4 Ways Technological Advances Optimize Fitness Performance

Technology has had a long-standing tradition of dispelling common objections to exercise. Hate listening to grunts and other gym-goers pants? That’s an easy fix: Just pop in those AirPods so you can sweat listening to a song or podcast instead of your workout partner’s voice. No time to go back and forth to your upcoming yoga lesson even though you have it “high priority” on your calendar? Check your membership. That may include free virtual classes available online with your favorite instructor.

But that progress is just the beginning. Below are some of the other technological breakthroughs that are changing the fitness world to help time-pressed professionals on the go.

1. Technology reduces the time it takes to exercise

Wouldn’t it be great if you could shorten your 90 minute workout by a third? That seems to be the promise of focused electrical muscle stimulation. Electrical muscle stimulation sends artificial signals through the skin to cause the muscles to contract involuntarily. It has been used successfully in medical settings such as during physical therapy treatments. Recently, however, fitness leaders have begun to explore the application of electrical muscle stimulation as a useful tool to cut training time without compromising exercise quality.

Related: How to Make Exercise an Unbreakable Habit

2. Technology makes it easy to track and measure success

In business, there is a saying that what is measured will be managed. For many people who want to prioritize and manage their health, seeing progress improves motivation and compliance. However, it can be difficult to visualize what success looks like without a little help.

Various startups have aimed to solve this problem. Many offer subscription-based applications that provide visual representations or “played” elements that reflect the user’s health journey. Since more than half of people with smart devices already use it to collect their health data, making the most of that data will no doubt seem intuitive. But do people use it? The doctor thought so. In fact, Northwest Primary Care research shows 93% of doctors believe apps encourage users to stay on track. So, if you feel compelled to be able to see your progress, you may benefit from a trip to the App Store.

Related: How Using Fitness Apps Can Make You A Better Entrepreneur

3. Technology connects experts with athletes.

platoon. Does the product make you cringe a little? Of course, the brand received some harsh criticism after posting a pre-pandemic advert that New York Time and others are called potentially sexist. And has since had to deal with the unflattering portrayal of pop culture and widely publicized layoffs. Nonetheless, the company grew in popularity as people started to stay at home more. Whether it’s still worth it or not doesn’t matter: Peloton opens everyone’s eyes to how fun and thrilling it can be to be pushed by a live instructor.

You might argue that the opportunity to compete virtually against other racers or runners has been around for a while. You would be right. However, being able to enjoy a one-on-one session or take a class from a top fitness coach is a lot different than racing against a nameless, faceless opponent. In addition, virtual reality and the promise of Metaverse drive some interesting online sports options.

Related: Unlocking the True Potential of the Metaverse

4. Technology shortens post-workout recovery.

Is all this talk about exercising leaving you feeling drained and tired? Well, technology has another answer in the form of infrared (IR) light technology. If used properly, IR devices can reach deeper into your muscles than you could if you plunged into a hot tub. And IR devices can include anything from a pop-up tent to a sauna.

Another product that targets fatigue is the percussion massager. Delivering pulses that penetrate to sore muscles, massage units do what masseurs cannot: squeeze quickly and consistently to relax and loosen tense muscles. When investigated in a clinical setting, percussion massagers fostered a better range of motion for study subjects. Like many health-focused technology products, they are sold at the consumer level to enable athletes to benefit from it anytime and anywhere. So you have fewer reasons to skip the next workout due to prolonged pain.

So if you keep making practice resolutions just to say goodbye to them in a month’s time, consider getting a little help from technological innovation.