The internet has changed so much of how we live our lives. The technology keeps growing exponentially and affecting all aspects of life like health and fitness, business, and relationships.
The fitness industry has so many levels to it and new ways of doing business every year. Technology has allowed trainers to be able to consult with clients around the world one on one through mobile apps, websites, text, email, and various software.
There’s different ways technology has reshaped fitness like personal training, nutritional advice, equipment, and performance.
The most impressive technologies are the ones that measure performance. Heart rate monitors are one of the most important tools athletes use to prepare for competitions. There’s also the body measurement technology that measures your muscle mass, fat, water, and bone mass to the most accurate ever possible.
The Rise of Fitness Influencers
Many personal trainers have used YouTube to gain a following and then becoming an influencer and selling supplements and workout guides. They use their influence to do high end one on one personal training online.
A notable fitness entrepreneur, Julian Smith, has one of the most brilliant business models in the fitness industry. He has a program called The Daily Pump which is a workout program that is a detail of the exact workout he did that day. He literally just tells you the workout he did and then you can do it too.
It’s really low cost too, especially if you pay by the year. It first started on his website thequadguy.com and then it moved to the Playbook app. That totally changed the customer experience. Now not only do you get the workout he did, but you get a video tutorial of every single exercise, and a timer that is adjusted depending on the resting he does in between sets.
So Julian has monetized something that he was already doing anyway. He was already going to do the workouts, and now he just charges people a few dollars a month to get access. He has 1.2M followers on Instagram, so it’s very likely he’s doing 6 figures a month just from that. Julian also sells apparel and supplements.
Another business technology has opened up is with search engines. This has opened up opportunities for blogs that review products like The Fitness Juggernaut to promote fitness products and earn affiliate commissions
Tracking Calories and Progress
Technology has also helped some of the smartest people in performance science to maximize the results of athletes. Dr. Layne Norton created an app with business partners that records your age, height, weight, and body fat. Then you enter your activity levels. The app automatically gives you the exact amount of grams of protein, fat, and carbohydrates to eat per day. As you follow it for 5-7 days you weigh yourself again first thing in the morning after using the bathroom, then you track your weight.
The app will then reduce, maintain, or increase the amount of calories for you to eat. It also depends on what your goal is. You may want to increase muscle or lose fat.
Virtual Training
Another notable technology and just the idea itself is brilliant, the Peloton. The Peloton is a stationary bike at home that’s just like the one you use in a spinning class. So, Peloton sells you the bike, and then they do virtual live spinning sessions for a monthly feel.
Other machines have followed like treadmills, rowers, and bikes that have LED Displays that can use Google Maps or virtual realities that make it seem like you’re running in a park or rowing along a river. If you’re into mountains you can hike the mountains with an incline treadmill.
Conclusion
Technology has expanded the fitness industry and allowed individuals to run vertical businesses where they monetize everything. They monetize their day to day with social media like Instagram and Youtube, sell supplements, apparel, and personal training programs.
Commercial gyms are still in business but the home gym is taking over because of technology. With the quarantine due to Covid-19, it’s blown up the fitness industry, especially home gym.
