In this age of endless information, we are now, more than ever, aware of the importance of fitness when it comes to staying healthy. But maintaining a fitness routine is easier said than done.
How many times have you found yourself slouching in front of the TV when you promised yourself you’ll go for a run? How many times was the gym the first thing you gave up on when you felt as if your day was too busy? We’ve all been there – and we’ve all felt guilty.
Luckily, technology is here to save the day – from encouraging and reminding you about the importance of exercising, to being your sidekick as you work-out and when your body is recovering. But don’t take our word for it – here are 11 fitness experts revealing how technology will make a difference to you:
Craig Ballantyne @craigballantyne
“It’ll probably go overboard on wearables, with lots of stupid ones for useless things, and then there will be a consolidation and everyone will probably go back to Apple and the iWatch. But everything is going to be measured, from heart rate to sweat, and plenty of other unmentionables.
The $100 million invention though, will be when someone creates an accurate calorie intake recording device. Because people need to know how much they are eating. Input matters more than output.”
About: Craig Ballantyne has been the Editor of Early to Rise since 2011. He’s also a Strength & Conditioning coach, author of Turbulence Training, a contributing author to Men’s Health magazine, and a member of the Training Advisory Board for Maximum Fitness and Oxygen magazines.
Len Saunders @lensaunders
“I have been in the fitness industry for a long time, and I cannot believe how far it has advanced with regards to technology. My phone tells me how many steps I take, I wear something around my wrist that tells me my heart rate, and how so many people can spread the word of fitness via the internet.
One thing I see in the future is more fitness at the workplace. You see new innovations right now where people can sit at their desk, but use a small treadmill under their desk as they work. I think many companies demand employees to work long hours, but realize that exercise will improve productivity. It improves confidence, self-esteem, cognitive skills, and releases endorphins that will create a happier atmosphere.
Therefore, I see more companies giving employees more time during the day to exercise, whether at an in house gym, or getting them membership to a local gym. I also see employees having more exercise equipment in their personal offices for convenience purposes.
Since I work with children, I see Physical Education making a huge comeback. It bothers me that PE and Recess have been disappearing in many school systems. But, I see each child wearing devices that will measure their fitness levels all day, where parents can track them online to see how much exercise their children are getting all day.”
About: Len has been distinguished as a leader in the field of children’s health, fitness, and wellness for almost 30 years and is an award winning author, motivational speaker in the fight against childhood obesity. Learn more from Len on lensaunders.com.
Stephen Hoyles @HoylesFitness
“I personally see the industry engaging with the members on a deeper level.
With the advent of the fitness and diet tracking apps, trainers can both advise and keep an eye on their clients even when they aren’t together. Traditionally, personal trainers only really interacted with clients during sessions, but now we can help and advise via apps.
It makes the trainer/client relationship deeper and more successful and allows trainers to do an even better job than we did previously.”
About: Stephen is an expert in Personal Training, Weight Loss, Corporate Wellness and Exercise, Gym Management. He is the Founder of Hoyles Fitness, which provides bespoke Personal Training and nutrition plans, and is also the Director of Fitness Blogger.
Alicia Bell @TrainItRight
“I see the future of the fitness industry further evolving and advancing through wearable technology and clothing that would change how we track HR monitoring, sweat secretion, muscles activated etc. I also see it evolving into more interactive fitness classes or workouts. More engaging to the user through games etc.”
About: Alicia has over 10 years of practical and educational experience as a Kinesiologist, Personal Trainer, Strength Coach, Fitness Model, Fitness Competitor and Track and Field Sprint Coach. She also runs Train It Right, a Personal Training business and Track and Field Club.
Jon Taylor @jontaylorfit
“The future of the fitness industry when technology is concerned will be going into a very interesting place. Already we are seeing a huge boom in wearable technology and this is just the beginning.
Consumers will able to track more and more vital statistics and more advanced workout and day to day health tracking. With the rise of VR in the future, the role of the personal trainer and the gym is highly in question. Instead of consumers going to the gym or to a personal trainer they will be able to have the gym and personal trainer come to them all through VR.”
About: Jon is a leading UK expert in fitness and body transformation and is the founder of the KickStart Body Transformation program.
Aliah Davis-McHenry @thegetfitdiva
“Through emerging technologies and social media innovations, the fitness industry will continue to grow and positively affect people on their healthy living journeys.
Before, it was as if you were on your own but now you can develop relationships (online and offline) and find ways to be your healthiest and happiest self through online communities, blogs, videos, and sharing your experiences with others.
To me, fitness is not just hitting the gym, but reaching physical and mental goals in order to be your most effective self and be part of the change you want to see in the world.
The fitness industry will continue to evolve and advance through connecting enthusiasts through social platforms, increased connectivity with wearable tech and fitness equipment, more tech savvy fitness instructors, and more fitness management hubs (lie Apple Health, Fitbit, etc.) that integrate fully into your daily life without any fuss or hassle.”
About: Aliah is the founder of Get Fit Diva where she shares her experiences and advice on how to get and stay fit while balancing motherhood and a career.
Diana Kelly @dianakelly
“As a fitness editor and freelance writer, I’m excited to see where technology will continue to take the fitness industry to the next level.
I think we’ll continue to see fitness and athletic apparel brands developing apps to connect with their consumers and encourage them to keep their brands in mind while exercising. Whether that’s MapMyFitness (Under Armour), Reebok just paired up with the Ragnar Relay series (which has an app to help you navigate the 200 miles of relay roads), and Nike+ Training Club app, for some examples.
I think we’re going to continue to see a connection between fashion and technology when it comes to fitness – there are biometric shirts that measure your heart rate and sleep. I’m excited to see where wearable technology will go.
Personally, I enjoy setting daily steps goals and pushing myself to achieve them each day. I also appreciate the “nudge” I get from my Under Armour UA Band when I’ve been sitting for over an hour.”
About: Diana is an accomplished journalist, editor, and digital strategist with over 11 years of experience covering topics from health, fitness, weight loss, food trends and sports, to business, travel, relationships, lifestyle features, and inspiring profiles. Learn more on dianakelly.com.
Jocelyn Gordon @Jocelyn_Gordon
“”Real” Virtual Coaches will “show up” in your home, office, park, via Wi-Fi and projected holograms both in real time and pre-programmed to help clients stay accountable and exceed their goals.”
About: Jocelyn is an Ecstatic Embodiment Expert. She is the creator of Lovers Rock® – Partner Yoga & Massage for Couples in Love, Bhakti Boogie® and HoopYogini™. Find out more about Jocelyn and her programs on JocelyngGordon.com.
Karen Asp @karenaspwriter
“Technology encompasses so many aspects, but I think the technology that will have the greatest influence on the fitness industry are the trackers, apps and other tools that essentially monitor activity levels, not just step count but also intensity of activity, sleep and other parameters.
Granted, none of these devices are 100% accurate, but they do provide a good guide and motivation, especially for people who are either starting a fitness program or need motivation to keep going with a program. This type of technology will only continue to expand and improve, which will most likely attract more consumers to buy them. That will then allow fitness professionals unique opportunities to interact and gather data from clients, even design more user-specific training programs.”
About: Karen is a leading health/fitness/nutrition j
journalist (and certified fitness professional and Nordic walking world record holder) who writes for numerous publications, including SELF, Real Simple, Shape, Prevention, Cooking Light, Weight Watchers, Woman’s Day, Delta Sky, Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, and USA Today. Visit her at karenasp.com.
Molly J. Hurford @mollyjhurford
“At the moment, I’m most excited about wearables: it’s been amazing watching the evolution in recent years!
Fitness-oriented smartwatches like the Microsoft Band or Basis Peak have really stepped up their game, going from clunky, hard-to-use (and downright ugly) wrist-pieces to truly cool-looking watches that you could wear to the gym or dinner. S
mart-clothing is starting to also get more wearable and less pricey: I’m personally stoked on sports bras with built-in heart rate monitors, shoes that track cadence, and fatigue-sensing leggings.
The other technology changing the fitness industry is sleep-tracking technology: it’s getting easier and easier to dial in the perfect night’s sleep, and that’s going to have a huge impact on quality recovery so we’re ready to get up and crush our workouts!”
About: Molly is a passionate cyclist and the author of “Fuel Your Ride,”“Saddle, Sore” and “Mud, Snow and Cyclocross”. She also writes for Bicycling Magazine and plenty of other outdoor fitness sites, and co-hosts The Consummate Athlete podcast. Find out more about Molly on mollyhurford.com.
Adina Zilberman @KraseyFitBeauty
“With the advancement of technology, so too will the fitness world advance. On the surface, it is obvious that with greater tools available (health trackers, etc.) – one will be able to better discover, track, and record all athletic endeavors. Dig a bit deeper though, and it becomes apparent that with an increasing knowledge of the human body and health in general, one will be able to operate on the fitness plane with greater efficiency.”
About: Adina is a professional bodybuilder and an expert on dieting, fitness and supplementation. Her blog offers readers advice on clean eating, supplementation, technology, fashion, health, and lifestyle – find out more on kraseybeauty.com.
Got your trainers on already?
Motivation is key when it comes to fitness and it’s a good thing that technology is here to give us that extra push!
We’ve rounded up the most exciting fitness and exercise techs at Urika and we’re constantly expanding our database. So check them out and search for “fitness”, “exercise” or anything else that comes to mind – it’s never too late to discover innovations.
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