The new gyms online - 21st January 2022

Every year, many people plan to go to the gym. Gyms are usually busy at the start of the year. But 2022 was different. There was Covid-19. And people were exercising in a new way.

Many people were using apps and technology to exercise. This is a new business, Fitness Tech. But people wanted to talk to others, like at the gym. So, Fitness Tech made communities online. Jeremy Needham says that this makes them feel good.

Jeremy Needham: "A big part of going to the gym together is sort of suffering together. It's like, you experience pain, you work really hard and you sweat. And so do the people around you, and you build a camaraderie around that. And now that we don't share that space, at least in real time, we have to do it virtually right?"

Fitness Tech created online communities. Now, the business is making a lot of money.

Richard Kowalski says that people love using exercise apps and technology.

Richard Kowalski: "Fitness tech devices will be a $4.5 billion market in the US this year, and there's a growing group of people who are engaging with these devices in their home, they want connectivity. They want to engage with other people online. And this is helping people incentivize them to keep fit, and to just engage with other people."

Fitness Tech has a lot of different sports and activities online. Everyone can join.

Aquil Abdullah did rowing at the Olympics. He loves making new rower friends online.

Aquil Abdullah: "You start talking to each other. And then all of a sudden, you have a group of maybe six guys, you know, from all over the world, a guy is in London, a guy is out in California, a guy is down in Florida, and you have this community."

You can join the Fitness Tech community too. Get your exercise machine. But to be healthy, you must use it.