A PEEK INTO THE FUTURE OF FITNESS TECHNOLGY

I was asked to answer this question for an industry publication:

"What technologies/apps/platforms will reshape our industry in the coming years and how can we best ‘future proof’ our industry’s growth (as well as our own), whilst meeting these new customer/consumer demands?”

My answer is this:

I am not as worried about what the new tech, app, wearable or platform is, but rather how we as an industry use the data that has been collected. I see it as the financial planners from the 1990s. Online trading companies like E-Trade came along and people could do their own financial trades and didn't need a financial planner. However, the financial planner industry is alive and well. Why? Because even with all the data, people didn't understand or know how to use it. That will be the key in the health and fitness industry, how we take data from sleep, nutrition, physical activity, DNA, weight, HRV (and more), combine it and get an actionable plan that is personalized for our clients. When I client isn't showing the expected progress, the trainer/coach can look to the data to see why. Maybe a late-night cappuccino increased caffeine (DNA says they don't process well), which caused a poor night sleep that created a sluggish morning and thus a sub-optimal workout.

How would you answer the question?