siliconindia | | June 20178TECHNOLOGY SHAPING THE FITNESS INDUSTRYBy Akshay Verma, Co-Founder & Director, FITPASSHeadquartered in New Delhi, FITPASS is a fitness mobile app that connects users with the best gyms and studios in their vicinity and gives access to lakhs of fitness workouts such as Yoga, Zumba, Pilates, Aerobics, Bollywood Dance, MMA, Cross Fit, Circuit training, Kickboxing, Spinning, Bootcamp and many more.T he rising number of lifestyle diseases and their long-term impact on the health of individuals means fitness is necessity, rather than luxury. However, until a couple of years ago, affordable fitness products and services were rare to find and the presence of gyms and health centers was limited to metros and tier 1 cities. Cut to the present, technology has led to a massive transformation in the fitness industry and is influencing consumer behaviour in ways that it never has.India ranks high among countries with the largest population of unfit people in the world. Statistics indicate that one in every three Indians is categorized as medically unfit and obesity among children and young adults is a major issue. It is undeniable, however, that the demand for fitness and wellness services in India is growing at an exponential rate, driven by a multitude of factors such as rapid urbanization and globalization. Nevertheless, the efforts of the Indian consumer to get fit are often hampered by lack of information, access and affordability. Efficient use of technology successfully helps remove these barriers to offer effective, data driven solutions for the consumer. Technology is a major driving force in the fitness industry and is at the core of multiple new-age products, offering an array of solutions - personal fitness, slimming, wellness, health and nutrition. Technology has changed the way we work out, the way we measure our results and the way we get fit.Flexibility & Convenience Fitness apps and online booking systems have done away with the need to get a full-fledged, annual gym membership that most just end up forgetting about after a few weeks. Fitness startups are facilitating the Uberization of the fitness industry; apps and websites allow users to search, discover and workout at gyms and fitness studios of their choice. Users can workout close to their home or workplace and at a time that best suits them, all at an affordable, monthly fee.Variety with a More Immersive ExperienceFor some, hitting the gym is just not exciting enough. For people looking to escape the monotony of a regular `gym', fitness apps and portals offer a variety of workouts. Users can choose from Aerobics, Zumba, Boxing, Kickboxing, IN MY OPINION
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