Technology is Changing the Fitness Industry

Let’s face it. Technology today is changing pretty much every industry. The fitness industry is no different. From apps, unique and innovative fitness machinery, to wearable gadgets; technology is everywhere. However… research performed by the Public Health Agency of Canada has reported that 64% of Canadian adults over the age of 18 are overweight or obese. That statistic continues to rise. The problem with most of the technology available to us is that it still doesn’t fix the core problems humans have with being able to look after their health/fitness. Problem number one is education, most of the technology available provides us with data, which don’t get me wrong, I love data but if you don’t know what to do with the data there is not much value in it. Problem number two is accountability and technology doesn’t really address accountability. It is changing the fitness industry but you still need to work hard and have plenty of dedication both inside the gym and in your kitchen.

At Blended Athletics, we have implemented what we believe are the two pieces of technology that are actually changing our industry. Neither is necessarily new but they are now more accessible and offer a lot more to the user than in the past. The first is technology that measures body composition. We prefer the “InBody” Scanner; it is easy to use and doesn’t take up a lot of room. Within Blended Athletics we use this to provide members with baseline body composition measurements from body fat, skeletal muscle mass and even water weight. This information is valuable because when analyzed properly it can assist people with understanding their goals and also providing coaches and trainers with the information that they need in order to help guide their clients through their fitness journey. The second piece of technology we believe is changing the industry is heart rate technology. Something that again is certainly not new in the industry but something that has evolved and we can use to help keep people accountable to their training. There is no magic to becoming fit and there is no, quick fix. Fitness is a journey, and effort is one of the main differentiators between those who have success and those who do not. Envision this for me, you are participating in a group fitness class and at the front of the room is a big screen. The screen is displaying everyone’s percentage of effort. Now you can sure as hell bet that every single person in the class is going to work a little bit harder if their effort is being displayed on a screen for the coach and everyone else to see. MyZone, the company we use at Blended Athletics has a heart rate monitor along with software that gyms can use to measure effort from person to person no matter their age, gender or fitness level. This makes a simple piece of technology a whole lot more attractive. The measure of effort is achieved by wearing a heart rate monitor that over time establishes your resting heart rate as well as your maximum heart rate (both are very different for each person in the world). Once these two metrics are established, the monitor and the app associated to it, provide feedback to the individual in the form of a percentage of effort!

The reality is that technology when used properly just like in any other industry can expedite results and provide a significant amount of value. When it comes to health and fitness we want an easy answer, but let me assure you it doesn’t exist. By using technology we can provide people with education and accountability which will make fitness goals much clearer and when technology provides us with clarity and shows us the path we need to take to achieve our goals, success rates go up!