.

Most trackers like Jawbone UP3 have temperature sensors and a

bioimpedance sensor alongside the familiar accelerometer that is already

mentioned. The sensors measure the acceleration, frequency, duration,

intensity and patterns of your movement. Bioimpedance sensors check

the resistance of the skin to a tiny electric current, and the four

electrodes on the inside of the UP3 fitness tracker are clearly visible.

Other wearables, such as the Fitbit Charge 2, use optical sensors to

shine a light on the skin and measure the pulse through it. The light

illuminates capillaries, then a sensor measures the rate at which blood is

being pumped.

Source:

https://www.wareable.com/fitness-trackers/how-your-fitness-tracker-wo

rks-1449

https://www.hfe.co.uk/blog/a-study-of-fitness-trackers-and-wearables/
Glossary The following words are highly technical and subject

specific. Learn their pronunciation and definitions

Fitness tracker wearable computer for monitoring

fitness-related metrics

Accelerometer electromechanical device used to measure

acceleration forces

Polysomnography a diagnostic tool in sleep medicine

Actigraphy a method of monitoring human rest/activity

cycles

Gyroscope device used for measuring orientation and

angular velocity

Altimeter an instrument used to measure the altitude of

an object

Bioimpedance A device used for estimating body composition

sensor

WHILE LISTENING ACTIVITIES

Listening Comprehension:

Listening: Listen to the video about fitness trackers below and write a

product launch for a fitness tracker.

https://youtu.be/o_f7mp_tTqw

Post-Listening: Each student should summarize the content in just two

minutes.

A. Speak in turns about the use and significance of fitness trackers

in the modern world.

B. Divide the class into two groups and discuss how our life will

be with and without electronic fitness trackers.

C. Discuss the importance of digital electronics in creating a

healthy lifestyle.
A. Read out the passage to the students. After listening, the students

shall take turns recalling one bit of information from the passage.

B. Watch the video and make short notes on how fitness trackers

measure steps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOluK9i1yiw&feature=youtu.be

Classifying and sequencing:

A. After reading the passage identify and classify the following

words into the categories mentioned below
B. Arrange the following sentences in the right sequence of

measurements as given by fitness trackers.

● It categorizes the movements into different activities and then

generates more information based on these details. It is stored under

different headings in the fitness tracker app.

● Wearable trackers continuously sense the movements of the body on

a 3 axis accelerometer. The data is recorded throughout, since the

time it is worn and powered up.

● The collected data is stored in the tracker for further processing. The

data is transferred to the software associated with the fitness tracker.

● The data collected is later run through a personalized algorithm.

 ●

A. List the functions of fitness trackers.

B. Why are fitness trackers not as commonly used as other

electronic gadgets?

Team up the class into two groups and discuss the given topic:-

Advantages and disadvantages of fitness trackers.

Pronunciation practice: