GET FIT TECH
Sign up for the FREE digital edition of Fit Tech magazine and also get the Fit Tech ezine and breaking news email alerts.
Not right now, thanksclose this window I've already subscribed!
Les Mills International | Fit Tech promotion
Les Mills International | Fit Tech promotion
Les Mills International | Fit Tech promotion
features

Editor's letter: Into the fitaverse

Fitness is already among the top three markets in the metaverse, with new technology and partnerships driving real growth and consumer engagement that looks likely to spill over into health clubs, gyms and studios

Published in Fit Tech 2023 issue 1

As omnichannel fitness becomes richer and more complex, we expect health club operators to add metaverse products to the mix, for example, launching studios where members can exercise in gamified, immersive environments.

Home workouts connected to the same system will ensure members enjoy the fun and motivation of metaverse fitness, while still being emotionally invested in their club.

Fortune Business Insights expects the global market for VR gaming to grow from US$7.92bn in 2021, to US$53.44bn in 2028, with much of this growth coming from what it calls ‘exertainment’ – a combination of fitness, instructors, influencers and music.

Fitness is already the third-largest market in the metaverse, behind entertainment and retail and as it grows, health club applications will also include everything from club tours to avatar hangouts for members.

Avatar fashion is a coming thing, with Parsons School of Design launching an avatar fashion design course in 2023 where students can learn to design clothes for the metaverse.

Research by Roblox found consumers are prepared to spend hard cash on branded fashion for their avatar, valuing it as much, if not more, than real clothing and we expect to see fitness brands competing in this space.

Industry leaders are already forging ahead with the creation of immersive experiences and in recent weeks, global fitness giant, Les Mills, brought its Live spectacular to London, filming the entire event in VR, ready for use on its metaverse platform (see page 25).

Les Mills will now make Les Mills Live available in VR, in addition to its existing Bodypump VR workout – launched in partnership with Odders Lab and currently the most popular fitness VR game in the world.

Hardware is also evolving, with things such as multi-directional treadmills being developed, while new entrants include Byte Dance, owner of Tik Tok, which acquired Pico, and is rolling out its headset and Playstation and Apple which will launch headsets in 2023.

We also expect to see developments such as sweatproof, self-sterilising headsets, meaning in-club options can include intensive workouts such as HIIT – something that’s hard to deliver at scale with current models.

All this, coupled with opportunities for globalisation, means disruption caused by metaverse partnerships is only just beginning.

Liz Terry, editor, Fit Tech
[email protected]
@elizterry
Sign up here to get Fit Tech's weekly ezine and every issue of Fit Tech magazine free on digital.
More features
Editor's letter

Into the fitaverse

Fitness is already among the top three markets in the metaverse, with new technology and partnerships driving real growth and consumer engagement that looks likely to spill over into health clubs, gyms and studios
Fit Tech people

Ali Jawad

Paralympic powerlifter and founder, Accessercise
Users can easily identify which facilities in the UK are accessible to the disabled community
Fit Tech people

Hannes Sjöblad

MD, DSruptive
We want to give our users an implantable tool that allows them to collect their health data at any time and in any setting
Fit Tech people

Jamie Buck

Co-founder, Active in Time
We created a solution called AiT Voice, which turns digital data into a spoken audio timetable that connects to phone systems
Profile

Fahad Alhagbani: reinventing fitness

Alexa can help you book classes, check trainers’ bios and schedules, find out opening times, and a host of other information
Opinion

Building on the blockchain

For small sports teams looking to compete with giants, blockchain can be a secret weapon explains Lars Rensing, CEO of Protokol
Innovation

Bold move

We ended up raising US$7m in venture capital from incredible investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures, Primetime Partners, and GingerBread Capital
App analysis

Check your form

Sency’s motion analysis technology is allowing users to check their technique as they exercise. Co-founder and CEO Gal Rotman explains how
Profile

New reality

Sam Cole, CEO of FitXR, talks to Fit Tech about taking digital workouts to the next level, with an immersive, virtual reality fitness club
Profile

Sohail Rashid

35 million people a week participate in strength training. We want Brawn to help this audience achieve their goals
Ageing

Reverse Ageing

Many apps help people track their health, but Humanity founders Peter Ward and Michael Geer have put the focus on ageing, to help users to see the direct repercussions of their habits. They talk to Steph Eaves
App analysis

Going hybrid

Workout Anytime created its app in partnership with Virtuagym. Workout Anytime’s Greg Maurer and Virtuagym’s Hugo Braam explain the process behind its creation
Research

Physical activity monitors boost activity levels

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have conducted a meta analysis of all relevant research and found that the body of evidence shows an impact
Editor's letter

