1st Annual Wearable Fitness Device Competition

Washington, DC, September 17, 2014 --(PR.com)-- At their 6th annual conference, September 20-24, The Corporate Health and Wellness Association will feature a "Fitness Wearable Device Think Tank & Challenge," in which employers will sport a variety of health and fitness monitoring devices for 24 hours. The conference, which is part of the Employer Healthcare & Benefits Congress, is being held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, just outside Washington, D.C.

Wearable health and fitness devices are all the rage these days and include such things as tee-shirts that run EKGs which are transmitted wirelessly to doctors and hospitals, wrist bands that count the number of steps you walk each day and calculate total distance, watches and clip-on devices that do everything from monitoring sleep patterns to counting calories, and a broad array of other wearable technology that is making its way from the gym to the office.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for employers to think about the benefits of integrating these personal devices into their corporate wellness programs," said Sarah Michelle Hunt, spokesperson for the Corporate Health & Wellness Association (CHWA).

Corporate Wellness Magazine, a publication of CHWA, has been tracking the wearables story for quite some time. In the current issue, there is an article about the health and fitness functions of the new Apple Watch and why that device is a game changer for corporate wellness. Though the Apple Watch (not yet available) will not be a part of the wearables competition, new technology from a number of manufacturers will be tested by the likes of Hallmark Cards and the Cleveland Clinic, who are representative of the diversity of conference attendees.

“With the increasing use of technology in the workplace combined with the boom of fitness wearable devices in corporations, the CHWA’s Fitness Wearable Device Think Tank & Challenge will help us take our wellness programs to the next level by testing out various technologies,” said Susan Tuffts, Wellness Manager, L.L. Bean. Inc.

However the competition goes, you can be sure of two things:
1. This will advance the creation and implementation of corporate wellness programs throughout the country.
2. It should be quite a hoot watching high-level corporate executives running around for 24 hours trying to rack up as many miles as they can.