In recent years technology has significantly facilitated our lives. This also means doing a lot of work, finding information or different documents with just one click. Thanks to technological development we have a short and efficient process in time to do what we want but on the other hand, this greatly discourages movement thus leading to difficulties in keeping fit. Numerous studies have shown that millions of dollars are spent on unused gym memberships, and this comes as a result of various factors. Moreover, many polls show that the vast majority of people would prefer to browse social media or play a video game rather than spend time getting on the road to the gym. We can say that this technology that is making people addicted to virtual life at the same time is also providing solutions enabling endless fitness applications.

Augmented Reality (AR) is coming into the fitness industry by overlaying digital content in a person’s current environment in order to change the way people are perceiving fitness technology. Concrete cases are showing us that this technology is being widely used today and its growth is predicted in the coming years. AR aims to gamify workouts in an innovative and engaging way to make people more physically active. This means that people will unknowingly engage more to be physically active from home or office without the need for gym memberships that will most likely never be used.

Maybe many of you who are reading this article have bought a fitness app from your device and just signed up but never used it. Now, thanks to AR technology fitness apps are experiencing a radical change, enriched with AR elements that differentiate them from the traditional applications found mostly in online stores. Read below to learn more about the benefits of using AR in the fitness industry.

As people face various often stressful situations that cause them time constraints and stress they find it difficult to have the time and motivation needed for exercise. Moreover, most of those who choose to train does not have the necessary knowledge to perform an exercise which can cause them injuries. It is worth mentioning here that often for many people training becomes boring by always repeating the same exercises. AR technology now makes it possible to exercise without the need to go to the gym but that brings you to the same goals you would like to achieve.

AR already brings home the right atmosphere to give you the right motivation to start training. Thanks to AR remote assistance, it is possible to connect in real-time with a trainer who can guide you to perform the exercises in the right way. The trainer on the other side of your device sees exactly you and your environment, this is giving your trainer the opportunity to suggest the necessary exercises and the right techniques according to your skills and the environment around you. Although at a distance without having to spend time going to the gym, connecting in real-time with your trainer gives you the right motivation to continue training in the same way from your location.

If you want to have instant real-time information on your body condition during exercise then AR comes to your help again. Many AR devices give you the ability to control your heart rate, this way you keep your health under control by not tiring yourself or in case you need to add some extra exercises. At the same time as you take a look at this information, you can continue to train without the need for interruptions. Moreover, thanks to AR devices, you now have the opportunity to be informed about the distance you ran, the steps you took, or even the calories you burned. You can now easily choose the exercise you are starting to perform among the many options on offer. Then with one click, you can close the exercise when your training is over, as a result, you will have generated all the information you may need for the exercise you have performed. This gives you the opportunity to evaluate whether your training program is successful or not to achieve the desired results.

It often happens that your smartphone bothers you or you can’t find the right way to place it while receiving instructions from a video for fitness instructions. Moreover, keeping the smartphone close to you while you exercise also affects your distraction from the calls or messages received. Now, this issue is resolved through AR devices such as smart glasses. Usage of these smart glasses during your training gives you the opportunity for greater mobility to perform the exercises in the correct way. As you will feel more comfortable and confident this will also bring a quick fulfillment of the results you want. Furthermore, as you listen to your fitness instructor, you can visually see in front of your eyes the proper way in which an exercise can be performed. This allows you to understand step by step the proper order of your training program.

Now repetitive and boring exercises are just an old reality as through AR your training program turns into a fun game to achieve your goals. Realizing different fun scenarios such as running around in different environments virtually to finish the game successfully makes you have fun while you are training. These funny AR elements combined with the training program now make it possible for people to be more attracted to the start of exercising. Moreover, while you achieve different goals, you are also rewarded with awards that keep your motivation elevated to continue further. What AR enables is to provide you with the right motivation thanks to the rewards it offers by making you always feel more curious about the next level of the game while you are burning calories.

To conclude, we can say that in today’s reality all of us often face a lack of motivation, tiredness, or difficulty in finding enough time to train. Thanks to AR technology it is now possible for your training concept to change. Direct connection with your trainer, data of your body in real-time, and increased motivation through fun elements are enabled by this technology and these features aim to lead you to an active and healthy life. Do not hesitate to become an adopter of AR technology and start changing your lifestyle.

How Augmented Reality is transforming fitness apps? was originally published in AR/VR Journey: Augmented & Virtual Reality Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.