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Anyone who exercises regularly -- or at least tries to -- knows that every day is different. After an exhausting work trip, for example, you probably aren't as ready for a workout as you would be after getting plenty of sleep over the weekend. Or perhaps you had a particularly intense day at the gym on Monday and still aren't fully recovered by Wednesday.

Google's Fitbit is hoping AI can help with scenarios like these as it explores bringing the buzzy technology to its fitness app. Fitbit co-founder James Park, who is leaving the company due to a reorganization of Google's hardware division, introduced this idea October by announcing Fitbit Labs. The upcoming program will use AI to provide deeper health insights, such as answering questions about why your run may have been harder today than it was yesterday. But Ajay Surie, group product manager at Google, shared additional details about how generative AI will influence the Fitbit app more broadly.

Read more: Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Could Be Doing So Much More With AI

According to Surie, the company is looking at how generative AI can be used for providing personalized activity and exercise recommendations that are specific to the actual user. It's another signal that tech giants are looking for ways to infuse generative AI, or AI that can answer questions or create content when prompted after being trained on data, into the tech gadgets we use everyday.

"We also see a huge potential for AI to help us drive the right recommendations for the goals you want to set," he said. "Because one of the biggest problems that we see in health, and I have this problem too, is getting users to stay focused and sticking with what they're trying to achieve."

Watch this: 2023's Top Smartwatches and Wearables of the Year

Surie referenced exercise goals as a potential example. The World Health Organization recommends that adults get 150 minutes of physical activity each week. But that can be challenging for those who are new to exercise, while experienced athletes may need a higher goal. He sees "huge potential" in AI to help set the right targets.

"We want to help people keep track of their goals and stay on track, but also adjust their goals where relevant," he said.

Another possible example involves taking a user's current state into account when making recommendations or providing advice. That would mean being able to tailor daily guidance based on the amount of sleep you've had recently or whether you've been sick. Or it could mean providing tips for maintaining a training regimen even when you've had a bad rest day. However, these are just examples meant to illustrate the types of features Fitbit hopes to eventually provide.

"Those are the types of things we'd like to do over time," Surie said. "This is our vision, and it's going to take time to get there."

Part of why Fitbit redesigned its app last year was to set the stage for Fitbit Labs by making the app more customizable and personal. The Today tab, for example, now has a specific "focus," which is essentially a group of statistics that sit near the top of the screen for prioritizing specific goals, like being more active or sleeping better.

But many longtime Fitbit users felt the redesign hampered rather than helped their fitness ambitions. Following the new app's debut in the fall, Fitbit's community forums were filled with negative comments from users about how the new look made it hard to find certain metrics or export data among other issues. Fitbit also removed beloved social features like challenges and groups last year.

Fitbit addressed certain complaints by re-adding some missing features, like the battery percentage for a connected Fitbit device in the Today tab and step streak counts in the iOS app. But new user complaints are still surfacing, with comments as recent as early February present in the Fitbit community forum at the time of writing.

"The process the team followed was, we wanted to really react as quickly as we could," Surie said when asked about how the Fitbit team handled the feedback about the redesign. "So we engage quite heavily with the community of users in our forums to sort of listen to their feedback, try to give them a sense of what we were going to do and then follow up as quickly as we could in terms of getting things turned around."

Read more: Google VP: Here's How AI Will Slowly But Surely Take Over Your Phone

Fitbit's ambitions are another sign that generative AI is making its way to health tracking gadgets, following the technology's influence on smartphones, productivity software and search engines. Apple, for example, is rumored to be developing an AI-powered health coach that could provide suggestions based on Apple Watch data, according to Bloomberg. Samsung is also considering creating some type of virtual assistant that can help users navigate health data in the Samsung Health app.

"We think the concept of a digital system that helps you to navigate and understand the context and navigate them to solutions are going to be necessary," Hon Pak, vice president and head of the digital health team for the mobile experience business at Samsung Electronics, said in a previous CNET interview. "And what form factor that's going to be is to be determined. And it may vary based on person to person, right? Some people just probably want audio; some people want a video on the TV."

