The use of artificial intelligence in the healthcare field has also reached the field of physical exercise and health care. The use of portable devices, mobile applications or virtual training systems has increased exponentially in recent years, as has the application of artificial intelligence algorithms in sports medicine to prevent or diagnose injuries, analyze the performance of athletes or plan sessions.
In the field of personal training, as can be seen from the latest fitness trends report by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the use of portable technological devices (wearables) has occupied the first position in fitness trends. 2023, a position it has maintained since its appearance in 2016.
These types of devices, which include smartwatches, heart rate monitors, or GPS and physical activity tracking devices, are capable of monitoring heart rate, calories used in an activity, body temperature, or distance covered, among others. many other parameters. In this way, the user can receive information in real time about sports practice, personalized recommendations that help them improve their training and achieve their goals or reminders of stretching or movements. And all of this will help you achieve your fitness goals and make training more efficient, effective and safe.
In the same way, mobile applications that include movement and heart rate sensors are capable of monitoring and analyzing the performance of users, improving and personalizing their experience. In Spain, the data collected in the "Disseminating report on the national survey on fitness trends 2023", carried out by the sports consultancy Valgo Investment, show that the monitoring of training results and the use of exercise apps for mobile devices are are among the top 15 positions in terms of trends in Spain, and portable technology, for its part, occupies position number 20.
Another of the most common ways in which AI applied to physical exercise is used is through online platforms and applications that offer assisted virtual training systems. The popularity of these systems, which allow you to exercise without leaving your home, increased during the covid-19 pandemic and continues to grow.
Among other functionalities, AI-supported fitness platforms offer the possibility of exercising in the chosen space and receive, thanks to the assistance of the algorithms and the information obtained through the capture of images through the device's camera, a tracking movements or progress, as well as offering the possibility to participate in games and training challenges, which helps to maintain motivation and commitment to the exercise program.
Applications based on virtual and augmented reality are also being developed that provide a more immersive and personalized training experience thanks to the use of virtual reality glasses that "transport" the user to the chosen scenario. Some examples of these technologies are the Improfit platform, which evaluates and quantifies physical exercises with a musculoskeletal approach using computer vision and artificial intelligence in real time. Along the same lines, the Krew application offers virtual training programs supported by artificial intelligence and even a function for sharing sessions with other users.
Other apps like Fitness Ally or infiGro work as “virtual coaches” in exercise sessions, offering personalized workouts and tips for a healthy lifestyle.
Artificial intelligence has also reached the sportswear sector. In addition to advances in increasingly safe and efficient materials, shirts, pants, bras, insoles or socks are being developed that include sensors that offer reports of movement, impact or heart rate to correct biometric defects, modify posture or improve resistance.
The Nadi X brand, one of the first to explore this technology, offers yoga pants that, through sensors on the hips, knees and ankles, guide users in their movements with gentle vibrations. Along the same lines, there are "smart" templates, developed by Nurvv Run or Kickstarter, which analyze the footprint and offer information on the energy used in the exercise, as well as many other variables to improve training and prevent injuries. For its part, the British company Teslauit goes a step further with a haptic suit that collects information through tactile sensors and a complex biometric system aimed at improving the user experience in virtual environments.
