The COVID-19 crisis has shaken up the world and is causing us to rethink our habits and routines. To educate the world about the importance of physical activity, the WHO launched their #HealthyAtHome campaign. They advise all adults to do at least 150 minutes of medium-intensity activity throughout the week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout the week. ( source )
Even though gyms have started to re-open in several countries, it’s safe to say that in many ways we will not fully go back to how things were. The virus will be around for a while, and many of us will feel hesitant to start working out in larger groups and sharing equipment with others. Gyms have started to open up to the outside world and offer outdoor classes and activities to complement their indoor services. Globally, the adoption of online tools has skyrocketed in the health and fitness industry.
At Virtuagym, we believe that technology will play an increasingly important role in global health - and in the fitness industry too. For coaches and trainers, this might mean exploring new ways of finding and engaging with customers, as well as opening up new sales and service delivery channels.
For consumers, technology could play a large role in how healthy habits are built and maintained. Additionally, we believe that exercise routines are more effectively created, shared and tracked with digital assistance.
Let’s see how our (recently updated) apps can help!
Dennis, who would normally have a regular 9-5 office-job, is now working from home. The new reality of life after COVID-19 means that he no longer has to commute to work, and noticed he wasn’t getting enough physical activity.
To keep himself motivated and to help him achieve his goals, Dennis decided to team up with a Personal Trainer. His coach, Lisa, used the Virtuagym Coach App to prepare a tailored workout plan and added it directly into Dennis’ calendar.
You’ve probably heard that, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” We believe in setting tangible (and achievable!) goals, planning your routine and forming healthy habits over time. In our example, Lisa planned a simple workout plan consisting of two workout days.
On Tuesday afternoon, Dennis will get a quick workout in, mostly consisting of bodyweight exercises. On Saturday, he would do a more intense session with some cardio followed by a few short strength training activities.
Lisa decided to add the workouts to Dennis’ calendar. This not only helps him by reminding him of his wish to exercise more, but it also guides him through the routine that Lisa prepared for him.
Let’s have a look at Dennis’s planned training on Tuesday afternoon.
Dennis scrolls through his planned workout and reads the notes Lisa left for him. She lets him know where he should be careful and take a long enough rest in between sets - but also reminds him not to doze off and wait for too long. We all know that rest is an important part of any workout routine!
Time to work out! With a quick glimpse, Dennis is able to oversee the entire routine and notices that Lisa planned for him to do 3 sets of 10 bicep curls.
But Dennis is feeling ambitious; he decides to crank it up a notch and decides instead to plan 5 sets of 8 repetitions. The modifications are easily made in the activity editor.
Dennis decides to use the built-in player to help guide him through his routine. It provides audio and visual feedback and automatically times the duration of each repetition, set and rest in between sets.
All done! A little over half an hour later, Dennis completes his routine and the app congratulates him with his achievements - he burned 573 calories! Time to share this success and get that motivational boost from his friends. With one click, Dennis shares a customized image on his Instagram feed with details about his workout.
Later that evening, Lisa checks Dennis’s calendar to see how he performed and if he left any notes for her to check. For Lisa, this is easy enough - it’s a matter of grabbing her phone and checking his profile through the Coach App.
For Dennis, it is an amazing feeling to get a quick personal message from his Personal Trainer before going to bed; “Great job this afternoon! We’ll work on your pre-workout stretching next time! I bet that this will help you prevent the cramp you experienced. Have a good night!”
Two days later, Dennis is feeling excited to work out again. But instead of asking Lisa for more of her time, he decides to take matters into his own hands and create his very own workout routine for the first time. Luckily, the Virtuagym database boasts over 5000 unique activities, each with detailed instructions and a video tutorial.
Dennis is persistent about his workout routine and logs everything through the app. This allows him to keep track of his previous performance, share his progress directly with Lisa and motivate himself by seeing measurable results!
On Sunday evening, after a productive week of working out, Dennis feels satisfied but exhausted. Instead of working on his abs, he decides to train his mind. Luckily, his personal trainer helps her clients by working with Virtuagym’s PRO+ package. To access it, Dennis uses the same app that he used to work out and log his exercises. Instead of a workout, he heads to the Meditation module, puts on his headphones, sits back and relaxes, using the guided audio meditation to come to a full rest.
Dennis not only wants to get a better grip on his workout routine, but he also wants to keep his nutritional habits under control. Again, Virtuagym comes to the rescue!
Because Dennis opted for a PRO Membership, he not only has access to additional meditation content and tailor-made workout plans, but also to the mobile Food App . Within a matter of minutes, his personalized nutrition plan is set up!
Throughout the week, he takes advantage of the large library of food items to log every meal, providing him with valuable information about his diet and intake. After, all, you can’t improve what you can’t measure!
The Virtuagym all-in-one software suite offers great tools for coaches and clients - but also boasts a ton of additional features that help you run your business. Want to learn more? Get in touch!
