Developments in Fitness Technology Give Seniors the Opportunity to Get, Stay Fit

According the American Academy of Anti Aging Medicine, keeping physically active can slow the ageing process. Regular exercise is the secret sauce to keep you young and feeling good. In fact, the Academy published a study in 1995 that tracked 9,777 men between 20 and 82 years found that physically unfit men who became fit had death rates 44 percent lower than those who remained unfit.

The Age of the Internet has let fitness and health develop and grow so much. People are getting more and more motivated to keep fit thanks to blogs like Wisdoms of Health that are all about health and new wearable tech has taken the forefront of fitness. The evolution of fitness technology in the last few years has spurred a newfound trend of tracking individual’s heart rate, steps and calories burned daily. In addition to simply tracking their physical activity each day, people of all ages and fitness levels have now started to utilize fit tech to help meet their individual fitness goals. This, combined with convenience, customization and personal goal setting is what makes mobile app fitness applications, such as Fitnet, a perfect fit for boomer fitness.

Of course, we understand hitting the gym may be uncomfortable or simply unattainable, but that doesn’t have to stop anyone from experiencing a great workout. Today’s fitness technology applications are letting users get meaningful workouts in at home – or on the go. In fact, the Fitnet iOS application delivers a personal, mobile fitness experience combining biometric sensors, fitness coaching and online workout buddies – anytime, anywhere.

 

Increasing costs of healthcare, diabetes and awareness of the benefits of regular exercise are motivating individuals and organizations to implement group fitness programs. Recently receiving a #1 ranking on iTunes, Fitnet brings clients of all age and skill level from over 180 countries to a growing library of more than 180 instructional fitness videos.

For those who are just embarking on a new fitness journey, Fitnet offers “light” workouts in yoga, cardio and strength that help clients, especially those over 55, regain flexibility and movement in low-impact activities. The app also offers an intro to Tai Chi workouts. Tai Chi, described as “meditation in motion,” is rated as the #1 exercise for seniors and also thought to aid in medical conditions such as arthritis, low bone density and heart disease.

How-to use the Fitnet app:

• Begin by choosing one of the 180 free workouts – each workout session lasts about five minutes.
• Follow the instruction and movements of the trainer on the video.
• The biometric webcam will compare your movements to the trainers’ movements in order to give you a score at the end of your workout.
• From a combination of your score and your profile, Fitnet selects the next workout based on your personalized feedback.

So, we ask, why wouldn’t you want to improved joint pain, delay disease and improve mood and energy levels? With fitness technologies like Fitnet, who strive to enhance the quality of life for people of all ages, seniors will be able to reach the fitness goals that they thought were impossible and, most importantly, lead longer, healthier and happier lives.

Bob Summers has developed and marketed consumer Internet applications since 1994. He is currently Chief Geek @ Fitnet, his fifth startup. Bob is passionate about creating compelling online video experiences having grown iSpQ VideoChat, desktop video conferencing software, to over 3.0 million users from 196 countries/territories.

Beyond his work responsibilities, Bob plays an active role in Southwestern Virginia’s economic development by serving on the board of directors of the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council, Virginia Tech Entrepreneur Club and sponsoring FIRST Robotics. His 10 year vision for Blacksburg, “Open Source Village” captured at the Community Voices forum.

With the help of 182 others via a $92,400 crowdfunding campaign, Bob led the deployment of gigabit fiber access into downtown Blacksburg and created the worlds first free open access gigabit wifi network.

Category: Blog