Words by Keoghan Bellew – personal trainer at Fitness Superstore
It wasn’t just the pandemic that made home gyms one of the most coveted property features in recent years. They can also be a godsend for busy parents who can’t arrange childcare, those who live in remote areas, or simply those who like to spend most of their work and leisure time in the comfort of their own home. But have you considered all the ways that technology can give your personal gym a boost?
If you want to elevate and invest in your personal workout space, you’ll be pleased to know that there’s a whole host of technology emerging in the fitness industry designed to help you do just that. Below are five pieces of smart fitness technology you won’t want to miss out on this year.
Smart fitness equipment
A full-scale home gym is nothing without equipment, so if you want to make sure your workout space moves with the times, investing in smart equipment is an excellent place to start. In newer models of gym equipment, the standard technology of heart rate monitors or built-in programmes with different inclines or resistances is upgraded by connections to online resources. Through partnerships with apps or live stream workouts, smart equipment is therefore becoming better tailored to serving at-home audiences.
Connected exercise bikes
If you’re a keen cyclist, you may already have a stationary bike in your home gym to help you log hours in the saddle, come rain or shine. And while these classic bikes can still give you a decent workout, to really streamline and modernise your cycling experience, it’s definitely worth upgrading to one of the smart, connectable models on the market.
When working out at home, it can sometimes be difficult to keep yourself motivated and accountable, and you may feel like your sessions lack some direction. Smart bikes (or similar equipment like smart treadmills) remove the guess work by providing you with real-time and post-workout metrics such as heart rate, calories burned, and pace, allowing you to closely monitor your progress in the saddle. However, what really sets connectable bikes apart is their ability to sync with fitness apps like Peloton or iFIT, meaning you can ride along with live classes that have motivating music and instructors, or even replicate real-life cycle routes with Google Maps.
Workout mirrors
These amazing innovations are becoming more popular in upscale home gyms due to their combination of high-performance technology with sleek interior design. Workout mirrors allow you to stream your choice of fitness classes, either pre-recorded or live from the company’s location, all from the comfort of your own home gym. Most models have HD, touchscreen interfaces, and some even have a two-way audio feature, meaning you can converse with the on-screen trainer to receive tips on your form or to give feedback on the class.
The thing that differentiates workout mirrors from using a laptop or television (as well as being much larger and more user-friendly) is that the screen becomes a standard mirror when not in use. This makes them an excellent choice for those who need their workout space to be multifunctional, as when it’s not being used it will simply resemble a normal, full-length mirror that blends in seamlessly with the rest of your interiors. However, this mirror function is also partly retained during the classes, as exercising in front of your reflection is a tried and tested way of maintaining proper form. This means that, while they may have a slightly higher price tag, these futuristic pieces of equipment are a worthwhile investment as they are revolutionising the way we work out from home.
Upgraded activity trackers
If you have a home gym but prefer to do plyometric workouts free from machines, then investing in a top-of-the-range activity tracker could be the best choice for you. Pedometers and heart rate watches have been around for decades, but new innovations are constantly bringing more convenient, accurate performance metrics to our fingertips (or wrists!).
Look out for activity trackers that record essential features like heart rate, sleep quality, body composition, active minutes, and calories burned, as these are all the basics you’ll want to know. For runners, it’s also wise to find a model that tracks cadence, VO2 max, and split pace to keep you on track with your training schedule. Advanced designs are also set to monitor things like blood sugar, blood pressure, and body temperature.
Much like larger pieces of smart equipment, what sets newer models of wearable trackers apart is their ability to connect to workout apps via your watch and headphones, giving you the ability to workout at home with little or no equipment. Additionally, as technology advances, many brands are releasing more compact, fashionable designs that allow users to wear their tracker like a standard watch. This makes them a great long-term investment for those keeping a close eye on their overall health and fitness.
AI personal trainers
Artificial intelligence, also known widely as AI, is a hot-button topic right now, and it is inevitably having an impact on most industries across the world. The fitness industry has acknowledged this by developing AI personal trainers, which tend to be built into a company’s workout app. Most gym-goers will know that a trainer is an incredible asset to keep you motivated and working out safely, and so being able to bring this service into your own gym is another futuristic tool shaping the nature of home workouts. AI-powered fitness apps are all about creating absolute personalisation for the user, by learning what your physical strengths and weaknesses are and what workouts you enjoy. As these programmes become more sophisticated, home gym owners can expect to see more AI-powered tools in future.
A home gym is an excellent investment for your long-term health, so why not update it with new and improved fitness technology.
