The Future Of Fitness And Virtual Training With AI-Enabled Devices

Introduction of Artificial Intelligence in the fitness Industry is continuously improving existing technology and programming new applications for health. The outbreak of the pandemic not only forced many already active fitness aficionados indoors, but it also raised enormous awareness of preventative fitness and the value of exercise as a daily habit rather than just a means of weight loss. This drastically expanded the Fitness and health sector while also forcing people to stay inside. Through AI-based at-home training, the fitness industry had to adjust to indoor fitness. Digital one-on-one training is the recent booming trend of the fitness industry. One of the most important aspects of digitalization of fitness training is that people have access to experts all over the world. Very soon AI-based fitness trainer will be the next big thing. Human Personal trainers can surely offer programs, coaching, and detailed workout plans but AI can also be used to develop personalised fitness plans based on one’s goals, eating habits, current fitness level, device data, and other factors. 

Fitness measurement via latest indicators is becoming increasingly important; seeing progress improves motivation and consistency, and numbers do help with that. Connected workouts can provide this information in an easy-to-read format. Active wearables can measure bodily signals that used to necessitate a trip to the doctor's office or use a separate device to measure heart rate, temperature, blood oxygen saturation, and their variability. They've also gotten pretty good at tracking our sleeping habits, including how much time we spend in each stage of sleep. Mental wellness appears to be a natural next step, especially as adults worldwide are feeling more stressed than ever. The possibilities are endless with technological advancements at peak in 2022. 

Connected fitness is redefining the concept of at-home workouts by providing much more than just wearables that track and record routines. Connected fitness in today's digital world is all about combining one's fitness goals with one's screen time. In-home workouts with AI-enabled real-time feedback based on the user's movements are provided by connected fitness to create an ideal workout aimed at improving fitness levels. Connected fitness devices offer the advantage of on-demand workouts in a variety of formats and because they are AI-enabled, these devices could provide a wide range of health solutions in the future, including diet and nutrition, sleep, and mindfulness, with personalised offerings based on data collected from an individual. However, the cost difference is marginal when considering the benefit of on-demand workouts at home, aside from safety, which is a critical factor in the current environment that prescribes the need for social distancing.

In today’s fast-moving world, time is one factor that bounds everybody. People are willing to do certain tasks only if it can be adjusted in accordance with their availability – technology has rightfully satisfied this desire in connection with working out to stay fit.  People have access to all things related to fitness and beyond at just one click, without much of a hassle. It gives people an upper edge in the competition, instills self-believe and they subconsciously think that they’re already doing better than the rest. Adding to it, fitness bands, trackers, rings and other wearables in that case – all provide a fashion quotient that is trendy in the current times. 

Advancing technologies in the Fitness industry have also led to creation of many health communities, which might or might not be full of strangers who associate with each other to share insights and experiences of their fitness journey. For example: A bike can be outfitted with sensors that collect various types of data, such as revolutions per minute, resistance, speed, and heart rate. To encourage users to cycle more actively, the above-mentioned data can be displayed on the screen and redistributed to other users who participate in the same live-stream event in the form of a leader-board. 

2022 may become the year of connected fitness apps. Considering all social and physical distancing norms we followed recently, connected fitness apps can offer more than just wearables that track and record routines which seems like a one-way path. They’re already presenting the radical change that could transform the fitness industry. Such AI based applications and accessories are being more and more interactive with its users. The future also involves incorporation of video games into daily exercise regimes. One can actually combine playing video games with a full-body workout, and many VR technologies can help to get your body moving. The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics was one of the first events where IoT and AI technologies were used to maximize the events for fans. Special software algorithms and VR technologies brought the Olympics closer to fans thanks to real-time streams and immersive experiences.  Not only this, AI will also be able to track calories and warn the person immediately about the increased intake. Or detect how the person is feeling by a change in their hormonal levels, estimating their mood and suggesting an activity required. 

Having a fitness routine and what we do about it is very important to lead an overall healthy lifestyle but how we feel about our fitness choices is still a topic to ponder upon, since only that can determine whether the subject will continue on the journey or not. While most people have almost gotten bored with the same traditional gym set-up, the growing zeal to try something new and equip themselves with it is a major factor. Moreover, the inclusion of Virtual Reality will level up the Fitness game because it gives people the privacy and freedom to do what they want and how they want to do it, in the comfort and safety of their homes. According to a survey of 2000 people, 65 per cent of men and 55 per cent of women say they are frequently intimidated when working out at the gym. That's not good for mental health or habit formation. However, 65 per cent of respondents said that working out at home alone has given them more confidence, thanks to Coronavirus. 

While there is a diverse range of audience waiting to explore the possibilities of AI enabled fitness devices and one-on-one training sessions, there will always be people who would opt for the physical gym environment or the cardio- set ups to stay motivated. So, it brings us to the conclusion that even though gyms and other fitness institutes are present around, a large chunk of people will always be open to exploring what connected coaching and virtual fitness has to offer.

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