Have you ever felt lost in the gym because you forgot your last training plan? Do you find traditional activity tracking methods cumbersome and disruptive? This article starts from the daily pain points of a fitness enthusiast and imagines a smart fitness solution based on “touch” technology.
What is the most “helpless” moment in the gym?
For me, there is nothing more than standing in front of the equipment and recalling with a confused face: “How much did I push last time?” How many sets did you do? As a typical “intermittent hesitant” fitness enthusiast, my training plan is always interrupted by various unexpected situations. As a result, every time I return to the gym, I find that the previous training sets and weights, and even the order in the training plan, have long been forgotten, and I don’t know where to start.
You might say, record with an app! Yes, I have also struggled, I have forgotten to bring my watch when running before, so I held my phone and turned on the keep record throughout the whole process, anaerobic training is also recorded with apps such as “Xunji”, although it is helpful, but the experience is always unsatisfactory, easy to miss, plus, it is really troublesome.
The idea of smart fitness was actually considered a long time ago –
see the discussion of incentive mechanisms in “Games Change the World”; Looking at the number of steps on WeChat, many people walk more; Playing the Switch fitness ring to experience immersive games + sports experience, a lot of fragmented inspiration will make me feel that smart fitness is promising.
To achieve these three challenges, product managers will only continue to appreciate
Good product managers are very scarce, and product managers who understand users, business, and data are still in demand when they go out of the Internet. On the contrary, if you only do simple communication, inefficient execution, and shallow thinking, I am afraid that you will not be able to go through the torrent of the next 3-5 years.
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But I always thought about changing my gym equipment. When I think about the price of those fitness equipment, this matter can only stay in the stage of “intermittent thinking and not landing”.
Until one day, I was dining in a shopping mall restaurant and opened the ordering applet with the touch function. At this time, I suddenly had a flash of inspiration – the smart fitness plan that had little hope due to cost seemed to be about to land!
2. How to make fitness equipment smarter by “touching”?
Imagine this scenario:
In the gym, whether it’s a treadmill, elliptical, squat rack, chest press, every device has a small NFC tag. Users only need to touch their mobile phone or bracelet with a light touch, and the app can recognize the device information, pop up the training interface, and guide them into the recording process.
The advantages of this method are obvious – no need to modify the equipment, the cost is extremely low; For users, there is no need for complicated operations, no fear of forgetting manual records, and almost no increase in the threshold for use.
2.1 Connected devices: opening up the “fast lane” of data
Some modern commercial devices already have Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capabilities, which can directly transmit training data (such as duration, speed, weight, reps, heart rate, etc.) to the app through a standard interface.
At this time, the role of “touch” is to establish the initial connection and bind the device, and the device will continue to return the data during the training process, and it will be automatically archived after the training is completed. The whole process does not require additional user operation, and the data is synchronized in real time, which is accurate and efficient.
This scenario is more suitable for cardio machines (treadmills, ellipticals, bicycles) and a few high-end strength training equipment (e.g., connected machines from brands such as EGYM, Life Fitness, Technogym, etc.).
2.2 Non-networked devices: Let “old devices” have smart entrances
But in reality, most fitness equipment is not networked, especially traditional strength training equipment. It so happens that this is where “touching” comes into play.
When the user touches the NFC tag, the app can recognize the device model and enter the semi-automatic recording mode – automatic timekeeping, allowing users to manually fill in the number of groups, weight, and number of times, or quickly enter by voice: “80 kg, 10 times, 3 groups”.
If the user wears a wearable device such as a smart watch or heart rate belt, the app can also synchronize body signals to help determine training intensity and process performance.
This approach has a natural advantage over the tedious process of manual documentation in traditional apps:
- Automatically identify devices to avoid misremembering
- One-button start timer instead of manual operation
- It can combine voice input, sensors, and AI assistance to achieve more “smart” interactions
In other words, even the most ordinary equipment, under the connection of “touch”, can be included in the digital training system and become part of smart fitness.
3. AI blessing: When data meets the “strongest brain”
When the user completes a “touch” check-in, the data is not only recorded, but also becomes the starting point for AI analysis and suggestions. The following is mainly explained from the perspectives of the user side and the gym.
3.1 Empower users
From the perspective of us fitness enthusiasts, the surprises that AI can bring are far more than just a clear training record. It’s more like a fitness buddy who is online around the clock and understands you more and more.
1. AI transforms into a coach who “understands you”: personalized feedback and scientific guidance
Simple recording is just the first step, and the real magic of AI lies in distilling insights from data and giving personalized, actionable recommendations, like a personal trainer who always keeps an eye on you.
It’s no longer a statistic or a data table, but an effort to be your “fitness mentor”:
- Training analytics and instant feedback. “In today’s Smith bench press training, the speed of the third set of movements has dropped significantly, and there may be exhaustion, so it is recommended to extend the rest time between sets or reduce the weight appropriately.” Or if your heart rate continues to soar while you run, the app will pop up a reminder: “The current heart rate has entered the anaerobic zone, it is recommended to slow down the pace appropriately and adjust the breathing rhythm.” These judgments are based on cross-comparison of device data, your wearable device signals (if worn), and historical records, using the data to “speak” and give you a better understanding of the process of each effort and how your body reacts.