Fitbit Labs will be available only for Premium subscribers when it eventually launches in 2024. Surie couldn't say whether that will always be the case, but he did mention that the company will evaluate which features should scale beyond the paywall on a case-by-case basis. The goal behind Fitbit Labs is to test certain features and collect feedback from users before rolling them out widely, potentially providing a glimpse into Fitbit's future.

"Throughout this, we obviously want to make sure that we do this responsibly, especially in the health space," Surie said. "It's one thing to go to Netflix and watch a bad movie. And it's a totally other thing to get a recommendation that is relevant to health and get inaccurate advice."

Editors' note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, seethis post.

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How Fitbit Wants AI to Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals - CNET

That scathing description came just as Bidens aides were trying to explain away the presidents most recent verbal gaffes in which he mixed up the heads of state and recalled recent conversations with world leaders who died long ago.

During a pair of New York fundraisers on Wednesday night, Biden twice described conversations he said he had in 2021 with European leaders at the G7 meeting in the U.K., which took place just months after the U.S. Capitol insurrection. At both Manhattan events, Biden said that former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who died in 2017, had asked him about the Jan. 6 riot and his reaction if people stormed the British Parliament and killed officers to stop the election of a prime minister.

And just days earlier, during a campaign event outside of Las Vegas, Biden mixed up Franois Mitterrand, the former French president who died in 1996, for French President Emmanuel Macron.

Democrats have defended Biden but also questioned the age and fitness of Bidens likely Republican rival, Donald Trump, himself facing an indictment over his handling of classified materials.

Beyond his recent high-profile mix-up of Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi, Trump, 77 has repeatedly said he is running against Barack Obama, and not Biden, and that he feared that the nation may soon enter World War II, a conflict that has been over for nearly 80 years.

Bidens mistakes underscore what critics say are the most persistent political threats to the presidents reelection bid: his age and the fear among voters that he is not mentally fit to hold office again.

If you turn on Fox News, theyre talking about a bumbling, fumbling Joe Biden. If you go on TikTok, Instagram, there are tons of videos making fun of his age, said a Democratic donor adviser, granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. Its just consistently out there, so the more this happens, the more it feeds it.

Then came Thursdays release of the special counsel report. It noted investigators found insufficient evidence to charge the president for mishandling classified documents during Bidens time as vice president. But it also said that Bidens memory appeared to have significant limitations and that he did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died in 2015. And it said that Biden could not remember when he was vice president or the details of a debate about sending additional troops to Afghanistan.

After the report was released, White House lawyers disputed Hurs characterizations of Bidens memory, and argued that he had gone outside his scope and remit. They said he was gratuitous in his focus on the presidents memory. Republicans were biting. Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) in a joint statement, said the comments on Bidens memory were among the reports most disturbing parts.

A man too incapable of being held accountable for mishandling classified information is certainly unfit for the Oval Office, they added.

Polls have consistently shown deep voter concerns about Bidens age. A new NBC poll released this week found a combined 76 percent of voters say they have major (62 percent) or moderate (14 percent) concerns about Biden lacking the necessary mental and physical health to be president for a second term. Perhaps most worrisomely for the president, 81 percent of independents and 54 percent of Democrats say they have major or moderate concerns about Bidens fitness for a second term.

On whether they have the same concerns about Bidens likely GOP opponent, Donald Trump, the poll found 48 percent of voters said they did.

The former president also has made a series of recent gaffes. When he confused Haley for Pelosi, it prompted Haley, his lone remaining GOP primary rival, to suggest that Trump was in decline and no longer up for the job.

Before the release of the special counsel report, the White House was asked about the presidents misstatements about the foreign leaders and dismissed them as nothing more than slips. As it relates to the names and what he was trying to say, many people, elected officials, many people, you know, they can misspeak sometimes, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday.

Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz argued it is very clear what will matter most to voters in November.

Like we did in 2020, well remain focused on those issues that matter to families and how its only because of President Bidens deep experience that Democrats up and down the ballot are able to run on such a historic and popular agenda, Munoz said in a statement.

