Category Digital Transformation

December
7, 2019

4 min read

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Technology today has disrupted every business. It is strategically integrated into every industry and has helped advance it, be it health, education or automobile. Fitness industry is no exception.

New technological innovations are regularly changing the way we exercise, which then over time creates a transformation within the health and fitness industry. People today who work out are not satisfied by only knowing their weight, height, waist line etc. They are interested in knowing more about their day to day progress, food macro and calorie consumption, body-fat percentage, sleep quality, calories burned, heart rate, etc. It is exciting and motivating when then receive this knowledge about themselves. With continuously checking their cardio machine’s screens to calculate time and calories burnt, they want to keep a tab on themselves throughout the day, even when they are not at the gym or working out. These people are not only avid gym-goers, athletes or bodybuilders, but also include regular people who desire to be fit and exercise to maintain a balanced weight and active lifestyle.

To meet this demand, many technological innovations have disrupted the fitness industry and changed the way we exercise and associate with our daily fitness.

Fitness Wearables

These are activity-trackers, they monitor fitness-related metrics that play a significant role in your fitness journey, such as distance covered in a run, the number of steps completed, heart rate, calories burnt, etc. They provide valuable data about progress and developments. These sync with your smartphone and store the collected data. They are usually in the form of wristbands or armbands and have gained immense popularity. Now even smartwatches possess the features of a fitness wearable and serve as a stylish accessory. Even when people are not working out they are using their fitness bands to track data.

Initially, these fitness wearable were expensive, but today several tech gadget brands are offering budget-friendly and powerful wearables to meet the demand of the consumers.

Mobile Applications

Various applications are the highlight of smartphones. You have likely heard the saying, “There is an app for everything!” that is because it’s true. These applications have taken smartphone usage to the next level and are giving people an experience that they demand. One such is the demand for fitness applications. From diet trackers to workout guides to drinking water reminders, people have been downloading and using such apps every day. They are seeking one-stop health and fitness apps that provide holistic information, help track fitness metrics, give nutrition and diet plans, be their fitness partner and also help them shop of fitness-related goods. Several gyms, fitness centers, sports apparel brands, etc. have now joined the league and launched their fitness apps.

AI and IoT

With the demand for fitness wearable’s increasing, tech accessory brands are introducing AI-enabled wearable technology. It is developed to increase the functionality as well as end-user experience and to provide them with instantaneous metrics and insights while also guiding them towards making better fitness choices. This innovation is presently trending and will be utilized extensively in future. AI-assisted CRM software provides an added advantage to gymnasiums. It can help improve operational efficiencies, increase customer conversion, and improve personalization for the sales department and provide multiple other benefits. IoT has changed how people workout now, with continuously collecting and providing data, it is used to track personal growth.

One of the best ways the fitness industry has adopted IoT is through enabling group fitness activities. Here, such workout groups are using wireless IoT fitness trackers to showcase the progress of every participant and helping design training solutions as per the unique requirements by analyzing and visualizing them on equipment consoles or mobile devices.

Chatbots

Another offering of AI is the chatbot. With its convenience and features, it is now being used primarily in almost every business that communicates with their existing and potential customers online. Chatbots can serve as digital assistants and are one of the most important technological innovation developed for businesses. It has become a powerful tool and the fitness industry is utilizing it to enhance the experience for their customers. Here, chatbots can assist as nutritional consultants, workout partners, personal trainers and also as customer service redresser. It can resolve customer’s needs and create a personalized diet and fitness plan, schedule and deliver reminders to customers for their workout and food needs, serve as educational content providers and act as motivators for customers through encouragement.

These are some of the technological trends that are playing a pivotal role in the ever-evolving fitness industry. These will be utilized to its full potential in times to come. Businesses that are in the health and fitness domain are sure to benefit from technology and should welcome such advancement in the near future.