- Smart scheduling and dynamic adjustments.Faced with the confusion of “what to practice today”, AI recommends based on your goals, historical data, and subjective feelingsPersonalized training plans。 What’s more, the plan will be based on your actual completionDynamic optimizationto ensure that the training is both challenging and scientific, and to achieve the advanced road of “thousands of people and thousands of faces”.
- Dietary advice.As the saying goes, “three points of practice and seven points of eating”, AI can also help you in diet. Based on your exercise consumption and fitness goals, the app can provide scientific dietary structure references, calorie intake suggestions, and even recommend some suitable recipe directions to make your training effect twice as effective with half the effort.
2. Upgrade your persistence experience: AI-driven achievements and motivations
Fitness is all about perseverance, and AI can cleverly translate effort into timely feedbackVisible achievements and constant motivation。
- Visualize your progress. The AI will visualize your training trajectory at a glanceAchievement check-in map。 Watching the number of days of continuous training increase, the PR (personal best) being refreshed again and again, and the strength/endurance curve steadily rising, this positive feedback is undoubtedly a boost to persevere.
- Gamified motivational elements.Unlock all kinds of funVirtual badges(such as “Squat Master”, “Aerobic Endurance King”), complete the AI customized for youSmart Challenge Cards(“Complete 3 HIIT workouts this week and you can light up the ‘Fat Burning Pioneer’ badge!”) These gamification elements can greatly enhance the fun and participation of training.
- It can also increase some social connections.
3.2 Empower the gym
When AI’s focus shifts from individual users to the entire gym area, it can also inject new vitality into the space, enhancing the overall sports atmosphere and member engagement.
1. Large-screen ranking: an “eye-catching” weapon that detonates the atmosphere
When you walk into a gym that has deployed a “touch + AI” system, the first thing that catches your eye is probably the piece that scrolls various data in real timeBig screen leaderboards。 This is not a simple list of numbers, but an “arena” and “wall of honor” carefully choreographed by AI:
1) Diverse lists, there is always one for you:
- Aerobic zone “Endurance Star”: “This week’s running king: ‘Wind Chasing Boy’, has completed 50 kilometers!” , “Today’s elliptical calorie burning champion: ‘fat burner'”
- Power Zone “Power Giant”: “Bench press list (by weight): 1st place, ‘Iron Will'”, “Squat total capacity challenge: see who is this week’s ‘leg king’!” ”
- The “perseverance pacesetter” in the audience: “Monthly check-in full attendance king: ‘persistence is victory'”, “training frequency star: you are the best with a stable output of 5 times a week! ”
- “Progress is visible” list: “Strength Improvement Student of the Month”, “Endurance Breakthrough Award” – encourage every individual who strives to change.
2) Positive motivation, not anxiety.When AI designs these leaderboards, it will focus morePositive motivation and funInstead of simply competing for absolute values, avoid unnecessary comparisons and anxiety. For example, you can set different levels of goals and challenges, or focus more on personal progress. At the same time, to ensure fairness, these leaderboards may focus more on networked devices that can automatically upload data, or clearly record rules on non-connected devices.
These real-time updated lists will undoubtedly attract the attention of members like a magnet and stimulate their competitive spirit and desire to perform. This kind of benign “involution” can not only significantly increase the training enthusiasm and frequency of members, but also fill the entire gym with a positive and hot sports atmosphere.
(Of course, it is not ruled out that there are still some gyms that do not want too many members to come to the store after the membership pays hh).
2. Data insight assists operations
For gym operators, these data collected by “touching” and analyzed by AI also have deeper operational value. For example, by analyzing the heat map of the use of different devices, equipment layout and purchasing decisions can be optimized; Through member activity data and training preference analysis, more accurate course recommendations and personalized member care can be carried out, improving service quality and user stickiness.
4. Conclusion: Install a “archive point”
In the past, when we mentioned “smart fitness”, it was easy to think of cool AI mirrors, holographic coaches, and big data models. But in fact, most fitness scenes don’t seem to need to be so “heavy”, but they doA lightweight, low-barrier, learning-free interaction。
Just like this “touch” function, it does not have a complex interface and does not require users to learn the operation process.It only uses the lowest transformation cost and the most natural user interaction to solve the most basic and troublesome problem of data collection.
After all, there is no reliable data source, and no matter how good the AI analysis and cool personalized recommendations are, they are just castles in the air.
The significance of this plan is not how much it can directly improve the training effect. It was more like my chaotic activity log.Install convenient “archive points”。
These points may not be inconspicuous, and they may not bring an immediate leap, but they allow me to see the traces of my journey after each training. No more vague exercises, no more loss of judgment and motivation.
The meaning of “archiving” is to give people the courage to restart.For me, it’s already great.
Instead of pursuing a grand AI blueprint, it is better to make a small scene that can be “implemented”;
Instead of stacking show-off functions, it is better to let users “be willing to use, affordable, and understandable”.
In this sense, “touch” is a key with a very low threshold – it is not so flashy, but it gently opens the entrance to a new world.
Perhaps, the next time we walk into the gym, that little “touch” can become a new starting point for us to persevere more scientifically and happily. Who knows? But at least, such thinking and attempting is full of meaning in itself… …