Biden has previously made other errors involving the deceased. Most infamously, he mistakenly called out for Rep. Jackie Walorski at a September 2022 event, though the Indiana Republican had died in a car crash the month before. Last year, Biden mixed up Chinese President Xi Jinping with Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader who died in 1997.

Both Biden and Trump are vulnerable to age-related mistakes, said Dan Sena, a Democratic consultant who led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2018. But I dont completely buy into the ageism argument against either of them that making gaffes will decide this. Itll come down to the larger meta-narrative about those who are looking backward and those who are looking forward.

Even so, I dont envy the management position theyre constantly in, Sena added. Bidens ability to connect is one of his greatest strengths, but at the same time, it exposes some of his vulnerabilities.

Democrats argue that the presidents age is baked in for most voters, who are keenly aware of his advanced age. They point to Bidens victory in 2020, when he was 77, as evidence he has already overcome the issue.

If [Republicans] spend all this money on saying hes old and his age makes him out-of-touch, who does that move? Who is on the fence on that issue? People have already made up their minds on this, said Kevin McKeon, a Democratic consultant.

The Biden campaign has, at times, used humor to try to neutralize the issue, a strategy Democratic donors have urged him to lean into. On his 81st birthday, Bidens campaign posted a photo of the president in front of a blazing birthday cake, joking about his 146th birthday.

Others, like Democratic strategist Mark Longabaugh, believe that the president has to just go on being the president, showing he has the vigor to be the president, but that means some of these mistakes are going to occasionally happen.

Bidens pitch in 2020 was that he was the one Democrat who could beat Trump and the incumbent president has privately suggested that he believes that holds true again for this November.

But his age prompted a presidential primary challenger. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) launched a long-shot bid against Biden that is entirely centered on how the presidents age weakens Democrats chances in beating Trump.

Im attacked for being honest and saying the quiet part out loud the part DC insiders only do in private, Phillips posted on X, including a clip of Biden from earlier this week, when he appears to forget the name of Hamas, when answering a question about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

But shame on all of you pretending everything is ok. You are leading us and him into a disaster, and you damn well know it, Phillips wrote.

Those in Bidens inner circle note that fatigue forces Biden to expend more energy combating his lifelong stutter and contribute to verbal slips.

But while many in Bidens orbit bristle at the narrative about his age, they also believe they can neutralize it. They argue that voters dont make their decisions about whom to support based on age, and instead are more concerned about a candidates values and accomplishments.

Bidens advisers also make the case that he was slammed by Trump and his GOP allies over his age and mental fitness during the 2020 campaign, and that they overcame those attacks in part by pointing to his experience. Now, they said, they can point to major legislative victories as part of an updated plan as well as a robust travel schedule that compares favorably to his predecessors and includes two recent stops in war zones.

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Age isn't just a number. It's a profound and growing problem for Biden. - POLITICO

President Joe Biden held a press conference Thursday to address concerns over his mental fitness, during which he referred to Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as the "president of Mexico."

"As you know, initially, the president of MexicoSisidid not want to open up the gate to allow humanitarian material to get in," Biden said in an attempted reference to Gaza's border with Egypt. "I talked to him. I convinced him to open the gate."

The remark came just hours after a special counsel report said Biden could not recall when he served as vice president or when his son Beau died. The report followed an investigation into the president's mishandling of classified documents.

Special Counsel Robert Hur declined to bring charges against Biden, stating that a jury would find the president to be "a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

Biden addressed the report Thursday, saying, "I'm well-meaning, and I'm an elderly man, and I know what the hell I'm doing."

Not long before Biden confused Egypt with Mexico, a reporter yelled to him, "Why are you confusing the names of world leaders?"

Originally posted here:
WATCH: Biden Responds to Mental Fitness Concerns by Confusing Egypt With Mexico - Washington Free Beacon

Nikki Haley on Saturday escalated her attacks on Donald J. Trump, directly criticizing his mental acuity for the first time a day after the former president appeared to confuse her for Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, during his Friday night rally in New Hampshire.

