Pace set for wearable data

Watzke: We see South-East Asia as a dynamic, fast-evolving market.

OVER 20 years ago, global positioning system (GPS) technology company Garmin launched its Forerunner 201, the world’s first GPS-enabled watch designed for runners.

Its success would lead to more than 40 iterations of the watch across the next two decades, with each release incorporating the very latest in fitness and running technology.

Since then, the company has continued to be a leading name in the wearables market, with a range of purpose-built devices for a range of fitness and lifestyle needs from walking to cycling, swimming, and golfing.

Needless to say, wearables have come a long way since its early days of simple step counters and heart rate monitors.

“Our devices deliver continuous, high-quality sensor data across a wide range of metrics, including heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep, activity, stress, recovery, and more,” says Jorn Watzke, senior director of Garmin Health.

“This type of real-world, 24/7 data is becoming increasingly important as advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence make it possible to identify patterns, generate insights, and support more personalised interventions.”

Leveraging Garmin’s extensive wearable portfolio and sensor data, Garmin Health is the company’s business-focused division providing custom enterprise solutions in areas such as corporate wellness, population health, and patient monitoring.

In the corporate space, its data-driven insights have been used by employers to benefit both people and productivity.

For example, real-time data around physical activity, stress management, early risk detection or fatigue detection can be utilised to create targeted employee wellness programmes or enhance workplace safety.

In the fitness sector, Garmin wearable devices can serve to draw and retain members, particularly as gyms increasingly look to expand their offerings and reach broader target groups.

Watzke notes that a growing number of gyms are evolving from being places for training sessions to holistic health coaching environments.

“Members expect support not only during their workout, but also throughout their daily lives. This includes guidance around physical activity, recovery, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and outdoor activities,” he says.

Using wearable devices, operators gain deeper insight into individual needs, enabling more personalised and effective training programmes.

The devices also equip members with the ability to track their own progress, which helps sustain motivation and long-term engagement.

“Partnerships between gyms, digital health platforms, and wearable technology providers will be key to unlocking this potential,” he says.

Meanwhile, wearable data has also played a key role in insurance’s shift from engagement to prevention.

While traditional underwriting has relied on static datasets, continuous, real-time wearable data can help insurers better analyse risk, support early detection, and provide timely prevention of health conditions.

“The next evolution is dynamic underwriting and early risk detection. By using high quality, real-world data, insurers can move from a reactive model to a more proactive and preventive approach,” Watzke says.

“Ultimately, we aim to help organisations move from static, point-in-time insights to a continuous, real-time understanding of health and behaviour, which we believe is where the real business value starts to come through.”

Ahead of the game

As wearable sensor data becomes increasingly relevant in various fields like healthcare, fitness, and insurance, Garmin Health is confident its high-quality wearable technology and fully integrated health-data ecosystem give it an edge over the competition.

Garmin’s devices – which provide reliable, continuous, and wide-ranging data – is a key advantage, Watzke notes.

“The quality and continuity of the sensor data are essential, because meaningful insights can only be as strong as the data behind them,” he adds.

Beyond this, Garmin Health’s own application programming interface and software development kit provides businesses more seamless data integration with partner solutions.

“This allows businesses to build real-time, scalable, and meaningful services around Garmin data, while benefitting from a trusted global technology platform.”

Another differentiator is its extensive global network of collaborations across sectors, which enables Garmin Health to bring its solutions to multiple segments and grow alongside key market trends in various regions.

“We anticipate a future where Garmin biometrics can support physicians, medical providers, insurers, coaches, and health platforms with more informed, proactive, and personalised approaches,” Watzke says.

Supporting innovation

In recent years, Garmin Health has also significantly expanded its focus in the realm of research and academia. The division has supported over 1,700 studies worldwide, covering a wide scope of areas such as sleep, rehabilitation, physical activity, and disease management.

“Consumer wearables are playing an increasingly important role in research because they are non-stigmatising, affordable, and capable of providing high-resolution, 24/7 data in real-world environments.”

Currently, Garmin Health is actively growing its support for Asian-led research programmes, with the aim of deepening understanding of regional health needs and improving outcomes for local populations.

Recently, its research grant created in collaboration with health and fitness data analytics platform Fitrockr saw applications from 130 research studies in health, wellness, and disease prevention from nine Asian countries.

According to Watzke, these efforts form part of the division’s commitment to enabling evidence-based innovation and strengthening the digital health ecosystem in the region.

“We see South-East Asia as a dynamic, fast-evolving market where digital health, fitness, research, healthcare, and insurance are increasingly converging,” he says.

“For us, this creates meaningful opportunities to support partners, empower users, and help build more preventive, data-driven health solutions across the region.”