AI in Health & Fitness Industry Doesn't Seem to Have a Downside

Artificial intelligence has found a home in nearly every industry, and the world of health is no different. Since its integration into health and wellness, AI has already made great, noticeable strides in improving workouts, diets, and overall wellbeing.

As technology progresses, the already present effect of machine learning in fitness will only continue to become more prominent. Through fitness trackers, mobile applications, and other health tools, AI is revolutionizing one of the most profitable industries. 

Fitness Trackers

Both a popular fitness tool and accessory, fitness trackers like the Apple Watch and the Fitbit have made their way into the lives of many consumers. Fitness trackers provide certain workout metrics that otherwise would be difficult to quantify. From heart rate readings to calories estimates, to active versus total energy expenditure, users can better understand what they achieved in their workout.

Additionally, the data from these workouts is then stored in a giant library of information. This provides the ability to track progress and patterns of fitness for an additional metric. Popular boutique fitness classes like Orange Theory and F45 have used these to incentivize participants. By stacking heart rates next to each other, users are pushed to work harder in hopes of beating out their counterparts.

Before fitness trackers, the most one could track was time and if they wanted to, their heart rate manually. Access to this data can help curate more individualized workouts. By seeing specific metrics, we can adjust and adapt where we feel like we need to do more or less. 

Health Tools

AI has not only made its way into the fitness side of the health industry but has become integrated into other aspects of health. A new toothbrush by Colgate tracks its movement in the mouth to show users how well they are brushing and what parts of their mouths they are neglecting. It can alert its users if they have missed spots while brushing to reduce the risk of cavities and plaque build-up.

Additionally, other health tools like the Whoop help aid users in fostering better sleep schedules and recovery processes. This is the first of its kind to offer recovery features. It is no secret that recovery is an extremely important part of the workout process. Whether you’re an athlete or just a gym-goer, your muscles need a chance to recover after being exercised.

The AI of this product can identify when the body had reached the end of its recovery period and when it is healthy for you to work out those muscles again. This is revolutionary in terms of the innovation of this data. Recovery metrics are key to progressing and reaching health goals. 

Mobile Applications 

It seems that every day there is a  new health-themed mobile application. At this point, there is an app for nearly every aspect of wellness. There are meditation apps for mental health, at-home workout apps for physical fitness, diet tracking apps for healthy eating, sleep cycle apps for a better night’s rest, and the list goes on. Perhaps the most applicable aspect of AI to these health applications is the ability to take data and generate patterns.

Patterns based on data help determine user behavior. This is particularly important because behavior is both a large and important part of the health and fitness industry. Understanding human behavior is necessary for both the consumer and the product makers. This large sum of users’ health data can help propel wellness results to heights that were once not possible. Not to mention, the accessibility of these options because of AI makes it so just about anyone can get a grasp on fitness.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately artificial intelligence will find its way into every aspect of our lives, for better or for worse. But when it comes to fitness, it seems that these applications are positive in nearly every way. Every person on earth can benefit from living a healthy lifestyle. As AI continues to get better and more refined within this industry, the opportunities are endless.