India’s fitness market is divided into distinctive segments such as fitness centres, mobile apps, digital discovery platforms, wearable technology, food, clothing and smart apparel.
While most service providers in India are largely unorganised and need technological interventions, we also seem to be at the start of something exciting as far as use of technology in fitness is concerned.
Trainers powered by artificial intelligence, apparel with data-collecting sensors, smart mirrors, workout equipment connected to the cloud, are some of the innovations happening in the fitness Industry in India.How technology will add value to the Fitness industry:
- AI will offer users more personalized and interactive guidance.
- Fitness data will be available across devices, apps and locations (at-home, in-gym, outdoor activities).
- Health data will be integrated with biometric devices to provide comprehensive view of user wellness.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI makes fitness infinitely scalable, requires less investment compared to a conventional gym and has faster returns on investment.
Lot of fitness startups are using AI and data analytics to gain physical, social and behavioural insights from a customer based on their interactions on the platforms. This helps them to curate customised fitness packages for every individual.
Smartphone powered by artificial intelligence (AI), created by Bengaluru-based fitness startup has billions of data points on exercise and food, tracked on the basis of inputs given by users, and messages they exchanged with their respective trainers/nutrition coaches.
So your smartphone will then act as a wellness coach reminding you when to drink water, have meals, keeping in mind your health issues (such as cholesterol, hypertension). It will remind you daily to workout, will challenge you to burn more calories and stick to your fitness goals.
The main advantage of AI is accessibility. Unlike human coaches who are only available during specific time slots or on appointment, AI is with me 24×7. No matter what fitness query you may have at any point in time, it will solve it for you then and there.
More Fitness Technology
Virtual coaching or live-streaming of sessions enable users to join a specific workout irrespective of which part of the world they are in. Machine learning and IoT will help people control their gymming experience—predict the best class to take, enable users to pre-book specific equipment and offer step-by-step guided workouts. You can also have cloud-connected devices that will store a person’s fitness and health information in one place.
Apart from standardised workout modules, some trainers use customised apps to record their inputs and activities. “We receive data from cameras across the country in one big monitoring centre, and use computer vision and AI to auto-detect if procedures are happening as required. Using data to strengthen offerings and back-end infrastructure sets technology startups apart in the fitness space,” says a technologist at Cure.fit.
Everything will be connected
In future, your wearable fitness device will even measure glucose and lipid profile. There will also be non-invasive sensors or implantable chips that can draw diagnostic data from the blood. With the power of AI and machine-learning, the sensor technology of your activewear will become a personal trainer. Right from your apparel and footwear to your hydration system and smartphone, everything will be connected at all times, giving you regular inputs to improve overall fitness goals.
Experts warn that while AI interventions will personalise fitness, making data available to third-parties without a customer’s knowledge might become a privacy concern.
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