In a news conference with reporters after her campaign event in Peterborough, N.H., Ms. Haley stopped short of calling Mr. Trump mentally unfit. But she did question whether he would be on it enough to lead the nation.

My parents are up in age, and I love them dearly, she said. But when you see them hit a certain age, there is a decline. Thats a fact ask any doctor, there is a decline.

At his rally, the former president accused Ms. Haley of failing to provide proper security during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and connected her to the House committee that later investigated it. Ms. Haley, who was not holding a government role at the time of the attack, had been at home in South Carolina that day, according to campaign officials.

The former governor of South Carolina and a United Nations ambassador under Mr. Trump, Ms. Haley, 52, opened her presidential bid this year with calls for new generational leadership and mental competency tests for candidates who are 75 or older. Though she has continued to emphasize those calls throughout her candidacy, she has reserved her most pointed attacks about mental fitness for President Biden and Congress, which she calls the most privileged nursing home in the country.

The last time she came this close to knocking Mr. Trump directly was in October, after he criticized Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and referred to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, as very smart. Responding to those remarks, Ms. Haley said: To go and criticize the head of a country who just saw massive bloodshed no, thats not what we need in a president.

Since her election night speech after the Iowa caucuses, Ms. Haley has been sharpening her case against the former president, lumping Mr. Trump with Mr. Biden as backward-looking and barriers to an American revival. At her event in Keene, N.H., she criticized Mr. Trump on his leadership tone and asked the audience if they really wanted two fellas in their 80s competing for the presidency.

I wasnt even in D.C. on Jan. 6 I wasnt in office then, she told the audience on Friday.

In a subsequent news conference, she suggested that the country was in too vulnerable of a state to have a leader who is mentally unfit.

Its a concern, and its what Americans should be thinking about, she said.

Link:
Haley Questions Trumps Mental Fitness After He Mistakes Her for Pelosi - The New York Times

A West Seattle Junction business (and longtime WSB sponsor) is expanding and celebrating.

A little over a year after Bryan Habas took over Fitness Together West Seattle (upstairs at 4546 California SW), hes excited about adding more room to serve clients. He explains, We are expanding by leasing and renovating the 770sf of office space adjacent to us to add to our 1080sf. We have connected the two spaces now and it will give us a lobby/reception area, separate staff break room, and an exercise space large enough for small group classes.

Bryan adds, This will give us 3 total separate semi-private workout spaces and we will be able to take new clients at some of the most popular time slots again (before and after typical work hours) which we havent been able to offer for a few years because we were at capacity. The small-group classes are an addition to what Fitness Together West Seattle has been offering, though his trainers have experience with them: We will limit class size to 5 or 6 to maintain the personal touch and connection with our clients.

Visit the studio Friday night (January 26) starting at 5:45 pm for a party and a peek at the expanded space. And check out the deal FTWS is offering if youre thinking about personal training services: We are offering 50% off the first month of a membership or 15% off any package of sessions up to 50. Contact info is here.

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BIZNOTE: Fitness Together West Seattle celebrates expansion with 'grand reopening' Friday - West Seattle Blog

ALFRED Alfred State marked the opening of the Shults Fitness Studio, located on the first floor of Shults Hall and giving students and faculty another fitness space.

Brooke Scianna, coordinator of campus recreation, said she is pleased with the transformation of the space.

It was important to create this space to give students an opportunity to exercise in a space that they feel comfortable in, she said. This is a small space where you can learn what works best for you. It also provides a space for those that do not feel comfortable in bigger gyms.

The space, open to faculty, staff and students, has spin bikes, free weights, yoga mats and balls, seated benches, resistance bands and kettle bells.

The Shults Fitness Studio is the second new space opened on campus for student recreation use in the last year. Last winter, The Studio opened in the Pioneer Center.

