During the Covid-19 pandemic, more people gained a better awareness of their health and nutritional needs. However, staying active wasn’t easy amidst the lockdowns, as gyms closed down and outside exercise was limited. How did the fitness industry stay afloat and the health-conscious take care of their bodies then?
The answer is technology. Many gyms around the world used platforms like Zoom to stream fitness programs online and continue reaching out to their clients, who no longer had to venture out of their homes for their weekly Zumba classes. While video classes were around before COVID-19, the pandemic helped popularize them and revealed the limitless potential for growth in the technology and fitness industry.
Online classes are only one of the many innovations that have streamlined our access to fitness. In this article, we take a closer look at the other technological trends that have eased the way we exercise.
Fitness wearables
Wearable technology such as fitness trackers have increased in popularity and added features over recent years. Our previous article on Best Fitness Pursuers covered trackers that offer heart rate zone notifications and even comprehensive sleep monitoring data. By recording bodily responses whenever we expend energy, trackers help project fitness goals, record exercise statistics, and boost motivation.
Fitness wearables have thus become a convenient means for self-care, enabling users to take responsibility for their behavior. At the same time, they also help individuals coordinate with trainers or health providers because the objective data can help third parties monitor your bodies’ progress even from a distance.
Weight loss and fitness apps
These applications work on a similar principle to fitness wearables — empowering individuals to take control of their fitness. The critical aspect, however, is that they are heavily guided by experts. The popular weight loss programs created by WeightWatchers are accompanied by personalized fitness programs that are crafted only under the guidance of dietitians and behavior change specialists, who consult online with users from the comfort of their own homes.
This transforms weight loss into an accessible goal, as the functionality of an app ensures that the client remains connected with the program’s fitness experts. These apps also provide a visible tracker of the fitness journey and stream live information to both parties. Thus, fitness apps have been found to be one of the reasons for today’s higher fitness literacy.
Virtual consultations
It’s easier to stay connected thanks to technology, and fitness has also become more personalized due to greater access to virtual consultations. This allows fitness enthusiasts to consult with trainers from anywhere and anytime.
Virtual consultations for fitness also extend towards medical professionals. The TeleSEM program under the Covid-19 pandemic was a means for coaches and clinicians to monitor the health of athletes and even prevent injury despite the lockdown. Many athletes were able to remain fit and healthy through the clinical services provided remotely via secure video, audio connections, and mobile phone applications.
Virtual consultations with physicians have contributed to athletic success and were seen as a breakthrough in the fitness industry. Many thus expect that a hybrid practice will be more widespread in the future.
Active video games
A common complaint of the video game industry is its contribution to the increase of sedentary lifestyles around the world. By combining entertainment with fitness, however, video games and programs on the Nintendo Switch were designed to keep the body active. There is the popular Just Dance, which debuted in 2009, and even Ubisoft’s Sports Party with its four-player multiplayer feature that allows you to burn calories with friends.
Staying fit has become easier and more fun through technology. As the digital world grows, we can thus look forward to its other implications in the fitness industry. To stay updated on trends, check back at AsumeTech for news, entertainment, sports, and much more.