Two-way coaching

Content providers have been hugely active in the fit tech market since the start of the pandemic. We expect the industry to move on from delivering these services on a ‘broadcast-only’ basis as two-way coaching becomes the new USP
Fit Tech People

Laurent Petit

Co-founder, Active Giving
The future of sports and fitness are dependent on the climate. Our goal is to positively influence the future of our planet by instilling a global vision of wellbeing and a sense of collective action
Fit Tech People

Adam Zeitsiff

CEO, Intelivideo
We don’t just create the technology and bail – we support our clients’ ongoing hybridisation efforts
Fit Tech People

Anantharaman Pattabiraman

CEO and co-founder, Auro
When you’re undertaking fitness activities, unless you’re on a stationary bike, in most cases it’s not safe or necessary to be tied to a screen, especially a small screen
Fit Tech People

Mike Hansen

Managing partner, Endorphinz
We noticed a big gap in the market – customers needed better insights but also recommendations on what to do, whether that be customer acquisition, content creation, marketing and more
More features
Elevate is the leading UK trade show for physical activity, showcasing the latest innovations and technology across the sport, sports therapy and fitness sectors.
Oliver Cahill, managing director of Premier Software part of Journey Hospitality, is well- versed in assisting spa operators world-over. As spa professionals and clients tackle the current cost of living crisis, we ask Oliver his supportive perspective.
Trainerize is the fitness club software making fitness accessible by empowering fitness businesses worldwide to ...
PSLT Fitness Solutions manufacture, remanufacture and buy back commercial gym equipment. We supply and maintain ...
Independent service & maintenance
Cryotherapy
trade associations
Flooring
Salt therapy products
Elevate is the leading UK trade show for physical activity, showcasing the latest innovations and technology across the sport, sports therapy and fitness sectors.
Oliver Cahill, managing director of Premier Software part of Journey Hospitality, is well- versed in assisting spa operators world-over. As spa professionals and clients tackle the current cost of living crisis, we ask Oliver his supportive perspective.
Trainerize is the fitness club software making fitness accessible by empowering fitness businesses worldwide to ...
PSLT Fitness Solutions manufacture, remanufacture and buy back commercial gym equipment. We supply and maintain ...
Get Fit Tech
Sign up for the free digital edition of Fit Tech magazine and the free weekly Fit Tech ezine
Sign up
Independent service & maintenance
Cryotherapy
trade associations
Flooring
Salt therapy products

latest fit tech news

Oliver Cahill, managing director of Premier Software part of Journey Hospitality, is well-versed in assisting spa operators world-over. As spa ...
promotion • 24 May 2023
Whoop has launched its new Strength Trainer feature, allowing members to measure strength training exercises and assess the impact of ...
news • 15 May 2023
US fitness tech firm Fitscope has secured a deal with equipment manufacturer Bodycraft to supply its on-demand workouts for Bodycraft's ...
news • 11 May 2023
Elevate is the leading UK trade show for physical activity, showcasing the latest innovations and technology across the sport, sports ...
promotion • 04 May 2023
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) has unveiled the Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public ...
news • 03 May 2023
The world of fitness is undergoing a transformation. During the pandemic, people invested in home workout equipment and virtual training ...
product innovation • 27 Apr 2023
Marvel is launching a new fitness adventure app, allowing people to take part in workouts next to heroes such as ...
news • 20 Apr 2023
Technogym is making its Mywellness ecosystem accessible on any connected equipment – from any manufacturer. The move means operators who ...
news • 14 Apr 2023
Fitness franchise operator Anytime Fitness has launched a new app, offering members 24/7 engagement with their fitness inside and outside ...
news • 14 Apr 2023
Xponential Fitness is launching its digital platform, Xponential+, on all LG Electronics Smart TVs globally. Described as a landmark deal, ...
news • 13 Apr 2023
More fit tech news
features

Editor's letter: Into the fitaverse

Fitness is already among the top three markets in the metaverse, with new technology and partnerships driving real growth and consumer engagement that looks likely to spill over into health clubs, gyms and studios

Published in Fit Tech 2023 issue 1

As omnichannel fitness becomes richer and more complex, we expect health club operators to add metaverse products to the mix, for example, launching studios where members can exercise in gamified, immersive environments.

Home workouts connected to the same system will ensure members enjoy the fun and motivation of metaverse fitness, while still being emotionally invested in their club.

Fortune Business Insights expects the global market for VR gaming to grow from US$7.92bn in 2021, to US$53.44bn in 2028, with much of this growth coming from what it calls ‘exertainment’ – a combination of fitness, instructors, influencers and music.

