Techno-training in 2017
Exercise has become so much more accessible and engaging in recent times. Why? Technology, obviously.
I am one of those people who is really motivated by new fitness apps on the Apple store, but only for about a day: I'll download the app, try it once, then forget to use it again (so I'm probably the worst person to be talking about this BUT this post will hopefully inspire at least one person).
However, what I do have in common with a lot of people is that I need to be stimulated, which is why I love spinning and playing soccer. There are loads of apps that fulfil the same needs, from the Nike+ Training app which acts as your own personal trainer, to the Down Dog yoga app that lets you do yoga literally anywhere.
And now, right here in South Africa, gyms are jumping on the technology train. GO Health is a fitness club that started up in Johannesburg in 2015 and has now opened two new gyms in Durban North and Tygervalley. Yes, they are a regular gym, also aided by technology to spur individual fitness and health tracking.
GO Health have launched a technology-aided programme that allows people to track and record their activity both in the gym and outside. Users are issued a 'MyWellness' key that they plug into machines when working out, which records distance walked/run, calories burned and speed during cardio work outs. Additionally, users can also use their key on weights equipment, helping them track reps and weights. This way, you can leave the gym knowing EXACTLY what you did and what you achieved. Snazzy, huh?
As well as tracking progress inside the gym, individuals are able to download the GO Health app that they can use to view data of their physical activity when they are outdoors. It links to FitBits and other wearables for accurate data capturing, too.
Increasingly, fitness freaks want to see data after every workout. Gone are the days where you just nipped out for a run or a swim and simply felt good afterwards. Personally, I want to see numbers to tell me how well I did, or how terribly I did (most of the time I shrug it off and go eat pasta but it's reassurance that I actually did something to get my heart rate going.)
Data-driven exercise is becoming a dominating force amongst gyms and app developers worldwide. An example is the Equinox Spinning classes in the UK, where individuals are able to track their progress in real time on an animated screen spanning the width of the studio. They are also taken on simulated races that stimulate and motivate them to work harder in order for their virtual team to win. This video shows what it's all about:
According to David Walmsley, a senior leisure analyst at Mintel, a market research firm in London, “Technology has changed the way we plan our fitness activities, the way we work out and the way we measure our results." Additionally, "Fitness classes are becoming more immersive as operators add a new visual element to the standard music and choreography, and wearables are allowing us to monitor how we perform.” Basically, tech is transforming the fitness experience.
These are just a few examples of how technology is boosting our desire to get fit. It has made exercise more convenient, accessible and flexible as we can exercise anywhere, at any time. It also allows us to track our performance as potential gym-bunnies in providing us with data whenever we do something fitness-related (excluding couch sports and beer boat races). The world of fitness is literally in the palm of our hands.
