What Is Necessary For Long-Term Solutions Regarding Fitness?
Personalization isn’t a new thing. E-commerce sites use algorithms to curate individual recommendations based on online behavior, and consumers are now accustomed to personalized experiences, based on their browser history.
Why then haven’t we started optimize our fitness experience in the same manner? Well, gyms have “personal” trainers, but how personalized is their program? What if we could go above and beyond the usual? How about hyper-personalization by collecting & analysing past biometric data to optimize our results in the future?
We’re living in a world where we’re able to collect health data from clients through wearables and apps – but are we using it effectively to gain deep insights into their habits, challenges, behaviours and then tailor their fitness programs to shoot for the best results in an optimum timeframe?
When we read data, such as sleep, mood, and time constraints the right way – technology can help curate programs that best suit clients for that day. This makes fitness doable, fun, and more importantly, sustainable in the long run.
There are a range of apps, smartwatches and wearable devices which capture biometric data and gain insights into individual health, leading to a demand for workouts and diets customized to specific needs. And the usage of using ML & AI to use this data to become a better version of ourselves is getting more mainstream, and set to accelerate over the next decade.
In the post-pandemic era, the fitness sector has realised that personalization is now more a necessity than a luxury, and hyper-personalization is going to be the new standard.
Technology has disrupted literally every business on the planet – as Marc Andreesen said – “either you’re a technology company or a dead company!” The fitness industry is no exception, and hyper-personalization has to be built into the very core of the offering, rather than an add-on.
It’s now time to reimagine the fitness experience. Most coaches keep people accountable for results, with programs centred around the coach; “I get you results if you do what I say.” With hyper-personalisation it becomes our responsibility to curate programs that are built seamlessly around clients lifestyle, and get results. The focus here shifts from the outcome to the process.
With the advent of technology, wearables collect a wealth of information about our training, heart rates, sleep, and much more; but most people who wear them don’t know how to use the data to get the best out of it.
User behaviour (when analysed on daily) like food logs, daily step counts, sleep, and mood patterns, all play a part in how they will feel. These influence how we perform and adapt to training and nutrition. When information is used correctly, it becomes a powerful tool to get quicker, better results based on our existing behaviours, all while doing activities we already love.
What can hyper-personalization do for me?
The industry won’t return to how things were before, and consumers have to be at the very center of everything. Fitness apps are ideal vehicles and are able to provide meaningful experiences for customers, regardless of preferences, geography, and price points.
Weight-loss can be frustrating when you focus solely on numbers. But, imagine eating foods you love, and doing activities you enjoy, and letting the data do all the work – because based on your existing behaviours, deep tech can create a simple to dos for you to follow towards a better future.
This makes living a healthier lifestyle easier, and sustainable, and you decide what’s good for you, rather than a coach giving you a program that you dislike!
To summarize: We all want to be healthy, without feeling like it’s a chore – but a combination of human intelligence and technology, you’ll be able to get the same results, but actually enjoy the process along the way.
Ketan Mavinkurve - Founder and CEO, Alpha Coach
