ACTIVITY TRACKING
use technology to help people meet their goals. As an easy starting point, provide free wifi on the gym floor and recommend apps to members. Landau suggests setting up social
groups to generate a sense of community, and using the data from devices to create in-club leagues and challenges. Andy Jackson, CEO of mycloudtag,
suggests health clubs should invest in the health monitoring kit that consumers can’t afford. This might include blood pressure monitors and intelligent scales, which automatically take data from people’s phones. “There’s no reason why health clubs shouldn’t become health hubs where people come in to do their Quantified Self measurements. This could be a freely available DIY service, but with additional support available at a cost,” he explains. Gyms could also have more sensors
around the club – for example, treadmills could use sensors to pick up data from a phone or device and give users a tailored programme for their workout. Indeed, going forward much of the
responsibility for change lies with equipment suppliers, which need to create open platforms that will easily sync with all the devices and apps to create a seamless experience. “At present, most of the technologies
are walled gardens that get in the way of inter-operability around the member,” says O’Rourke. “We need tracking devices, apps and equipment from a variety of manufacturers to interact seamlessly. The industry is moving towards a recognition of this need.”
Equipment could become ‘smarter’, prescribing workouts based on user data
Leon Rudge, UK technology solutions
manager for Life Fitness, agrees the industry needs to embrace open computing models: “Equipment needs to interact with an ever-increasing array of tracking apps and devices entering the market. We also need to be much better equipped to extract information that trackers are logging.” Technogym has also confirmed it’s
working with partners and customers within the industry to harness digital developments and create new potential business models and revenue streams.
The future Chris Moisan, CEO of AiT – which developed the SpeedoFit app – says the technology on offer isn’t yet at the level where it will make a real impact by changing people’s experiences. “At the moment, many devices are just glorified pedometers,” he observes. “They just track what you do rather than changing behaviour. They’re still quite expensive too. To drive mass adoption and really make an impact, devices must become both cheaper and more sophisticated, offering personalised insights and nudges. “There also needs to be more of a
focus on tracking actual health and fitness rather than just activity.” Jackson believes a big shift in the near
future will be a “move from inaccurate to accurate” in the data being produced by trackers, whereby the margins of error are reduced to an insignificant level.
42 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
Dyson believes the next big trend will
be about context. So far, he says, it has been all about collecting content – the next step is to put that content into context. For example, technology will spot trends, such as ‘if the user sleeps for eight hours, they’re more likely to work out the next day’. Meanwhile Wright predicts the
future will be remote membership, with instructors using technology to analyse people’s data and give them feedback and encouragement, regardless of where they are. Digital strategist and consultant
Stephen Davies also believes operators’ approach to data will be absolutely key: “There’s a huge amount of data being generated by tracking devices and apps, and the question now is what to do with it all. The people working in the fitness sector will need to become more like data scientists.” Chris Brown, MD of FitLinxx, adds:
“Trackers will increasingly monitor multiple metrics, and people will wear them 24/7. Clubs will need to manage which metrics they highlight with which client, to ensure the focus is relevant and engaging to each individual.”
The key questions Moisan believes there are two key questions going forward: What will be driven through smartphones and what through standalone tracking devices? And will devices become more stylish or more invisible? Parisa Louie, CEO of Watchfit, thinks devices will get more stylish: “At the
August 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
PHOTO:
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/HCONQ
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