In the age of smart fitness, when it comes to our training kit, we need it to work as hard as we do. Which means high quality, cleverly designed workout wear that’s as hardwearing as it is comfortable; that boosts performance via everything from the materials used to the cut and construction of the fabric, with every element working together to support you as you train.
Taking this concept up a notch (and then some) is Prevayl, a next-generation fitness offering that fuses world-beating tracking technology within the workout gear itself. This system – comprising a highly accurate sensor and specially developed Smartwear™ clothing, designed for a sleek, second-skin fit – combine to create smart sportswear that’s engineered to support and guide training and help you achieve your goals.
Launched in 2019 by founder and chief executive Adam Crofts and co-founder David Newns, the concept behind the brand was to develop a product with a real point of difference within the smart fitness sector, for a complete, convenient solution that ticked both ‘wearable’ and ‘tech’ boxes at the highest level.
“We wanted to create a style-led, fashion-first clothing solution that looks and feels as good as any leading sports apparel brand,” says Crofts. “But within that physical kit, there would also be highly precise, very portable technology that recorded data from your body, and distilled that into really practical, easy-to-use advice to help the wearer maximise their fitness potential.”
Crofts and Newns started by recruiting a team of experts across multiple sectors so every element of the Prevayl system would function at the highest level. From textile and design gurus who helped develop the garments, to engineers that worked on technology hardware, and technicians and app developers who created an innovative, original system that was as informative as it was intuitive to use.
The result is a range of sleek, stylish, ultra-functional sportswear which incorporates a lightweight, accurate sensor. This tracks everything from heart rate to breathing rate, body temperature and movement – gathering an incredible 1,000 training data points each second, crunching them into useful metrics, and building you a bespoke fitness plan around it. Gone are cumbersome chest straps and tracking bands – via the discreet sensor, and electrodes integrated within the fabric of the clothing, the Prevayl system gathers biometric data in a convenient, comfortable way that allows you to perform at your best.
An elite-level system
Once developed, Prevayl then shared their training system with the people who could truly put it to the test – the most high-performing athletes in the world. The smart garments were worn by Olympians, Paralympians, premiership footballers and rugby players, all of whom worked to ensure that the technology was providing the best possible data and service, sharing their feedback and insights, which were fed into the continuing development of the sensor and kit.
However while the Prevayl system was developed to the standard of elite athletes, it was also built to ensure that it gave the same precise, smart experience to every user. “Everything is based around you, as an individual on your own fitness journey,” says Crofts. “We proved in the most intense situations how valuable the technology and data is – then translated that to make it useful and understandable for anyone.”
This bespoke approach is threaded throughout the app, as Crofts explains. “From the body check analysis, which gathers more data than anyone else in the market to give an accurate reading on how well you are, and how to approach your training that day, to the goal settings and the accountability they provide. Every aspect is personalised to you.”
So, as Crofts explains, whether you’re a top-level athlete who wants to ensure you’re spending time in specific training zones or targeting precise metrics, or someone that wants to run a couple of 5ks a week – “you’re using technology that’s been proven at the top, and made available for everyone, whatever their level of fitness.”
Taking a fresh approach to training
Often this can be less about training harder and more about recovery. Recent research has shown that for everyone from elite sportspeople to recreational athletes, making sure you are adequately rested and ready for your next workout is key to making progress, and the Prevayl system supports this.
One of the key ways it does this is by tracking heart rate variability, a metric that can be used to work out how rested or hyped up your body is. Other smart fitness products generally do this by shining lights through the skin, rather than tracking the electrical signals directly from your heart as Prevayl does, which provides more accurate, useful, data.
This is used to build up a picture of how you should exercise. Throughout the process of developing Prevayl, Crofts and his team focused on gathering precise, complex information and translating this into a simple, understandable training system. This means the technology will guide you throughout, advising you on the potential consequences of training and resting in specific ways. The app also features on-demand breathing sessions that you can build into your sessions, to balance high-intensity workouts with moments of calm.
Of course, while exercise is certainly beneficial in and of itself, there’s no point garnering all those gains and not taking the opportunity to share them. The Prevayl system has plenty of social features, built out of a recognition that working out is a lot better (and more successful) when it’s done with friends, whether virtually or IRL. Users can share workouts and training data to their social media sites, building an exercise-based community that boosts motivation.
Prevayl’s Smartwear™ range – which includes everything from from vests and long-sleeved tops to leggings and sports bras – is as clever as the technology it contains. Performance-focused, from its second-skin fit, to the moisture-wicking, maximum stretch and recovery fabric, it’s also sustainable, using 35 per cent recycled fabrics. There are quarterly design drops, and new lines – such as sportswear aimed at recovery – will be coming soon.
From the high-tech, ultra-wearable kit to the fuss-free data-driven sensor, the practical, user-friendly app and a bespoke training system built around individual goals, the Prevayl system is a one-stop training solution that really delivers. In essence, it makes exercise easier, more efficient and more effective – the definition of smart fitness, in anyone’s book.
For more information about the Prevayl sensor and Smartwear™ system and how it can help your training, visit Prevayl.com
