The following was written by Jeffrey Dammann from a company called Exergame Fitness. He explains what Fitness 2.0 is and the importance for fitness advocates to understand the concept:
Fitness 2.0 is an ideology, an ideology which has emerged out of the advancements we have made as a community, which is constantly working and creating one system that works, which leads to a new and improved system that works even better. This process in the health and wellness world has lead to something called Fitness 2.0. But before I can explain it in more detail, it is important to frame what Fitness 1.0 is, or was, and how it differs from what Fitness 2.0 has become, and what it will be.
The fitness world has gone through many changes over the years, we can look back at the early days in the 1970’s when weightlifting was gaining popularity, where the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger entered the public spotlight, with his huge championship winning physique. Back then the mentality in building muscles was eating raw eggs, and lifting weights everyday. All they had primarily were dumbbells, bench presses, and a track to run around in circles. These original pioneers were building themselves based upon trial and error, changing diets, routines, and implementing ideas which were shared from their counterparts. Did it work? Yes. But did it work well and was it easy for the everyday person? Probably not. Which is why most people were left intimidated when they would go to the gym. By the time the 1990s came around, the fitness world had taken what was learned from years past, and combined clinical research and nutritional information to provide people who wanted to attain health and wellness, with resources that would help them achieve their goals. You could now go to a bookstore and find an array of books giving you a whole bunch of diet programs, and workout guides. These resources were helpful and helped many, with the motivation to do so, achieve their health and wellness goals. Jump forward to the 2000’s, and you have huge health clubs going up, stacked with treadmills, ellipticals, weight rooms, and cardio classes. There are personal trainers that help you create a nutritional plan, and help motivate you through a workout program. This model is what we have seen for the last 10 years. It has worked for many, but still, not everyone finds it easy. This is what Fitness 1.0 is. Fitness 1.0 is traditional, and static. Fitness 1.0 is all the past 30 years of the health and wellness world. Well no longer is Fitness 1.0 going to rule the scene, because over the last couple years, technologies have advanced, and have begun to integrate with the fitness world. Enter Fitness 2.0.
Fitness 2.0 is here and it is giving people access to the very best in information from experts, and using the very best of science to create the ultimate health and wellness resource. It comes through your mobile devices, such as your smartphone or tablet, or you can access it on your laptop or desktop. It connects through the internet, into the cloud, where everyones information and data can be stored. Fitness 2.0 reaches down into every piece of equipment within your health club, from the treadmills to the ellipticals, to the weight lifting machines. Fitness 2.0 is Exergaming, where gamification and data collection built within the club equipment brings your individual scores, and assessments into a comprehensive, easy to understand dashboard. This dashboard monitors your health, your calorie intake, and your fitness goals. It helps motivate you, and it also rewards you. There are now virtual trainers, whom are real people who could be on the other side of the world, who monitor your progress, create workout programs tailored specifically for you, and motivate you, all through your mobile phone or tablet. These were all things that were virtually unthought of when we entered the new millennium.
What is Fitness 2.0 in more detail? It is web and mobile enabled which means you can access it anywhere. It is geographically independent, allowing for virtual communities and support groups to emerge. It is data driven, where now you can monitor and assess your progress individually, or as a group. It is expert led, where you have access to the very latest in research, nutritional information, and workout programs. It is socially supportive, the latest research shows that people who are surrounded by people who are in the same like mind, are able to benefit more from their shared goals. It is affordable, no longer will there be $200 dollar an hour trainers, everything will be low cost, or in some cases free. Fitness 2.0 allows you to be anonymous, no longer will you be intimidated by the big bodybuilder in the corner. Companies such as ours brings this available to the world. And finally Fitness 2.0 is fully integrated, everything from the workout machines to the activity monitors that you wear on your wrist, to the heart rate monitors that are around your chest. All this data collects into one system, which takes care of you and everyone else. This is what Fitness 2.0 is, and we hope that you becomes leaders of change to bring this new innovative way to health and wellness be brought to every single community across the world.
To find out more about Fitness 2.0 and Exergaming, please visit here goo.gl/Y5UDZ
