Four ways technology advancements make personal fitness easier

A new year is associated with new resolutions, new goals and new commitments to personal health and wellness. If you’ve committed to new year’s fitness goals for 2024, there’s good news. Continued advancements in fitness technology are making it easier than ever to customize your fitness journey and reach those goals. Here’s a look at four technology advancements than can help transform your personal fitness:

1. Wearable tech becomes increasingly sophisticated – Wearable technology has long surpassed merely counting steps and heart rates. Today’s fitness trackers include ECG capabilities, notifications for irregular heartbeats, sleep tracking, temperature sensing, swim-proof functionality and integration with health and fitness apps. The Apple Watch Series 9 can even enable its user to turn off an alarm or answer a call mid-workout by simply tapping your thumb to your forefinger. The bottom line, watches and other wearable devices have evolved to answer your most pressing fitness questions and help you stay on track.
2. Tech-based home gym equipment makes it harder to skip that workout – New technology innovations in home gyms make it easier to replicate a gym experience without ever leaving home, a bonus when the temperatures are below freezing outside. Several workout mirrors are now on the market, such as FORME Studio, Lululemon Studio Mirror and Tonal. Some, like Tonal, have built-in weights, or like Tempo, come with weights and other accessories in a storage cabinet. With touchscreens and two-way cameras on the devices, users can build a custom plan based on their goals, connect one-on-one for personal fitness training, or access a library of workouts. Other home gyms appeal to different exercise enthusiasts: FightCamp’s punching bag and gloves integrate technology to provide an interactive on-demand boxing and kickboxing training experience, complete with tracking sensors that offer real-time data about punch count and output. NordicTrack and Peleton both offer high-tech treadmills, rowers and bicycles with interactive features. The sky’s the limit. 
3. AI helps customize fitness to personal needs – Similar to businesses using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, AI is being leveraged to help individuals set and meet their unique fitness and wellness goals. Tempo’s home gym/mirror uses 3D technology and AI to help users improve their workouts and get real-time feedback to help correct their form. Most wearable devices also incorporate AI to provide users insight into their fitness tracking. Perhaps the biggest area where AI makes a difference is when individuals or athletes use apps or programs to design workouts tailored to meet their individual needs (losing weight, building muscle, improving cardiovascular fitness). Other apps input weight, height and personal goals to customize weight-loss journeys and provide nutritional planning. 
4. VR is a growing opportunity for fitness – According to a recent NPR article, “an estimated 1 to 2 million people work out in virtual reality monthly.” From exercising in a Star Wars-themed holograph to sweating it out in a virtual version of Machu Picchu, VR fitness apps offer guided workouts in engaging settings with out-of-the-box experiences, all from the comfort of home. Some apps even gamify the workout experience to provide further motivation. Some apps to explore include Beat Saber, FitXR, Holoball, HOLOFIT, Les Mills BodyCombat, Supernatural, Vrit, and Xponential+.

One thing’s for sure. As long as individuals prioritize their health and fitness, technology will adapt to meet those needs and help them reach their goals. 

ATB Technologies provides comprehensive, strategic technology solutions and support for businesses, manufacturers and organizations in the St. Louis region. Recognized as one of the top IT companies in St. Louis, ATB’s industry-leading support has earned the company a high level of customer satisfaction, with no dissatisfied clients in over five years. If you’re looking to enhance your business’s technology fitness, there’s never been a better time. Reach out to us today.