When it comes to home workout technology, until just recently, this meant an exercise video. It may even have meant a treadmill with programs you can follow. That said, tech has taken over the fitness world, and it’s now a part of many homes.
Exercising Tech Isn’t Just Fitness Trackers
Many people don’t have the time to head to the gym when they want a workout, after all. Even among those of us who do have the time, going to the gym isn’t always appealing when we could get the same results at home with the right home workout technology. This doesn’t just mean slapping on a wrist band that counts your steps and records your heart rate. There’s a lot more to it than that, these days.
Don’t Miss These 4 Examples of Tech to Upgrade Your Exercise
Check out these hot new forms of home workout technology the next time you’re debating between the gym and the couch.
Home Workout Technology #1: Livestreaming Workouts
If you just don’t feel connected enough with pre-recorded video, livestreaming may be for you. It gives you that live and in-person feeling of attending a class, without having to leave your living room. Your instructors may not be able to see you, but they’ll cheer you on – often by name – and you’ll have that real-time feeling you just can’t put on pause like you could with something pre-recorded.
Livestreaming is a great form of home workout technology to shake things up from your typical exercise routine. You’ll find free options on YouTube, Facebook and other similar platforms or can subscribe to premium classes on individual sites. Since the pandemic happened, many gyms, yoga studios, and other types of physical training experts have also started streaming their classes on Zoom. Don’t miss what some of your local brick and mortar businesses have to offer in a streamed or pre-recorded experience.
Home Workout Technology #2: Smart Equipment
Yes, many of us have fitness trackers such as a Fitbit or Apple Watch. That said, the equipment doesn’t stop there. A growing number of companies are coming up with exercise equipment that will not only provide feedback on a display but that will also sync with an app to provide you with added information about your fitness level.
Equipment includes everything from treadmills and ellipticals to stationary bikes and even bathroom scales. Many of them have associated apps that will allow you to gather lots of helpful data about your individual workouts. However, others go well beyond that point, with everything from stationary bikes to augmented reality mirrors that will provide you with a training session of your choosing, some of which may even provide personalized feedback based on your performance!
Home Workout Technology #3: Digital Trainers
Don’t want a human personal trainer to tell you what to do? Want things done on your ever-changing schedule? A virtual personal trainer may be the ideal alternative for you. There are tons of fitness apps that can provide you with the guidance you want and need to fine tune your workouts.
Look into options that have a large number of great reviews and that provide the type of strategy that suits your expectations. You may need to tinker with a few greats before you find the one you like best.
Home Workout Technology #4: VR
Virtual reality has come a long way, and that includes the difference it can make to your home workout technology experience. Yes, some VR is still a little bit rough, to say the least. Still, there’s a lot to be said about what you can experience for fun and motivation. It can provide you with a game type experience, to help you to forget that you’re exercising, or you can simply use it to take the boredom out of working out indoors, if that’s where you’re choosing to move around.
Beat Saber, for example, is a VR rhythm game that will have you forgetting that you’re using home workout technology…until you realize how much you’re sweating and how much your breathing has picked up. Use the sabers in your hands to slash at the beats of the music you’re hearing, as they fly by you in a futuristic environment.
On the other hand, you might choose something simpler, like nature walking sims such as The Walk, that can help you to feel like you’re experiencing the outside world. Have a forest bath in your living room. Enjoy time in the great outdoors without leaving the treadmill in your basement.
Choose More than One Option
If you find that home workout technology is the best way to get you moving and to love the experience, don’t forget that you’re not just limited to one experience. Shake things up. Mix up the real world and the virtual or streamed world. Head outside for a walk on some days and ride your smart exercise bike on another. Stroll around a virtual forest in your basement on some days or slash those beat on others. The more variety you choose, the more you’ll find that you’re regularly getting a complete workout including cardio and strength training for all your major muscle groups, not to mention yoga!