See more here:
Alfred State opens the Shults Fitness Studio | News | oleantimesherald.com - Olean Times Herald

MANSFIELD, Texas D1 Training, a leading fitness concept utilizing the five core tenets of athletic-based training, has opened a new location in Mansfield at 1836 Cannon Drive, Suite 600, on Jan. 15. The groupand personal trainingfitness facility employs a sports-science backed training regimen led by certified trainers to help people of all ages achieve their sport and fitness goals.

In celebration of the new locations launch, Mansfield neighbors and residents are encouraged to stop by and meet the facilitys team at its grand opening event on Feb 24 from 1-4PM. The event will feature a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening as well as hosting various differentlocal vendors, service providers, and community members to help kick off the occasion. The location will also feature fungames and entertainment, raffle prizes and exclusive training packages for new and existing members.

Michael Klein joins a roster of impressive existing franchisees and owners some of which include professional athletes such as Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, Tim Tebow and Michael Oher.Plus, with more than 20 years of business experience, Klein is poised for success as a business owner in the fitness space. Prior to joining D1 Training, Klein worked for his family company, Klein Tools, as an Operations Executive. In 2021, Klein exited the business and was inspired to pursue a path in franchising, where he was introduced to D1 Training and signed on for four units that will open across Texas in the coming years. Mansfield will be Kleins second D1 Training to open, with his recent acquisition of D1 Training Aledo, which was completed in Nov. 2023.

Klein heavily resonated with the brand and its commitment to athletic excellence at any age. He was a coach for many of his daughters teams when they were young and supported their interests to work with specialized coaches and trainers to improve their skills. Klein has seen firsthand the development in middle and high-school sports and believes D1 Training is a great opportunity to bring validated training to additional communities in Texas.

Klein is an active member of the Fort Worth area community he resides in with his wife, Stephanie, and his daughters Caroline, Abigail, Emily, and Raleigh.Klein serves as the Tarrant County Board Chair for the American Heart Association, where health and wellness is paramount in the mission to fight heart disease and promote living longer, healthier lives.

D1 Training isnt just a place for athletes, said Klein. Its a place for our community members of all ages to come together, grow stronger, and reach new heights. Together, well build not only better athletes but also stronger bonds within our community we cant wait to get the doors of our first location open.

D1 Mansfield offer four age-based programs including Rookie (ages 7-11), Developmental (ages 12-14), Prep (ages 15-18) and D1 Adult. Each fitness program is based on the five athletic-based tenets: dynamic warm-up, performance, strength program, core and conditioning, and cool down. Outside of group workouts, D1 Training offers one-on-one training with world-class coaches. The goal is simple: to continue to train athletes who are dedicated to their sport or their fitness goals, regardless of age or athletic background.

Michael is the ideal candidate to bring the D1 Training experience to Mansfield, said the brands Chief Operating Officer, Dan Murphy. Were thrilled to welcome them to the D1 family and are confident in their ability to show the Mansfield area what theyve been missing out on. D1 is a one-of-a-kind fitness experience thats built around the individual and meant to help people meet their appropriate edge. Our strong network of franchisees embodies our core values to bring the D1 Training vision to life, and we know Michael will do just that in Mansfield and its surrounding communities.

Strategically expanding across the nation through franchising, D1 Training has more than 85 performance centers open with over 200 additional locations in various stages of development. The brand is currently seeking qualified and active community members to expand its footprint and help more people meet their fitness goals.

For more information on D1 Training Mansfield, please visithttps://www.d1training.com/mansfield/or call(817)-601-1433.

For more information on D1 Training and franchise opportunities, please visit andhttps://www.d1franchise.com, call (615)-465-0385 or emailjulie.bauer@d1training.com.

About D1 Training

Founded in 2001 by former NFL player Will Bartholomew, and based in Nashville, D1 Training began franchising in 2017. The brand has grown to nearly 100 locations currently open, with over 100 additional locations in various stages of development. The brand was recently ranked in Entrepreneur Magazines Franchise 500, was named a Top 30 Gym in America by Mens Health Magazine, and also made an appearance onThe Inc. 5000which ranks the fastest growing private companies in the nation. D1 Training has been endorsed by the NFL Players Association as an approved training facility and is a preferred partner of the National Academy of Sports Medicine. D1 Training is actively seeking qualified, community-minded franchisees with a passion for the fitness industry to continue its growth through single and multi-unit franchise deals. For more information on D1 Training and franchise opportunities, please visithttps://www.d1franchise.com/.

