Has Covid re-shaped how we work out? Or were we already changing our routines?
Though covid restrictions might have made it harder to work out in some countries, we all agree on something: staying healthy is extremely important right now! And as we all know, exercise is a key part of that.
Well-being, fitness and staying healthy in general have become more of a trend in the last years and through the pandemic they've become more important than ever. This, together with the introduction of IoT devices into the world of fitness, is changing how we take care of ourselves.
In our previous post, we talked about how certain fitness apps, such as Fightcamp, MyFitnessPal or Fitbit have ceased the opportunity and evolved in the past few years. But what does this mean for the industry? How big is the shift in consumer behavior? Will we go back to traditional workouts after the pandemic is gone?
To answer these questions, we looked into some products and how they are using tech to disrupt the fitness and well-being industry.
Echelon
Combining sophisticated IoT devices like their bikes and rowers with an array of live and on-demand workouts Echelon offers something for everyone.
Besides their amazing workouts, the company has teamed up with Concierge Health Inc, to connect with health insurance providers. The collaboration is born with the idea that “an active lifestyle boosts health and immunity and reduces health insurance claims and costs”.
But how does it work? Users share their fitness data —which is tracked online— with insurance providers and corporate wellness companies, who in return reward their physical activity.
Before, providers tracked activity with health club visits. Now, they can track it with real activity measurements through Echelon’s connected equipment. This more accurate tracking could prove to be a stronger incentive for users to stay healthy by doing physical activity, improving their lives and reducing health insurance costs at the same time.
Playbook
With fitness centers closed around the world, Playbook is empowering trainers and helping them move their business online. It’s a very similar concept to Patreon, but exclusive to fitness content. The app puts trainers first, who have been very affected by covid 19 restrictions and most have seen their income plummet.
Content creators are given tools to create videos and the app pays them 80% of the revenue generated by users who follow them. Trainers can bring their own followers to the app or they can gain them through it.
Playbook already has had a total funding of about 12 million USD and some big names are already part of it, like Boss Everline who trained Kevin Hart, and Don Saladino, who trained Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
Orangetheory
Because it’s still not all about at-home workouts: with over 1,200 studios in the US and the world, Orangetheory is integrating the best of tech into the traditional gym space. The company combined a scientific approach and technology to create their workout method proving that tech also has a place at the gym.
Their method involves a heart-rate based HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) total-body group workout. Their mobile app makes it easy for customers to track their progress and results in real time, as well as booking any of their classes on any location.
But there’s more! They’ve even released an Apple Watch Integration and they are part of a rewards program called Apple Watch Connected that allows their users to claim gift cards and discounts.
Carrot
The first one outside of the fitness niche is Carrot, a platform that leverages technology and behavioral science to help smokers quit.
Their product Pivot was chosen by Fast Company as one of 2020 Most Innovative Companies. Their focus? Helping people improve their lives, and saving them, by quitting smoking for good.
And how do they do that? Well, their innovative approach includes an FDA-cleared carbon monoxide breath sensor for quantifying smoking behavior, a mobile app, behavioral counseling, pharmacotherapy, community support, and motivational lessons.
Theragun
A product by Therabody, Theragun helps users with workout recovery via percussive therapy. Their massage gun provides a deep massage that helps with muscle recovery and increases range of motion.
Their app connects with their bluetooth devices and learns from users behavior in order to provide a personalized experience for each body.
It integrates both with Apple Health and Google Fit to recommend wellness routines that adapt to each user. The best part of it? The company even developed their own super-quiet motor, without compromising speed or depth of the massage.
Though the fitness and wellness industry was hit pretty hard by the pandemic, plenty of creative solutions have popped around and many of them seem to be here to stay. Tech has not always been part of our fitness and well-being routines, but users are growing o more and more used to the benefits of having it around and it certainly enables companies to become more efficient while also having access to a bigger pool of data from their consumers.