Health, Fitness Trackers Popular Among Third of Online Users, Report Says

Health and fitness tracking using a mobile app, fitness band or smartwatch is popular among one in three internet users globally, GfK said in a Thursday report. Men globally are more likely than women to use a fitness tracker, but five countries -- Australia, Canada, China, France and Russia -- “stand out” as having a higher percentage of their female online populations using a tracking app or device, it said. Overall, fitness trackers are most popular among adults age 20-39, it said. Only a quarter of teenagers 15 and older now track their fitness activity, but many more said they did so in the past, the report said. “This suggests potential for bringing this significant number of past users back into the market” with the right messaging or promotional offers from retailers and manufacturers, it said.