Rise of Connected Fitness Devices
Wearable fitness trackers and smartwatches began gaining widespread popularity in the late 2010s as technology improved and prices dropped. By tracking biometric data like steps, heart rate, and sleep, these connected devices allowed users to closely monitor their health and fitness from their wrists. Popular early devices included Fitbit, Garmin, and the Apple Watch. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated demand as more people sought to workout and track fitness from home. Sales of connected devices surged, with the global market valued at over $50 billion by 2022 according to research firms.
Advanced devices now go well beyond basic step counting by integrating Smart Fitness, advanced heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, music controls, and payment capabilities. Popular products offer extensive libraries of on-demand and live workout classes accessible via the connected device. This has transformed at-home fitness by allowing users to replicate the group class experience with personalized audio/video instruction and metrics directly on their wrists or other wearable screens. Manufacturers are also incorporating wellness features for stress monitoring, meditation, and respiratory tracking.
Rise of Smart Fitness Platforms and Apps
Along with the growth of connected devices, the pandemic drastically increased demand for digital fitness content that could be enjoyed from home. This fueled explosive growth of online fitness platforms and mobile apps offering on-demand and livestreamed workout classes. Popular sites like Peloton, Nike Training Club, and Fitness+ gained tens of millions of subscribers offering a diverse selection of classes across various workout modalities like running, cycling, yoga, dance, strength training and more.
Instructors on these platforms stream multiple live classes daily that participants can join from their connected devices, televisions, or mobile apps. Users see the instructor and other participants in real-time while syncing their workouts and metrics. This social, accountable element has been key to user retention. Subscription revenues for the top digital platforms now total billions annually. Virtual personal training has also grown rapidly through private classes and goal-setting tools accessible via mobile apps.
Augmented and Virtual Reality for Smart Fitness
Cutting-edge fitness technologies are leveraging augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to further transform the at-home experience. AR apps employ cameras to superimpose layers of information like distances, routes, and form corrections atop real-world views. Popular running apps use AR to coach runners in real-time. Beat Saber is a popular VR rhythm game that incorporates arm movements for an intense full-body cardio workout while slashing bloques to the beat.
Forward-thinking gyms now offer high-end VR classes simulating outdoor runs, rides, hikes and more using specialized headsets, treadmills, and bikes. At-home VR systems like the Oculus Quest are also enabling immersive 360-degree workout experiences without tethers to expensive gaming PCs. These platforms allow users to "travel" anywhere in the digital world for their daily training sessions. The realism of these virtual environments is improving rapidly with high-resolution graphics and spatialized sound.
Global Market Projections
The digitization of smart fitness has enabled unprecedented access to diverse workouts from any location. This convenience is expected to sustain high demand even as pandemic restrictions ease. Research firms forecast continued double-digit annual growth of the global connected fitness device market, projecting a value of over $80 billion by 2027. Digital fitness platforms are projected to gain over 500 million subscribers worldwide by 2025 as virtual options proliferate. Augmented and virtual reality technologies for fitness are still nascent but expected to surge in popularity as costs decline and capabilities advance. Together, these digital innovations are revolutionizing the global fitness industry and transforming how people achieve and track their health and fitness goals anywhere, anytime through personalized digital experiences.
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Ravina Pandya, Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravina-pandya-1a3984191)