30 Jan Journalism project draft – How technology is shaping today’s fitness
Below is a detailed plan of exactly what my journalism project will consist of and how I’ve been going about it:
As discussed with my project tutor I have two mediums for my piece; a 2000 word written article which discusses how modern day technology is shaping the way minelians tend to excersize , and the ways technology has evolved to keep up with our ever changing paths of fitness. This piece already does and will include more quotes from fitness fanatics, personal trainers and comments from Better Gym in North Grenwich. The new gym will act as a digital lab, where we can trial new, innovative products. They have also launched ‘The Wellness Key’ which is an online data key which stores and tracks a persons fitness data and then creates goals for them to reach at that gym in a certain time frame. My aims of this written piece is to convey:
- Whether fitness app’s have an impact on gym memberships
- Are people more willing to download a free app so they can exercise on the go instead of having to go to the gym and then join… meet other members etc.
- Many gyms now have 24 hour access using fingerprint technology – does this mean it makes it easier for people to have access at any point? Should there be an excuse for not going to the gym?
- Include relatable images for the reader
- Gyms are now using their space differently – creating an area where people can use technology to work out – does this defeat the object of the gym?
- What is the future of fitness?
For me personally the main reason i love to go to the gym and excursive is because i meet a group of three friends there and we all do the exact same gym circuit. This way nobody is cheating or getting off lightly – however if I didn’t have those friends to work out with my fitness experience may be slightly different. This could mean for people who find it daunting to go into a gym full of bodybuilders and experienced people it may be quite hard …. so fitness app’s are the answer to all your questions!
Another great source which i want to talk about in my article is LDNM fitness. Its a fitness group and gym started by two brothers in South London. They recognised not everyone has the time to go to gym’s or classes so they created ways to show how to work out using Instagram live, Facebook live (which is most popular) and work out video’s posted onto social media to show exactly how to work out without any equipment. The Facebook & instagram live’s are great as you can ask them questions in the comment box and they’ll answer there and then and demonstrate on camera how to do a whole body work out without any equipment or weights; just using the power of technology.
Strava is also another great app I want to talk about in my written piece. Strava is definitely for on the go! You can create a running or cycling track for example and time yourself how your fastest time … then you can go against people on the same track via GPS and see who’s quickerst! Starve have said ‘Strava was made for you. Our mobile app and website enhance the experience of sport and connect millions of athletes from around the world. We’re the social network for those who strive ‘
Lastly, San Francisco based company FitBit brought out the latest smart fitness technology back in 2007. Since then the company has evolved and it seems every fitness fanatic has a fit bit to track their latest data.
My second medium is a five minute video piece which will consist of the following:
- An intro of me (PTC) explaining who I am (30 seconds)
- An explanation of exactly how technology is shaping today’s fitness and how people are using it in their everyday fitness routines e.g: at home using a fitness app to get their work out routine in or how gym’s are now creating a specific area (stretching area) where people can use that space specifically for fitness content which involves technology. (1 minute, 30 secs)
- I am and will continue to follow around someone who is using the gym for the first time and watch their fitness program and how they incorporate technology into their fitness routine
- I am looking at the rise in gym memberships in the month of January. I work in a local non-chain gym and have access to membership records. In the month of January (up until 30th) we have had an increase of around 38% new members which equates to around 600 new members just in a 30 day time span. However, it was interesting to see the increase in just monthly memberships and not six-monthly or annually. This data shows new members are typically only joining for a month because either they don’t know if they’ll end up getting the use after their new years resolutions end or either they don’t have the enthusiasm as when first starting. In the next two months ill be gathering more data as to how many people stop their memberships and the monthly usage of someone who joined in january. (1 minute)
- I am also hopefully going to look at the rise/decrease in obesity levels within the UK and how they fluctuate within the first few months of the year
Below is my current draft of my written piece: 600 words
Data Driven Exercise? How tech is shaping tomorrow’s fitness
In more recent years’ technology has been at the heart of our fitness regime. The fitness industry has embraced all the new high tech app’s to enhance the consumer’s experience of working out.
“Technology has changed the way we plan our fitness activities, the way we work out and the way we measure our results,” says David Walmsley, senior leisure analyst at Mintel. “So as well as giving us online booking systems, new technologies are letting fitness club members see how busy the gym is in real time. Fitness classes are becoming more immersive as operators add a new visual element to the standard music and choreography, and wearables are allowing us to monitor how we perform.” So, cut a long story short, our fitness centers are working out technology.
The generation of today’s app’s continue to make your fitness life easier and easier. There now no need to ring up the gym or go in there to sign up to a class, now the majority of gym’s have a gym app where you can log on to your own personal account and sign up to the gym and pay right there and then. No need to to carry any money with you to the gym, its all pre-paid.
Infinity gym in Kings Hill, Kent has been rivaling with competeter chain gym David Lloyd. Besides the fact Infinity is over 50% cheaper than its rival, they offer 24 hour access with finger print admission. Features of the gym are multiple studio’s where members can work out with their gym app’s instead of using gym machines. Classes which are surrounded by the use of high tech app’s.
Technology has definitely paved the way for flexible work out times, with the tap of a button you can have your classes booked for the forthcoming week and a session with your personal trainer. App’s are making it easier to communicate and organize. This level of tech is making it much easier for those people who work their 9-5 jobs and don’t have the time to faff around going to the gym to book in their classes.
The growth of technology has now emerged into your ‘smart watch’. The apple watch is like no other,
Futuristic work outs
Who needs a real life gym buddy when you have the perfect workout parter right there on your smart phone. The future of futuristic fitness is now becoming a bit more real life, whereby when doing the workout routine it shows you on your fitness app, your fitness friend will not only mimic it with you, but push you harder and encourage you to work more.
Its becoming more and more easier for you to incorporate technology into your excersize, from app’s, data tracking systems, nutrition bots and high end body analysis.
“I see the emerging trend of technology becoming more and more invisible,” said Mounir Zok, director of technology and innovation for the US Olympic Committee. The idea isn’t new. In 1984, Adidas released the first shoe integrated with technology to electronically measure the wearer’s running distance, average speed and calories burned. The shoe, called Micropacer, had a microcomputer hidden in the left tongue to collect data.
Below is a storyboard of my proposed final video piece:
