Gyms are not a recent phenomenon: if you think that it is only a place linked to the vain and obese, you are wrong. The 'gymnasium' was the ancient Greek space that hosted the physical exercises and training of athletes. The first gym in the form we know came out in the middle of the last century, with a point of no return: the creation of the first working treadmill, in the 60s, which allowed the first daring to start running in all weather conditions .
Having made this indispensable premise and while waiting to delve into the prediction of the near future, here is the state of the art of gyms.
The boom
Today the fitness and wellness industry is one of the most profitable: between spas, gyms and various centers there are more than 10 million Italians involved, with a turnover of almost 14 billion euros. Despite the pangs of the crisis and a wave of increases (in some cases even 20%), the appeal of the muscle is holding up with a substantially unchanged number of registrations. Let's be clear, not everyone works hard and to tell the truth the majority of members ruminate in vain and then get tired, but this is indicative of a principle: the number of people eager to invest in physical health, even if there are excellent free alternatives (run outdoors! Get a bike!)
The phenomenon is not just Italian: throughout the world there is a continuous expansion (especially in Latin America, Germany and China) with a constant increase in demand. The key role in this trend is played by diversification, with entire gyms oriented towards the female public and 'mini' gyms integrated almost everywhere in the urban fabric. What will happen soon?
Where there is health there is home
For years, gym equipment has been widespread and affordable, but the phenomenon of the 'home' gym has always been smaller than that of the traditional centre. This month Nike e Microsoft have started a training project based on Kinect, the hands-free entertainment device thanks to a system of motion sensors: it will allow you to start physical programs to do at home without equipment (bending, jumping and other exercises) and the possibility of competing and competing with opponents connected to the network. This is obviously a solution that will be ideal for those who need to do a light exercise.
And then there is a whole plethora of pedometers, gadgets (even waterproof) and mobile apps that keep track of everything, from speed to distance covered, including calories: think about Runtastic, for example, a program for mobile phones that acts as a 'virtual trainer' and which has recently extended its functions to physical exercises (previously it was only dedicated to jogging) to be practiced indoors.
Yet there remains an irrepressible human desire to be social animals (fortunately): people like to meet and do something together. It is clear that technology offers and will always offer an almost boundless range of possibilities for those who wish to take care of their body: yet, while waiting for a prediction about the future, the social aspect must also be taken into account. The solitary practice of the gym is unlikely to replace the 'social' and collective one.
Let's try to imagine:
A look into the future
One of the factors to consider when making a prediction is this: Are we sure that the home gym and the outdoor gym are mutually exclusive?
You can exercise in the winter indoors during the week, and you can enjoy a nice Saturday afternoon running around outdoors: you can explore both worlds, in short. And this is a key point, too. Gyms could consider opening a bridge into the digital world. Gym equipment could record our results on mobile apps, and we could continue outdoors with sessions started indoors.
A matter of a few years, the time to find an important standard (Runtastic could become one, all things considered) and it will be possible to start running in a forest, return home and do another half hour of running on your treadmill while the TV sends us images of the place we crossed outdoors. There may be special consoles or applications that allow us to compare ourselves at home with personal trainers who will follow us remotely from the screen. Connectivity and Cloud will start to play their part.
Automatic gyms
There is a gym in California which can be accessed by fingerprint scanning, almost completely without instructors (who guide the 'athletes' through large television screens also crossed by special personalized playlists for each user). Inside the structure, everything you see around can be purchased simply by scanning a QR Code placed next to the drinks, supplements and products.
Very little staff. Maximum flexibility.
The model could evolve into a gym open 24 hours, with authorized access and many surveillance cameras, which can be entered even just once, as well as for a longer period and by subscription. This system will reduce operating costs and increase the number of users, allowing the use of the facilities to be adapted to every personal need or expectation. The tools will 'dialogue' with our mobile devices (I'm thinking of smartwatches) to remember our performances and notify us of records and improvements.
The gym of the future: connected, automatic, open.
