In our modern age of technology, it seems like there really are apps and gadgets for everything. Right now, technology that is located in clothing exists. In addition to just being interesting and exciting, wearable technology can actually be helpful to a person’s health.

Throughout 2014 and this year, wearable fitness trackers have been gaining in popularity. The fitness bracelets are worn on the owner’s wrist and they connect to an app on their cell phone. Depending on the brand purchased, these activity trackers’ abilities can include monitoring distances walked or ran, calorie intake, quality of sleep, and heartbeat. By keeping tabs on these specific things, a person can improve their health through exercise, limiting the number of calories consumed, and more. Some popular brands include, Jawbone, Misfit, Fitbit, and Garmin. These trackers function with the use of several different sensors. One type of sensor is an accelerometer, which measures orientation and acceleration, which is then calculated to find the number of steps taken.

There are types of wearable fitness technology that are not worn of the wrist, however. Certain types of workout clothes have the ability to do things similar to a fitness tracker bracelet. These special clothes measure things like breathing rate and calories burned with sensors embedded in the clothing material. Molly Maloof, M.D., a physician and consultant working with healthy tech companies says, “One huge advantage of smart clothing is that it often gives more accurate heart rate readings than wearable tech you wear on your wrist.” The main drawback to using these clothes would be the price. Since the product is relatively new, the cost is high, making it most worth it for professional athletes.

The Golden State Warriors basketball team are an example of some people that can benefit from the tech workout clothes. The bay-area basketball team has started using technology from a startup called Athos during training and practices. The Athos clothes have a shirt, shorts, and a plastic piece that monitor heart rate, breathing rate, and muscle activation. Data is then sent from the sensors in the clothes to an app on the user’s phone. The sensors can recognize issues with the user’s breathing, heartbeat, and muscles. Athos can help the Warriors and other sports teams by preventing injuries and quickening recoveries.

Not all types of wearable technology are used for fitness. The smart watches and products similar are worn on the wrist, much like a fitness tracker, but differ because of functions available. Smart watches’ features can vary depending on the brand, but they generally are able to have apps, games, calculator, radio and much more. Another type of wearable technology is smart glasses. Smart glasses are glasses that add information to what the user can see. Smart glasses can function as a phone, camera, and other things.

The future for wearable technology is very bright. The wearable fitness technology could majorly change sports and peoples’ health by helping them keep track of important medical details while exercising. Much of the fitness technology is just beginning and still developing, but soon enough, products like Athos are going to be all around us.