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In days gone by, fitness was a largely analog activity. Weight lifters would track their progress with a notepad and pen, runners used a stopwatch and carried a walkman in their pocket, and calorie counting involved using a calculator and scales. However, the advent of smartphones, the rollout of 4G and 5G mobile networks, and countless other advances have changed everything.
Like many sectors, the fitness industry has embraced the power of digital technology over the last decade and has been transformed as a result. What’s more, the rise of AI in fitness looks set to bring further change. This blog explores how the fitness industry has changed in the last ten years, and what we can expect in the future as fitness AI becomes more ubiquitous.
Digital technology has transformed fitness. From wearable tech and fitness trackers to personalized workouts and remote exercise classes, the industry looks completely different from even ten years ago. Let’s explore some of the biggest changes.
Fitness tracking apps are everywhere and no athlete would be without theirs. However, looking back to 2009, Strava was the new kid on the block. This sort of tech was inisitally really popular with cyclists. It used GPS technology in phones or cycle computers and combined them with preset routes and segments. This enabled users to track their routes and timings, calculate calories burned, and compete on segment leaderboards.
Runners and hikers soon caught on, and it’s now able to track everything from kayaking to skiing, yoga to weight training. In 2017, the one billionth activity was uploaded by a triathlete in Berlin. By the end of 2023, that figure stood at 10 billion, signifying huge growth.
Other apps soon came onto the market that allowed you to work out calories in and out, monitor your sleep quality, and track your weight. Nowadays, there’s nothing you can’t track and monitor, and a huge part of the success of these apps is gamification and incentivization.
Being able to track your progress, as well as compare it to friends, family, and other athletes has been transformative in fitness technology. A study conducted by Strava found that:
“[the] number one reason for exercising with others is social connection. Over half of Strava athletes say they’re most motivated by friends or family members who exercise – and 77% of Gen Z athletes say they feel more connected to others when seeing their friends' or family’s activities.”
We can see this in the rise of other services such as Zwift (2014) and Peloton (2012) which combine virtual, community exercise classes with a competitive element. Indoor cycling in particular is nothing new - even The Titanic had exercise bikes on board - but it was boring and monotonous.
Zwift brought it into the 21st Century. Using smart turbo trainers and a subscription-based online service, riders around the world could ‘cycle’ on virtual routes and compete in online races. Climbing the iconic Alpe d’Huez could be completed in your spare room on a Tuesday evening, with the smart turbo trainer automatically adjusting the resistance based on your virtual location.
Likewise, Peloton introduced virtual exercise classes led by a real instructor but that could be joined from anywhere in the world. Participants get real-time feedback and encouragement, which helps them reach their goals.
Wearable technology and fitness go hand in hand, and with the rise of AI, we’re going to see the benefits for users become even more apparent. In 2007, Fitbit entered the market and made us all very aware of how many steps we take per day, how much we sleep, and what our heart rates are.
This helped transform exercise for the general public, making fitness technology usable and accessible. When combined with other health and fitness tracking apps, it gave much more information about physical performance to maximize progress and results.
Smartwatches such as the Apple Watch (2015), the Samsung Galaxy Watch (2018), and the Google Pixel Watch (2022) moved the game forward with more features, more accurate tracking, and the inclusion of other services like Spotify and Whatsapp in one device.
As health and fitness AI continues to develop, we may see real-time exercise and nutrition data combined with your personal health and fitness goals, to create personalized exercise and diet plans.
One of the best uses of AI in the fitness sector will be personalized workouts and exercise tracking, coupled with a virtual coach and real-time form correction. Using AI motion capture, virtual personal trainers can ensure exercises are carried out safely and to maximize results.
Furthermore, these workouts can be automatically tracked via wearable tech, as can your recovery periods and nutrition data. The algorithm can then monitor your progress against your goals and suggest improvements. It will be like having a team of health and fitness experts in your pocket at all times.
At Sency, we have reinvented motion tracking for the fitness industry, using the power of AI to continuously analyze millions of movements, resulting in the world's most extensive dataset of human motion. To find out how our technology can improve your fitness app or product, and provide real value for your customers, don’t hesitate to Contact Us.
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