Is Artificial Intelligence Taking Over The World Of Fitness?

A gym owner’s favorite rise in cases is the January gym sign-up surge, and it is creeping up on us… With less than two weeks to go until the new year, let’s look at what’s in store for the world of gym and fitness in 2022.

Most of us would have heard the term artificial intelligence floating around, possible on the news, on social media, or amongst colleagues, but what does it actually mean? By definition, it means “simulation of human intelligence processes by machines”. In simple terms, this means we have created computers that are capable of human intelligence and possibly beyond.�

Still confused? Let’s break this down. It essentially does all the things humans have learned to do but automatically, and without thinking about it. Counting, voice recognition, vision, and more. Without realising, it’s all around us in everyday life including maps, facial recognition on our smartphones, autocorrect, algorithms, and more!

These technologies are slowly being introduced into businesses too, and gyms are no stranger to these services, let’s talk about it…

How is it being used already?

Large gym groups use crowd counting systems to give live updates on their website to let people know when their busy periods are, a feature that has become increasingly popular during the pandemic.

Advanced CCTV cameras can also track which areas are most popular, allowing you to work out which equipment is most popular and allowing you to make better decisions when it comes to investing in new equipment.

AI fitness programs are also becoming increasingly popular, offering personal training alternatives for those why may be on a lower budget. By introducing your own fitness app that allows people to create targeted workouts and plans encourages people to make the most of their experience in your gym.

Wearables

The use of FitBit’s, Apple watches, and other fitness gadgets are huge and are sure to continue growing in 2022. They are developing to a whole new level of intelligence, they are now capable of analysing biomechanics (the way an athlete performs) and can enhance their performance as well as improve overall fitness.

With wearables comes clothing, and these garments are intelligent enough to take into consideration factors such as weight, height, and more to make them as accurate as possible.�

What does the future look like?

As many gym owners understand, simply attending the gym isn’t enough. To make the full transition into a healthy lifestyle, well-being, diet, and more play a huge part. AI has not neglected these areas and we are sure to see a rise in different applications to support this.

Artificial intelligence is coming into the world diet and nutrition, health, and well-being. Nutrition apps that create custom meal plans for people to follow go hand in hand with their fitness journey.

Fitness and well-being is also making a big impact at home. More and more people are investing in equipment so they can embark on the gym journey from the comfort of their own homes. The latest tech is available is mirrors which have a personal trainer in the reflection, allowing you to copy the workouts while the camera analyses your form and overall performance allowing you to get the most out of your time in the gym.�

The importance of gym WiFi

Studies have shown that the 17% of people who used pre-recorded online workouts as a guide when exercising, has risen to over 80% by April 2020. Between this, fitness wearables and watches providing reliable WiFi for your customers will not limit them to what they can achieve in your gym.

With an increase in ‘smart’ gym equipment that has capabilities to recognise users, this advanced equipment requires WiFi to work effectively, so investing in a business-grade network now means you are future-proofing and ready for the years ahead.

It allows for maximum creativity, say one of your trainers is doing a  group glass, having WiFi allows them to have room to customise the workout. Music (supported by Sonos sound systems and more), background videos, and other engaging methods to make working out more fun and interactive.

Want numbers to back this theory? Here you go…

• 34% of gym-goers stream music while working out
• 26% use fitness apps like MyFitnessPal
• 27% browse the internet and social media whilst in the gym
• 20% take selfies (obviously!)
• ⅕ British gym-goers have paused their workout trying to solve an issue caused by a bad internet connection

So what this tells us is that WiFi is important to keeping people engaged, happy, and motivated during their workout, and providing a good WiFi to connect to gives them maximum capacity to do just that.

So what does this mean for your business?

With more and more technology aiding us in our fitness journeys, we encourage gyms and leisure centers to stay up to date with new and exciting technologies that are emerging. Artificial intelligence allows your members to enjoy all the benefits of personal trainers without the restricting costs. So why not get ahead of the curve and make your gym the go-to place in 2022!