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Just Measure It – Making Sense of Life with Personal Metrics
By Neil Peterson | July 13, 2009
When it comes to personal fitness, motivation is key. Good, powerful motivation is like your childhood best friend – capable of talking you into anything, consequences be damned. Weak – or non-existent – motivation is a soul-crushing Monster of Defeat – convincing you to toss your running shoes and dive headfirst into the nearest cookie jar. A brief glance at the covers of fitness magazines will tell you that there are lots of ways to find your inner motivator – and set you on the path to peak physical fitness. But the hidden secret they won’t tell you about? After all the reading and analyzing and Post-It note reminders, when it comes down to it, you are the one who has to actually lace up the shoes and walk out the front door. So, how do we get you on your side?
Fortunately for reluctant runners everywhere, two industry giants embraced the challenge – by creating an easy-to-use system that is putting the fun back into fitness. And the results of their collaboration – and it’s potential for future advancements beyond the world of sports – are by the numbers. Your numbers.
Nike has long been recognized as a leader in running shoe technology – continually introducing improved air-cushioned soles, breathable fabrics, and eye-popping colors. But no matter how good the shoes look or how comfortable they feel, Nike has long been aware that it takes more than fashion to produce results. In teaming up with Apple, and integrating relatively low-tech sensors into their shoes (or an alternative ‘clip-on’ option), Nike has brought a new coach to the field – the power of Personal Metrics.
Nike/iPod commercial
Personal Metrics is the term used for analyzing data generated by a user and then using that data to produce better results. The Nike/Apple system uses the data gathered during a run – through proprietary hardware and integrated iPod software – that the runner can then upload to the Nike+ web site – generating progress graphs and allowing the runner to set future goals, build a like-minded community, and monitor changes in time, distance, and speed. The iPod software also offers customizable workouts, and the ability to see real-time data such as pace and calories burned – all while listening to the music that gets you going.
The system is the epitome of clip and go technology – simple, clean, and user-friendly. But the results are phenomenal – with the growing Nike+ community proving that personal metrics work. The benefits of this new type of data-mining go far beyond improving your daily jog. By combining sociological theory, the power/influence of crowds, and lots and lots of data – personal metrics can help you become a better you in nearly all aspects of your life. From losing weight to stopping smoking to tracking moods, the once near-impossible-to-comprehend complications of everyday life can be reduced to numbers.
For Nike, this latest advancement is the culmination of a quest that began twenty years ago – to provide the motivating data that would make a weekend jogger into an all-weather road warrior. But this is only a start – even traditional companies are now looking into using personal metrics to track employee productivity and seeing a boost in effort and job satisfaction. Numbers are no longer conceptual static – numbers are now working for us. With the blisters – and rock-hard glutes – to prove it.
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Topics: Favorite Things, General, Self-improvement, Sports | No Comments »