Are you getting fitter with technology?

Uma Iyer explores how the technological boom of apps and tracking devices is transforming the fitness industry.

Did you ring in the new year with a promise that you will eat clean, join the gym and head out for the run every morning at 5:00 a.m.? Or did you get a new subscription with Noom? Or treat yourself to a fancy apple watch to close those coveted rings? Surely for some, at the end of the month, the gadgets have found their place under your couch or in some corner by now!

Fitness has now become an industry and beyond health and well-being. The subscription nature of Arts and Humanities have taken it from a generation of recreational enthusiasts to professionals. The bottom-line of profit and earning a living out of fitness has given a paradigm shift to how one now views fitness and well-being.

The advent of Fitness apps

Fitness apps, calorie trackers have been around since the advent of mobile applications. MyFitnessPal has been one of my favorites in the space.

The pandemic however started a completely new view towards fitness and diet! People suddenly had time to take care of themselves. While the gyms suffered, the fitness industry received a massive boost where over 71,000 fitness apps launched across the world. It was a 13% increase according to analytics provider App Annie.

As the downloads surged 48%, India topped it with over 156% due to extended lockdowns. Which means roughly 60 million new users latched on to the home fitness fever in ways to get moving and be fit.

The gyms also moved online where they put all of the workouts virtual where people could follow HIIT protocols and Pilates at home.

HealthifyME, became the leading Indian health and fitness app with over 5 million users subscribing only during the pandemic. It was specifically made for the Indian ways including food and health habits.

Game based and visual fitness tools

We all like to reach goals and along the way get recognition and reassurance. The reason why the marathon events see the subscription is because of the medal that one gets.

We also need that extra push and motivation to leave the warm bed and stop binge watching.

Gamification of fitness is no longer difficult with trails and runs to complete, or set up a Kinect or a play station or Xbox, however, it’s the Nike running app or mobile apps which make it extremely gratifying and fun.

Some of the top games that we came across was:

A. Zombies, Run

Running is classified as boring. Clocking steps in a mundane fashion is extremely boring. Zombies, Run@ is a combination of audio book with exercise. There are chase sequences, playlists, picking up essentials all built in to give a fully immersive experience.

B. Superhero Workout

While saving the world, camera-activated motion tracker, which counts your reps and helps measure the amount of calories you burn. The app can even be synced up to Apple TV or Chromecast so that you can watch the action on the big screen.

C. Nexercise

Vitality and other apps like Nexercise tracks your movement, rewarding users with points the more that they exercise. It sounds pretty standard at first. The difference here is that these points that you earn are actually worth something.

Points earned through Nexercise can be exchanged for gift cards from stores like Home Depot, Sephora, CVS, and others.

Nexercise even lets you compete against friends and co-workers.

Battlesuit Runner Fitness is just $0.99 at the App Store and Google Play Store.

What’s the future?

While the applications have become very popular to track progress, set goals, and promote healthy habits. These tools can be effective in helping people stay on track with their fitness routines, but their effectiveness ultimately depends on the individual’s usage and engagement with the app or gadget.

Tracking progress and keeping on track is the biggest aspect. The applications rely on continuous subscription and values regular engagement. However, it’s important to note that the effectiveness of fitness apps and gadgets ultimately depends on the individual’s usage and engagement with the app or gadget. If a person doesn’t use the app or gadget consistently or doesn’t engage with the information and resources provided, they may not see the full benefits.

The applications have now become a substitution for well-rounded fitness and general free play as well. Sometimes watching the morning sun after a long hike without checking the step count is a great all round workout helping mental health.

New year resolution has to be to strike and maintain a rational balance while ensuring that there is fun and continuity over a long period of time.

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