In the last couple of weeks users of Under Amour fitness apps (MapMyWalk, MapMyFitness, etc.) may find themselves unable to connect to Apple Health or Google Fit.
This change is sudden and indicates a drastic change in Under Amour’s marketing and product strategy. We spoke with a rep at Under Armour who confirmed in an email that this choice to remove integration “was not a technical [decision] but instead was a product decision.” Now, only MapMyRun will offer third party integration with Health and Fit.
Previously Under Amour announced in a blog post that they would integrate with Apple Health and Google Fit. This decision was based on the many positive pluses in providing AppleHealth and Google Fit integration. Apple Health and Google Fit can integrate with a variety of apps, and aggregate the data from all of them. Users can choose the best apps that work for tracking their fitness. Health and Fit will collect this data and provide the cleanest and clearest picture of users’ daily activities. Health and Fit also collect other important health information like, heart rate, and even calories consumed.
Why Should UA Integrate with Apple Health or Google Fit?
At IncentFit, we work with users to choose the apps that provide the most accurate data for tracking activities. We have found that integration with Apple Health and Google Fit is key to providing a complete picture of daily activity. These apps allow users access to a suite of apps and reliable wearable technology fitness trackers such as the Apple Watch, and give users the freedom to mix and match to their own fitness level and preferences.
Under Amour’s initial decision to integrate with these apps indicated a cooperative product strategy. This is no longer the case. Additionally, this doesn’t bode well for Under Armour’s ratings: dropping integration has been a marketing disaster for apps like Nike+ (which is readily apparent when looking at Android marketplace comments). Therefore, it’s no surprise that Under Armour has not publicized this strategy change. Their choice has, in turn, forced users to choose between Under Armour and many other available apps.
Under Armour’s rep responded to our concern about the loss of Fit and Health integration by stating, “[we are] definitely are looking into expanding the number of apps that sync with Apple Health in the future.” In line with this goal, Under Armour released a new app called Record, that does have Google Fit and Apple Health integration. This app release may mean that Under Armour plans to provide a competitor to Google Fit and Apple Health. Either way, its support for Fit and Health make it a superior choice over Under Armour’s other apps.
Breakdown of Best Fitness Trackers by Activity Type
We have created mini-guides on the best fitness trackers for indoor running, best fitness tracker for indoor cycling and spinning, and the best fitness tracker for swimming to help you in your search for a new fitness tracker. At the same time, you may want to consider a smartwatch, as a lot of them now have fitness tracking capabilities built-in.
However, one thing to consider is that buying a fitness tracker won’t be enough to create healthy behaviours, and there are 3 research backed reasons why that is the case.
If you are an administrator, or HR representative of an organization, you may want to consider saving money by bulk purchasing workout trackers. An awesome way to kick-start healthy behaviours at your company would be to offer activity rewards to your employees based on customizable healthy activities that they log through their fitness trackers!