Fitness tech boom

At the beginning of the new year, people usually rush to gyms to start their fitness goals. However, in 2022, this is happening in a completely different way. While Covid-19 continues to be a problem, many gyms are closed. This has led to the success of the Fitness Tech business.

This growing business includes WiFi connected bathroom scales, watches that count steps and apps for meditation but customers needed more. They wanted to continue their work out from home but get the same social experience as at the gym. Fitness Tech provided this connection. Liteboxing trainer Jeremy Needham comments on this.

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?"

Despite being online, the social experience which Fitness Tech provides has made the business successful.

Richard Kowalski is a business analyst who works at the Consumer Technology Association.

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."

Activities including spinning, boxing and rowing are on offer through Fitness Tech communities. They are available from beginners level to experts.

Former US Olympic rower Aquil Abdullah enjoys connecting with rowers online from around the world.

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."

Gym equipment can be expensive. But if you can afford it and you've got the time and space at home, it's possible to take part in this new Fitness Tech world. However, you must work out as you would at the gym if you want to see the benefits.

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