Fitness Bands Are Often Abandoned Within Months

As you know, I’ve been a proponent of fitness bands in the past. They are on the forefront of fitness technology and, as the price continues to drop, they seem to be poised to become even more popular than they already are. However recent studies are now pointing to a new issue in the world and business of fitness bands: they are frequently abandoned only months after being purchased and used. While this doesn’t mean that sales are going down (in fact, they’re still strong and going up), it does mean that investors are now proceeding with more caution regarding the longevity of this niche in the fitness market.

The research firm Endeavor Partners has looked at the numbers and estimates that around a third of all fitness bands are abandoned and no longer in use after only 6 months of being purchased. A health care investment fund, Rock Health, says that according to Fitbit’s regulatory filings, only half of the 20 million users registered to Fitbit were still active within the first quarter of 2015. So what does all of this mean for fitness bands in general? It means that fitness bands are failing when it comes to engaging their consumer base and making the people who their products want to continue to use said products.

This doesn’t mean that people are going to stop buying fitness bands, yet. But it does mean that every customer that buys one isn’t necessarily a repeat customer and that there is also a lack of brand loyalty when it comes to fitness bands. People who no longer use their fitness bands aren’t going to recommend to their friends and family that they should buy one. They also aren’t going to be tempted to sign up and pay for premium packages, a source of growth for many fitness band companies. Hopefully these companies can figure out a way to renew interest in their products once they’ve been purchased and the novelty wears off because if not, there are going to be even more abandoned fitness bands in the future.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

Fitness Streaming Might Be the Future

Technology is changing everything, even things that you thought would be immune. One of those places where we see technology having a massive impact is in the health and fitness world. There are now apps and gadgets that can help us monitor everything from what we eat, to how many calories we burn, to even how much water we drink (or should be drinking). Now, technology has invaded the world of gyms and the actual physical part of “physical fitness” and is proving that it might be doing it better. Here are 4 reasons why fitness streaming may very well be the future of exercise:

  1. It’s cheaper: Gyms are absurdly expensive and frequently rely on large numbers of inactive members to subsidize those who go regularly. Not only is there a monetary cost (frequently reaching the $100s a month region), but there is also a time cost that’s involved in ferrying yourself back and forth. Streaming a fitness routine at home cuts down on both of these, something that gyms will never ever be able to do.
  2. Time flexibility: Going to the gym or using a personal trainer means carving out a set chunk of time that can’t be moved (especially in an appointment is involved). The flexibility of streaming means that you can do a workout of any length whenever you want and have the free time. If you only have time for a 15 minute work out you can find one, do it, and then move on with your day.
  3. Easier motivation: The ability to motivate yourself is so much easier when you don’t have to even leave your home to get your sweat on. Motivating yourself to work out in the comfort of your own home will forever be easier than motivating yourself to go to the gym every time you want to exercise.
  4. Goals: Many streaming services allow you to customize and search for specific exercises that target certain muscle groups. Planning and executing your fitness routine with certain goals in mind is so much easier when you have something guiding you during every step. Unless you’re willing to shell out for a personal trainer, you won’t find this sort of thing in a gym.

These are just some of the ways technology is changing how we make ourselves healthier. This doesn’t even touch on all of the new toys and gadgets that are coming out every day either; fitness is never going to be how we remember it.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

Even Fitness Professional Get Self-Conscious

Fitness professionals are people. I know that that seems obvious and that many will read that and scoff, but it’s important to recognize. Just because someone is in good shape and has dedicated their life to helping others, through both advice and example, doesn’t mean that they’re somehow immune to all of the rigors and stress that non-fitness professionals have to deal with. It might hard to imagine, but even people who are in great shape could have low self-esteem and issues with being confident in themselves and their bodies. People are people, no matter what their level of fitness is.

A noted Youtube fitness blogger named Cassey Ho is the perfect example of how this simple truth applies to everyone, regardless of how good shape they’re in. Cassey has been creating and filming online fitness courses for the past 6 years of her Youtube channel Blogilates and has had to deal with the standard internet examples of abuse and compliments. Unfortunately, the anonymity of the keyboard allows people to be truly cruel without having to deal with any sort of repercussions for their actions. It’s pretty much a guarantee that none of the people who piled abuse on Cassey’s page would ever say those things to her face. In response to all of the body negativity she was experiencing, Cassey made a video.

This video, called “The ‘Perfect’ Body” is an amalgam of just some of the most hurtful comments she received. She shows the world that she’s human and just as affected by these mean comments as a non-fitness professional would be. The video is a strong reminder that just because someone has made fitness their passion and career, it doesn’t mean that they’re immune to self-esteem issues and being self-conscious. It also shows the world that fitness professionals come in all shapes and sizes. Words can hurt and it doesn’t matter who’s on the receiving end. Hopefully this video goes to show that even those that seem the most confident are still human and can still be hurt.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.