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Local Father Opens First of Four D1 Training Locations in DFW Communities - Focusdailynews

Sobriety is different for

"That's how I developed diabetes, from abusing my body for too many years," Garlin explains to Men's Health. "I didn't prepare myself for eating Boston cream pies at three o'clock in the morning with other comedians, and I blew up."

The lack of cheat days doesn't preclude Larry David's fictional manager from a voracious snacking schedule that leads to him eating an assortment of healthy foods five times a day. His aversion to cheat days does means you'll never see any pudding in his fridge. Through losing the addictive sweets, he's gained a better understanding of the health benefits of simplicity. Simple changes like adding vegetables to his protein meals, eating apples and berries as snacks, and finding a love for cottage cheese have helped him go from weighing 320 lbs to 229 lbs.

"I lost all my weight from being a boring eater."

As transformative as his health journey has been, it didn't start from an epiphany about taking control of his fitness. He just decided to show up for himself. Showing up for himself looks like a workout regimen consisting of live boxing with his trainer, Peter Lee Thomas, treadmill running, and swimming. He's on the precipice of the 12th and final season of the award-winning Curb Your Enthiasm and he's feeling the best he's ever felt.

"I'm at the highest level of fitness I've ever been in my life, at almost 60 years old."

Keith Nelson is a writer by fate and journalist by passion, who has connected dots to form the bigger picture for Mens Health, Vibe Magazine, LEVEL MAG, REVOLT TV, Complex, Grammys.com, Red Bull, Okayplayer, and Mic, to name a few.

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Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Garlin Shares Diet and Fitness Routine - Men's Health

Owensboro will soon be home to a 90,000 square foot health and fitness club that promises to be unlike anything the the city has ever seen before. Over the last few weeks, Owensboro Athletic Club, which currently resides on Frederica Street in Owensboro in the former Big Lots location, has been teasing a game-changing announcement. We know the new state-of-the-art center will be called Club One Fitness and we've already been treated to a rendering of what the outside of the building will look like. Now, we know even more about it.

Shane Leach, the General Manager of OAC, says Club One will be a multi-level facility that will eclipse the current facility. The new location will house a larger cardio section, larger weight room and a larger HIIT area.

When Owensboro Athletic Club morphs into Club One FItness, it will feature twice the equipment and will include some of the newest cardio and strength equipment available on the market.

We're excited to share that Club One will also feature an indoor pool. The current plans for that pool call for it to be 75-feet long with three lap lanes. However, owner Dustin Edge says that more lanes could be added if the there is ample demand for expansion.

The popular Edge Body Boot Camp, which currently sits adjacent to OAC, will be moving to Club One as well. Other "like-minded" businesses will be joining also. Many more services and amenities will be announced as the facility gets closer to construction. And, Dustin says that, over the next several months, there will be public surveys to help pinpoint what exactly those will be.

OAC plans to break ground on the massive new health and fitness center in May or June of this year "if everything goes as planned." The location has not yet been announced. That said, we do know Club One will not be on Hwy 54. However, there are plans for a second, smaller location on 54 after the first club is built and operational.

And, breaking news today, Club One wants to explore the possibility of and need for indoor courts. Shane Leach says they will look to the community for input and ideas in the coming months and urges you to stay tuned to Facebook for your chance to chime in.

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When Will Club One Fitness in Owensboro Open? - wbkr.com

ACSMs worldwide survey of fitness trends forecasts a return to in-person fitness and a rise in technology, among other predictions

In a shift from pandemic-era outcomes, the American College of Sports Medicines (ACSM) 2024 Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends indicates a move back to in-person fitness experiences while continuing to emphasize the role of technology in the fitness industry. The annual survey highlights evolving consumer needs and the sectors adaptive responses.

