Phillips also says we will be increasingly following our favourite class instructors remotely – meaning the man who brings the energy to a group in Brooklyn could also squeeze yet another ‘final’ round out of you while you’re away pitching for new business in Milan.
Strength is also a theme for science-led manufacturers Technogym. The Italian company makes almost every imaginable type of fitness equipment and predicts the next big wave will be automated personalisation facilitated by AI. This will effectively make the luxury of a trainer available to anyone with an app.
Enrico Manaresi, international communication director, says, “Our new app is a way to adapt your workout to your goals and your location – so whether you are at home, at the gym or away, the app will recognise the location and the equipment available, and it will guide you.”
He also points to the potential for intelligent machines to assist you in much the same way a live training partner would. Via the app, a machine that ‘knows’ you could adjust itself to your body size. “The machine adjusts the seats and the levers to your body and delivers the right resistance and different training methods. For instance, drop sets – the machine lowers the weight like a spotter,” adds Manaresi.
While these advances will help you manage the external, we will be seeing more data about our inner workings than ever before. The kind of tech previously available via expensive labs to elite athletes can now give all of us an insight into our general health. Next year’s big measure will be HRV – Heart Rate Variability. This is used as a gauge of the body’s response to stress and current state of resilience.
Health monitoring specialists, HAWQScore’s Head of Science, Livvy Probert predicts HRV will enter the culture alongside VO2 Max as the new measure of general health.
