“Convenience tech” can make people lazy – but tech is also transforming fitness

One of the main drivers behind technological innovation has always been the desire to make people's lives easier. From breakthroughs in manufacturing equipment to transport and health, tech has always looked to conserve energy, save time or make things and tasks simpler and easier to complete.

The explosion of consumer (or “convenience”) tech and digital solutions over the past two decades is a great example of this. We can now order food, do our shopping, pay bills, stream the latest films, chat with friends, organise our lives and do a million other things online and on our mobile devices – without ever getting up off our sofas.

While digital solutions make things easier and more convenient, there is no doubt that technology can, unfortunately, also encourage – and even drive – people into sedentary lifestyles.

But it’s not all bad. A flood of new health tech and apps has entered the market, designed to help consumers make life-changing discoveries in healthcare. There are also digital solutions which can help tackle mental health issues – from promoting social interaction to apps that offer early detection and interventions.

Let’s not forget too, that during the pandemic lockdowns (and the subsequent gym closures), digital platforms were the ones inspiring people to get active and keep exercising.

In fact, while concerns over screen-addicted children (and adults) are valid – as are worries over how screen time is increasingly eating away at active time – there is no denying that there is a positive flipside. And that is that technology can be, and has already become, a valuable tool in promoting the importance of physical and mental health programmes.

There is now a constant stream of new devices, gadgets, and exercise machines emerging in the market which encourage people to get or stay physically active. Entirely new exercise programmes and fitness games are also being developed, enabling people to stay fit without the need for fitness “tools” or kit. Technology is giving birth to new innovations that change and improve the way people keep track and maintain their physical and mental health.

Here are some of the ways in which tech is changing fitness:

Fitness trackers and gadgets

The amount of data that trackers, monitors and smart watches are now able to capture is impressive and constantly expanding. By providing consumers with easily understandable and readable measurements – from active heart rate and calories spent to distances completed – consumers are able to track and compare their results.

Studying and monitoring the data provided by trackers also makes it easier for consumers to understand how certain exercises and physical activity can affect their blood pressure, caloric expenditure and body weight. By doing so, gadgets can provide a great motivational tool.

Gyms offering “beyond trackers” tech

The fact that consumers are becoming more tech-savvy – and motivated by tangible, real improvements in their data – presents gyms and health clubs with a real opportunity. By harnessing technology which is unavailable to consumers on their own devices – and offering the expertise of their fitness staff to provide results-oriented exercise and training opportunities – facility operators can become more than “simply gyms”. They can use analytics and data to identify and set goals, whether around weight loss, muscle gain or the tackling of potential (or real) health issues – and then provide solutions through exercise and nutritional advice.

Among this next-level technology are 3D body scanners such as Styku, which uses artificial intelligence to measure body fat. Styku can show people their risks of obesity related disease and how those risks are changing. Thanks to its advanced capabilities, it can also provide reports on visceral fat and bone mass, which will help customers not only understand their body better - but also identify areas of improvement.

The technology can be used to demonstrate where fat is being lost by digitally measuring their waist and other essential body data. This means that, whether the individual’s goal is fat-loss or a drop in calorie consumption, Styku can provide detailed graphs of the person’s changes and improvements over time in a visual way.

Gamification in fitness

While video games no doubt have a role in creating the current “generation inactive”, gaming technology could also turn out to be a crucial tool in transforming it into “generation active”. The gamification of fitness is already happening, with both gym equipment suppliers and mobile and digital fitness platforms developing solutions which add interactive and competitive aspects to everything from indoor cycling and rowing to boxing and HIIT.

In short, fitness gamification is the addition of gamelike elements to exercise tasks, like daily workouts, exercise routines and strength training goals. Users are then rewarded for reaching goals and milestones.

Omnichannel solutions and interactive fitness

Health clubs are increasingly moving to digitally-driven, omnichannel models which allow them to stay in touch with members wherever they are. The new hybrid – or “club without walls” – concept is a result of the pandemic, during which consumers migrated to digital fitness platforms. Once gyms reopened, members returned in droves but also wanted to keep their newly-found, at-home exercise regimes going. Forward-thinking health clubs realised this quickly and invested in systems which provided members with access to their fitness journey whether they were in the club or at home.

A pioneer in the omnichannel approach has been fitness equipment and tech giant iFIT and its commercial arm, Freemotion. The iFIT platform offers 16,000 workouts led by 180 world-class trainers and can be accessed by members in the gym via the Freemotion 22 Series cardio line, at home via NordicTrack and ProForm equipment, and on the go via the iFit app. By doing so, a gym member is offered a number of touchpoints to get physically active – while the gym has the benefit of keeping in touch with members wherever they exercise.

Clubs are also now using interactive technology to engage members and to make exercise more fun. For example, Freemotion’s 22 Series cardio machines feature interactive, auto-adjusting technology that controls the speed, resistance, incline, or decline of the workout. The adjustments happen automatically and in sync with what the exerciser sees on the huge 22-inch screens, creating an immersive workout. When coupled with the iFIT digital platform, the Freemotion equipment can accurately simulate the topography of the iFit Global Workouts, making the user feel as though they are running, walking, or cycling alongside their on-screen coach; living every step or pedal stroke for a uniquely immersive and true-to-life experience.

Conclusion

Technology is becoming – and in many ways already is – an essential tool in attracting people to exercise and getting physically active. From interactive cardio machines, gamified strength equipment and wearable technology to mobile applications, tech can be used both in real-time and in remote physical activity monitoring.

Fitness operators that adopt a strategy to become “more than just a gym” and utilise technology will find themselves ahead of their rivals. By using tech in an innovative, forward-thinking way, they will be able to engage – and retain – their customers in an entirely new way.

Want help in identifying fitness solutions which can attract, engage and retain members? Get in touch with the React Fitness team now!