Fitness is already the third-largest market in the metaverse, behind entertainment and retail and as it grows, health club applications will also include everything from club tours to avatar hangouts for members.

Avatar fashion is a coming thing, with Parsons School of Design launching an avatar fashion design course in 2023 where students can learn to design clothes for the metaverse.

Research by Roblox found consumers are prepared to spend hard cash on branded fashion for their avatar, valuing it as much, if not more, than real clothing and we expect to see fitness brands competing in this space.

Industry leaders are already forging ahead with the creation of immersive experiences and in recent weeks, global fitness giant, Les Mills, brought its Live spectacular to London, filming the entire event in VR, ready for use on its metaverse platform (see page 25).

Les Mills will now make Les Mills Live available in VR, in addition to its existing Bodypump VR workout – launched in partnership with Odders Lab and currently the most popular fitness VR game in the world.

Hardware is also evolving, with things such as multi-directional treadmills being developed, while new entrants include Byte Dance, owner of Tik Tok, which acquired Pico, and is rolling out its headset and Playstation and Apple which will launch headsets in 2023.

We also expect to see developments such as sweatproof, self-sterilising headsets, meaning in-club options can include intensive workouts such as HIIT – something that’s hard to deliver at scale with current models.

All this, coupled with opportunities for globalisation, means disruption caused by metaverse partnerships is only just beginning.

Liz Terry, editor, Fit Tech
[email protected]
@elizterry
Sign up here to get Fit Tech's weekly ezine and every issue of Fit Tech magazine free on digital.
More features
Editor's letter

Into the fitaverse

Fitness is already among the top three markets in the metaverse, with new technology and partnerships driving real growth and consumer engagement that looks likely to spill over into health clubs, gyms and studios
Fit Tech people

Ali Jawad

Paralympic powerlifter and founder, Accessercise
Users can easily identify which facilities in the UK are accessible to the disabled community
Fit Tech people

Hannes Sjöblad

MD, DSruptive
We want to give our users an implantable tool that allows them to collect their health data at any time and in any setting
Fit Tech people

Jamie Buck

Co-founder, Active in Time
We created a solution called AiT Voice, which turns digital data into a spoken audio timetable that connects to phone systems
Profile

Fahad Alhagbani: reinventing fitness

Alexa can help you book classes, check trainers’ bios and schedules, find out opening times, and a host of other information
Opinion

Building on the blockchain

For small sports teams looking to compete with giants, blockchain can be a secret weapon explains Lars Rensing, CEO of Protokol
Innovation

Bold move

We ended up raising US$7m in venture capital from incredible investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures, Primetime Partners, and GingerBread Capital
App analysis

Check your form

Sency’s motion analysis technology is allowing users to check their technique as they exercise. Co-founder and CEO Gal Rotman explains how
Profile

New reality

Sam Cole, CEO of FitXR, talks to Fit Tech about taking digital workouts to the next level, with an immersive, virtual reality fitness club
Profile

Sohail Rashid

35 million people a week participate in strength training. We want Brawn to help this audience achieve their goals
Ageing

Reverse Ageing

Many apps help people track their health, but Humanity founders Peter Ward and Michael Geer have put the focus on ageing, to help users to see the direct repercussions of their habits. They talk to Steph Eaves
App analysis

Going hybrid

Workout Anytime created its app in partnership with Virtuagym. Workout Anytime’s Greg Maurer and Virtuagym’s Hugo Braam explain the process behind its creation
Research

Physical activity monitors boost activity levels

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have conducted a meta analysis of all relevant research and found that the body of evidence shows an impact
Editor's letter

Two-way coaching

Content providers have been hugely active in the fit tech market since the start of the pandemic. We expect the industry to move on from delivering these services on a ‘broadcast-only’ basis as two-way coaching becomes the new USP
Fit Tech People

Laurent Petit

Co-founder, Active Giving
The future of sports and fitness are dependent on the climate. Our goal is to positively influence the future of our planet by instilling a global vision of wellbeing and a sense of collective action
Fit Tech People

Adam Zeitsiff

CEO, Intelivideo
We don’t just create the technology and bail – we support our clients’ ongoing hybridisation efforts
Fit Tech People

Anantharaman Pattabiraman

CEO and co-founder, Auro
When you’re undertaking fitness activities, unless you’re on a stationary bike, in most cases it’s not safe or necessary to be tied to a screen, especially a small screen
Fit Tech People

Mike Hansen

Managing partner, Endorphinz
We noticed a big gap in the market – customers needed better insights but also recommendations on what to do, whether that be customer acquisition, content creation, marketing and more
More features