Welcome back (to my channel),
An update from the Pitch and I have changed ideas! Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, a few of us have been a bit anxious about the shutdown of gyms, and movement to online classes. However, even before the shutdown, gyms were already being influenced by technology. The franchise of F45 was a huge hit globally (myself included) in its revolutionary delivery format. The gyms were adopting state-of-the-art plasma displays that play exercise demos, control the timing of each exercise, and show the heart-rate monitor data of members with F45-specific wearables (IT Brief 2019).
However, for many group training fans, it is known to be hard to fit these classes into a casual or part-time work schedule. So when things went online I was interested to see how the communications would change. Justin Ashley, an American PT who founded Fitness Playground, believes 2020 will permanently alter the fitness industry. “There are a bunch of people who aren’t going to exercise the way they did before, and the uptake on virtual fitness has been much higher than we expected. And I think it’s going to carry through after this crisis is over,” he told Financial Review. Technology has shown us physical limitations can be broken down when the desire to do something is given the right platform to thrive.
Through the exploration of my new DA idea I have loved doing these online workouts and then comparing them with my roommates and online friends. I like the idea of really involving myself in to the changing communications of online fitness and the trajectories of how remote activity could impact us in the future so my new idea looks in to creating a platform for likeminded people who enjoy group workouts, without the strangers/ sharing of equipment or excessive fees.
I still have a way to go on creating a platform, but I plan to be posting publicly very soon (when my muscles aren’t as sore) and assessing how online workouts can involve others, while not happening simultaneously.
Genuine question however…….
Check out my progress below:
References:
IT BRIEF 2019, “How Technology is Changing the Fitness Industry” IT Brief Feb 18 2019. Viewed May 6 2020 <https://itbrief.com.au/story/how-technology-is-changing-the-fitness-industry>
Gillezeau N 2020, “The Fitness Industry Goes Fully Digital”, Financial Review Apr 14 2020. Viewed May 7 2020. <https://www.afr.com/technology/in-times-of-covid-19-the-fitness-industry-is-going-fully-digital-20200326-p54e7q>
Groundhog Grant 
Reblogged this on Future Cultures.
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Hey Tahlia!
I think where you have found yourself in this DA process is a good stage because you now have so many ideas you can explore and test.
As cool as it would be to create an App, I wouldn’t want to lie to you and also say I have no idea how you would do that. But you could instead look at Apps in general, like Tik Tok, Instagram and find fitness communities within them that you could explore in this era of a pandemic. I think it would be interesting if you create a Facebook group in a specific area you live to see how other people in that area are also staying fit while gyms have closed. Creating a community where you can go beyond workouts. You could suggest healthy meals, short exercises, reshare Tik Tok workouts, Instagram videos, create new friends, and also just have a community where people can ask any questions they have during this pandemic when it comes to fitness and trying to stay fit, motivated and sane! Tying all of this into the future of fitness industries, and their changing nature thanks to digital communities and technology? This article I’ve included talks about such modern-day revolutions in the fitness industry during this pandemic, mentioning a lot of what you have experienced exercising at home.
https://www.afr.com/technology/in-times-of-covid-19-the-fitness-industry-is-going-fully-digital-20200326-p54e7q
This could be something to think about, either way, I think it would be great to go ahead and create a Facebook group like you plan, also a way to keep your DA fast, inexpensive, simple and time relevant, instead of rigging your brains out trying to figure out how to make an App.
I also think the Week 3 Subject material of trajectories and planning could tie into your topic. This new online/digital fitness presence is something that is currently a “planning” as such, as well as this pandemic, being revolutionary, changing the way we live. It ties into this experimentation you’re taking up yourself at home, working out in a ‘trial and error’ sort of manner, as I’m sure so many other individuals would be in the same situation as you. This is something you could perhaps explore through blogs and reviews while running the Facebook group? overall exploring the future of online fitness industries during a pandemic.
Hope that helps, good luck with the rest of your DA!
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Hi Tahlia! Very Interesting to see the direction your DA has taken, this topic/ theme you’ve chosen to focus on is extremely relevant at this point in time! Unfortunately, I have no idea how to develop an app, but perhaps designing the interface or what it could potentially look like could be useful? It would be easy enough to do on Canva. The fitness industry has completely reinvented itself to adapt accordingly.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/01/business/fitness-studios-coronavirus/index.html
This is a great source for a dive into what the future of the fitness industry could look like.
What do you think the future of the fitness industry will look like after COVID-19? Will gyms reopen with the same prominence they once had, or are people accustomed to their home workouts that they will ditch the weekly fee of a physical gym?
Personally, I have invested in basic gym equipment and most likely won’t return to a gym franchise for a while. At least until I get bored with the equipment I own.
I myself have experienced F45, the atmosphere is addictive, it is easy to see why it has become a cult among many. However, the price tag is a lot to commit to. $50-$70 a week!
I think maybe taking a focus on the future of the fitness industry as a whole could be very interesting, there are so many variables when it comes to how they will adapt to provide the services on demand, but the question is, what will that look like?
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Hey Tahlia, I think you’ve done a great job at being flexible and adapting your DA to feedback. Changing up your topic based on the engagement you received is a well-informed choice. I like your chosen topic, it’s really great that social media can be used as a platform for sharing and teaching fitness techniques or routines with other users. It’s also a great way of motivating each other, as you pointed out in your video, because it connects people with similar health and fitness goals.
I wanted to make some suggestions for your Facebook group that may help to set it apart from others, taking a more niche approach to online fitness. You can take or leave them because it may not be the right frame for your project, but I found this academic research report about online fitness culture and its impact on young girls and got a few ideas from it;
Click to access Exploring_Online_Fitness_Culture_and_Young_Females_Complete_Manuscript.pdf
It talks about some negative aspects of fitness culture on social media that can affect young women’s self-esteem, body image, and both physical and mental health. In particular, alarming trends like #thinspiration and the nature of the #fitspo trend causing young women to compare their own bodies to an ‘ideal’ body type. The researchers found that this negative side of fitness culture encouraged these women to focus on the appearance of their body rather than the their health and well-being when pursuing their fitness goals. With this in mind, I think your Facebook group could aim to break down issues with body image by branding itself as a support network for young women of various body shapes and sizes. Just an idea that I think would be great for contributing to the future of online fitness culture in a unique and uplifting way. This relates to Elenora Massini’s argument about futurists needing to consider their social responsibility when taking on a project, looking at the probable future as pluralistic rather than a single utopian outcome. Unfortunately, due to the nature of social media, the future of online fitness could see the perpetuation of these body image issues for young women. I believe acknowledging these problems and talking about them in the online fitness community is essential to avoiding these negative impacts from persisting on a large scale.
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Reference for that report;
Stephanie T. Jong & Murray J. N. Drummond (2016) Exploring online fitness culture and young females, Leisure Studies, 35:6, 758-770, DOI: 10.1080/02614367.2016.1182202
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