Some people find it hard to hit the gym once a week. Others go almost every day and love it. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or a reluctant gym visitor, you’ve certainly noticed that technology has become more and more commonplace in your workout routine. Technology has especially brought about some positive changes for those who love working out. It’s made many tasks easier, made exercise more fun, and overall has changed the experience for the better. Here are eight different ways that technology has had a positive impact on fitness and exercising.
1. Remote Workouts
Image Source: Philadelphia
Tired of trying to fit in a drive to the gym every day? With remote shopping, remote doctor’s visits, and remote working all becoming more and more popular, why not remote workouts? Recorded workout programs have been around since the VHS tape, but those types of programs weren’t interactive.
That’s no longer the case with online workout programs. You can join others in an online class. These online exercise sessions and boot camps are becoming more and more popular since they allow you to exercise in the privacy of your own home while also interacting with a coach.
2. Video Chatting with Your Personal Trainer
Image Source: US News
Now you can interact with your personal trainer from anywhere in the world through a webcam and chat program. You don’t have to do an online class with others if you’d rather work one-on-one with a trainer. But video chatting is just one part of these online training sessions. You can share information from your wearable fitness devices, find a personal trainer who specializes in any unique health issue you might have, and more. Your trainer can make use of the many different wearable devices to monitor your biometric data at any point in your day.
This means you don’t even need to stay inside to transmit information to your personal trainer. They can see how many steps you’ve taken, your heart rate while jogging, and more. With no limits on location, you can even take the time to find a trainer who focuses on your unique needs since it doesn’t matter where in the world they are.
3. Social Media Connects You with Others
Studies have shown that some people exercise more effectively when they have a workout buddy or are taking a class. They have someone who holds them accountable, and that helps provide motivation. Social media can help make you accountable and connect you with others in your exercise group. It gives you a way of being motivated and motivating others outside of being in the gym. You have the ability to reach out and make workout plans with others, and that can often provide the motivation you need to get out and exercise.
4. Immersive Fitness Is Coming
Immersive fitness technology is an idea that’s been implemented in Europe, but it will soon his the U.S. The idea is to line a wall of the gym with massive television screens that can completely immerse you in a virtual workout area. This type of sensory technology can take exercising to a new level, allowing virtual trainers to instruct classes. For spin classes, the walls can be transformed into any place in the world, making it feel like you’re cycling through the jungle or along the Great Wall of China. Sensors in the bikes can even show who is ahead of the pack and who is trailing behind by feeding information into the VR setup.
5. Technology Will Become More Pervasive Yet Invisible
Most people associate fitness technology with wearable bracelet devices such as the Fitbit. These devices track your steps, heart rate, and other factors, but they’re also quite noticeable. However, that’s slowly changing. Technology is becoming more and more integrated into shoes, shirts, socks, jackets, and many other devices. These pieces of clothing all have hidden biometric sensors in them that can track your performance while you exercise. As technology continues to become smaller and more flexible, it will become more widespread yet will be much less visible and noticeable.
6. Entertainment Merges with Fitness
Image Source: Ingredients, Inc
Some people hate exercising simply because they find it boring. They’re simply sitting on a bike or lifting weights. They can’t engage their minds while exercising, and that makes it dull to them. However, thanks to technology, this is changing. Previously, the only real entertainment you might have while exercising was watching whatever was on the TV in the gym. Now, thanks to music players and smartphones, you can listen to a wide range of music, podcasts, and audio books while you work out. You can even watch your own movie or television show on your smartphone. You no longer need to worry about being alone with your thoughts while you work out!
7. Make a Better Plan
Do you often find it hard to make it to the gym because you don’t have a plan? Make use of technology such as Google Calendar and other planning apps so that you always know when you’ve got to hit the gym. These apps connect to your smartphone and will remind you when you need to go work out. As with social media, these apps also make it easy to share your schedule with others so you can make plans to exercise together. With better video conferencing options, you’ll be able to better plan when you need to visit the gym by talking with your trainer, your personal coach, and your workout team.
8.Track Your Changes in Real Time
No longer do you have to wonder if you’re actually improving—technology will break down your improvements over time and make it incredibly easy to view how much better you are. While wearables can certainly track things like your distance and time, newer devices are able to track more biometric information. You can actually see how your body is improving, how your skills are changing, and more. It makes it much easier to keep motivated if you know that you truly are improving. You can also use this information to see what you need to focus on and where you’re coming up short, allowing you to better target areas that need improvement.