Initiated in 2006, the ACSMs annual survey has historically been a reliable predictor of fitness industry trends, reflecting shifts in societal attitudes and technological advancements. The 2024 version collated insights from nearly 2,000 professionals across the fitness industry, including personal trainers, exercise physiologists and group exercise instructors

The 2024 survey showcases an array of upcoming trends, with a notable emphasis on boutique fitness studios and subscription-based memberships. This signals a departure from the previous focus on online training and home gyms, which gained prominence during the pandemic.

Here are some other trends highlighted in the report:

Wearables Continue To Lead

Wearable technology leads as the top trend, signifying a strong consumer interest in personal health data and fitness tracking. Wearable technology has ranked in the top three since 2016, highlighting the growing popularity of devices that track health metrics like heart rate, calories burned, and sleep.

We know that social support is one of the strongest predictors of exercise self-efficacy, said ANaja Newsome, Ph.D., ACSM-CEP and survey spokesperson. It is important for exercise professionals to leverage the capabilities of wearable technology to improve adherence and autonomy for clients.

Corporate Wellness Is Top of Mind

Coming in second is a newcomer to the top ten list worksite health promotion. Companies are increasingly investing in health-promoting initiatives, such as providing access to fitness facilities, organizing employee wellness programs and offering health education workshops. By integrating these health-focused strategies into the workplace, employers are acknowledging the profound impact that a healthy workforce has on the success and sustainability of their organizations.

Grace De Simone, wellness director, Wyckoff Family YMCA, Wyckoff, New Jersey, has over 20 years of experience in the corporate wellness sector. She says that people returning to the office post-COVID may be driving this heightened attention on workplace wellness.

People are more anxious and cautious than ever, says De Simone. Employers are providing wellness education and programs, including coaching, mental health awareness and training, meditation, yoga, and physical activity. Full-time employees spend a third of their day at work, whether its at home or in the office. The opportunity for preventive and impactful services for their health is an enormous and important initiative.

Older Generations Embrace Fitness

The third spot belongs to fitness programs tailored for older adults. As more Baby Boomers enter retirement, this group is focusing more on staying active and independent. The 65-plus population increased 38% from 2010-2021 and is projected to keep rising over the next two decades. Regular exercise enables older adults to maintain health and independence as they age.

Debbie Bellenger, owner, DB Fitness and Wellness Solutions, Campobello, South Carolina, says its crucial for fitness professionals to acquire specific training and development around working with older adults.

We need to closely follow longevity research and understand that this demographic expects more than just physical health their whole well-being is key, says Bellenger.

Learning about common age-related health conditions, fall prevention, balance and mobility issues allows us to develop appropriate programs, she adds. We should use age-appropriate cues, music and relatable communication styles. Pre and post assessments help monitor client progress.

Bellenger advised that, looking forward, the industry needs tograsp concepts like recovery timeframes to avoid overtraining older adults.

With rising neurodegenerative diseases, we have to recognize symptoms and customize plans accordingly, she says. Loneliness is another huge factor, so facilitating social connections within groups can directly impact wellness. We need the tools to support older adults in finding purpose post-retirement.

More Top Trends

Other trends in the top ten indicate a focus on using tech and customized programming to improve mental and physical wellbeing. Mobile apps, exercise for mental health, and personal training all made the list. There is also a push for policy changes to increase access and affordability of qualified exercise professionals.

De Simone, who is also a mental health first aid instructor serving the corporate wellness population, pointed out that in the first year of the pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%, according to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organization (WHO). Just two weeks ago, the WHO declared loneliness a global health threat. De Simone encourages fitness professionals to get a Mental Health First Aid credential to help meet clients needs.

The hope is that this combined publication, and the addition of trend categories, will allow (people) to understand trends predicted to drive the health and fitness industry here in the U.S. and abroad, said Newsome.

View the full 2024 ACSM Worldwide Fitness Trends report here.

Read more here:
Wearable Tech, In-Person Fitness Continue To Rise in 2024 - Athletech News

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