Digitization in the gym

The digital gym - a look into the future.

At work and in everyday life, we have long since become accustomed to smart apps and tools that help us manage our daily tasks and routines. It is therefore not surprising that digital applications are now also finding their way into the leisure sector. Digitization is currently the most significant trend in the fitness segment. Operators of fitness studios should not miss it and prepare themselves in good time for changes in training planning and practice that are coming in the next few years. No one needs to be afraid of the technology that will be used in the process: All currently available tools and apps are characterized by extreme user-friendliness. No prior technical or medical knowledge is needed to create personal analyses and suitable training sessions. Quite the opposite - complicated calculations or tedious data entry are no longer necessary, and the devices generate complete performance analyses within a few minutes. Trainers have more time for personal support, and customers benefit from customized programs and faster visible training success. The digitalization of the fitness world will benefit studios, trainers and customers alike.

In the following, we take a more detailed look at the two most important functions of the smart analysis systems currently on the market: Basal Metabolic Rate Measurement, Calculation and Meaning and Performance Analysis.

The basal metabolic rate: our energy consumption in the "resting" state

Admittedly, hardly anyone still calculates basal metabolic rate using the classic formula developed by J. A. Harris and F. J. Benedict in 1919. However, the Harris-Benedict formula, despite some adaptations and redefinitions over the years, was long considered the standard tool for calculating the so-called "basal metabolic rate", which describes nothing more than our energy consumption at rest, at constant temperature and without food intake.
Even if numerous websites now offer basal metabolic rate calculators that replace the cumbersome calculating: Calculations of this kind are always only approximations. They make no statements about individual circumstances and cannot replace professional calorimetry - usually the indirect measurement of energy consumption via oxygen consumption. Such a measurement was long reserved for specially trained medical personnel, but is now possible quickly and easily with the new analysis tools. Trainers can thus not only determine how high a client's individual daily calorie consumption is. The exact proportions of carbohydrates, fat and proteins burned can also be determined, allowing targeted nutrition and training programs to be created.

The performance analysis: Individual training recommendations in ten minutes

In professional sports, training is inconceivable without precise adjustment to individual performance; for recreational athletes, this has long been nothing more than a pipe dream. An inventory of the current fitness status is the be-all and end-all for effective training. Without knowledge of the personal anaerobic threshold or the individual regeneration capacity, training errors are virtually pre-programmed, and frustration among customers and trainers is the logical consequence. There is a remedy: With the new smart analyzers, performance analysis becomes a matter of ten minutes, without any prior medical knowledge or major technical effort. The procedure is extremely simple: as part of a step test on a cardio device, the customer's pulse values are determined and a respiratory gas measurement is carried out at the same time. The values obtained are evaluated via the app, and exact results and individual training recommendations are available within minutes. The advantages of the personal fitness programs calculated in this way are obvious: training in the optimum pulse range and in compliance with personal performance limits leads to faster and more sustainable success. A pleasant side effect is that a studio with such an offer leaves a positive, professional impression, which increases customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.

Profitability

Owners or personal trainers naturally ask themselves whether such an investment is worthwhile. In advance it can be said that the systems are even often, through an advance sale, refinanced before delivery, but usually already 3-4 months after the purchase.

This does not even include the undoubtedly positive effects on customer loyalty and customer satisfaction, which also have a financial impact.

The implementation of mobile, smart testing and analysis devices in the gym not only optimizes customer care, but also has the potential to retain existing customers in the long term. Due to the qualitative upgrading of the trainer or studio without great additional effort for members and staff, an expansion of the customer base can also be expected in the long term.