I am obsessed with statistics. Whether its sports related, web analytics or sales figures, I love numbers. It quantifies the activity that you are doing and provides validity for the time and effort you’ve put forth. You get the understanding of what you are doing right and what can be improved upon in all aspects of life.

In my personal life, I’ve had two Fitbit trackers. I recently upgraded to a stronger tracker that will give me even more insight into my health and fitness. I’ll be able to track my sleeping habits automatically and alter them to better prepare me for the next day. I can also track my heart rate and I’ll know the optimal time to run if I want to burn calories. Recently after the purchase, I came across a new tracker. One that just became available to the open public for a limited time.

This tracker is called the Whoop. It was specifically geared toward professional athletes that push the boundaries of the human body in a way that the average person cannot. Along with all the tracking functionality of today’s popular fitness trackers, the Whoop takes it a step further. Whoop users are able to measure the ‘Strain’ or physiological load their bodies can handle and compare it to the ‘Recovery’ of their muscle and core. This allows the tracking athlete to build workouts that balance the amount of strain and recovery time, preventing overtraining by competitive personalities and reducing injury.

Unlike normal fitness trackers, the Whoop has two versions. One for individual athletes and a version that is used by an entire team and coaching staff. Coaches are now able to see who on the team is more recovered and able to take on a larger load, while noticing if one player is gassed and needs a break. With these new statistics athletes and trainers are able to predict performance and maximize team response on the field, court or rink. The Whoop app also allows coaches to input statistics for games, which are logged and tracked against the teams strain and recovery, giving new insights based on performance. Coaches can now see individual player and team performance when at specific levels of recovery vs. the amount of strain the athletes recently felt. The intensity of practices surrounding game-day can be more focused to reduce strain and optimize performance when it matters most, all while limiting the chance for injury.

The key to maximizing the value of the tracker is to use the information that’s provided. If the data isn’t analyzed and changes are not made based off the findings, the tracker is useless. The same concept is true in business as well. I know many people that track trends, demographics and sales figures, yet they continue to prospect and market to potential clients in the same manor that has yielded average results for years.

Being adaptable and avoiding prolonged states of stagnation is the only way to truly build upon a growing business. Market and consumer trends are constantly shifting so staying ahead and adapting to the movement is essential to the life of your company. Change is good. Embrace it.