From Tracking to Prevention: Reimagining Wearable Technologies and the Quantified Self in Injury Prevention for Hobby Athletes

Abstract

While wearable technologies and Quantified Self (QS) practices have become central to personal fitness, they remain primarily performance-focused, often providing feedback only after an injury has occurred. This paper investigates how QS methods can be reimagined to support proactive injury prevention. Through a participatory design approach (n = 76 survey, n = 6 co-creation workshop), a “Prevention-Action Gap” was identified where athletes neglect safety routines due to a lack of actionable, context-aware guidance. Three wearable concepts are presented – the Sport Tattoo, the Stretch-Band, and the Gym Bro – and three design considerations are derived: (1) embedding technology into material culture, (2) shifting from descriptive to prescriptive guidance, and (3) visualizing the invisible value of prevention.