The year of the first fully virtual CES is, unsurprisingly, the year of the virtual gym. The past 12 months have seen most of our fitness routines completely transformed: Speaking for me, the Apple Watch's step count shows two big empty spots where March and April are.
Fitness startups have witnessed all of this unexpected. In June, Lululemon announced plans to acquire Mirror for $ 500 million, while competitors like Tonal saw a 7-fold increase in sales over the year. In December, Apple launched Fitness +, its on-demand service designed to take on the Pelotons of the world.
It's hard to shake the feeling that we're starting to see a streaming service-style earth run on the fitness side of things. It's a huge industry, of course, and the odds are that things will never exactly return to "normal" in the wake of all of this, but unlike movie services, it's hard to imagine people subscribing to more than one at a time. .
Perhaps the biggest name to enter the market so far at CES is Samsung. The electronics giant has announced Smart Trainer, an addition to its growing line of fitness-focused apps. The system is specially designed for Samsung Smart TVs, using a webcam to monitor exercises. On that front, at least, it appears to be a little more in-depth than Apple Watch-only tracking, which relies on an accelerometer and heart rate monitor for feedback. Like Fitness +, it will employ instructors to conduct exercises, including workout celebrity Jillian Michaels.
Ultrahuman is another major fitness video platform making its debut this week. The startup recently closed an $ 8 million round. Like Fitness +, its biotracking is built around the Apple Watch, showing heart rate and calories burned, among other metrics. The service compares its offer with a "masterclass" for fitness.
Partners include notable athletes and celebrities such as Crossfit Champion Kara Saunders, fitness celebrity Amanda Cerny, trainer Johannes Bartl, hybrid athlete and trainer Kris Gethin and MindSize CEO Christian Straka, to name a few. Available on iOS and Android devices, the app also integrates biofeedback via integration with Apple Watch to measure and improve the effectiveness of meditation and workouts. Compared to Calm and Headspace's approach to celebrity content, Ultrahuman uses a technology platform-based approach to improve the experience and long-term results.
These services stand out from the likes of Mirror, Peloton, and new offerings from the likes of NordicTrack, as these technologies ditch heavy exercise equipment, lowering the barrier of entry (although I suppose Samsung requires a large and expensive). The fact is, the demand will decrease as people feel more comfortable going to the gym. This will definitely shake up the industry to some degree.
For many people, however, once home fitness secrets are revealed, they may not want to visit the gym again.