2019 Fitness Industry Technology Trend Report

F I T C 2 0 1 9 F I T N E S S T E C H N O L O G Y T R E N D R E P O R T | W W W . F I T T E C H C O U N C I L . O R G
2019 FITNESS INDUSTRY
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
F I V E U N D E R LY I N G T R E N D S W I L L I N C R E A S I N G LY D R I V E T H E
W E L L B E I N G & F I T N E S S I N D U S T R Y I N 2 0 1 9 A N D B E Y O N D
+

2 0 1 9 F I T N E S S T E C H N O L O G Y T R E N D R E P O R T
+
INTRODUCTION
F I T N E S S I N D U S T R Y T E C H N O L O G Y C O U N C I L
Our mission at FIT-C is to promote the responsible and effective adoption of technology in
order to enhance user experience, business models, and as a result grow the overall
marketplace for fitness, wellbeing, and betterment product and services.
Each year we share a report based on feedback from our board of directors, partners,
supporters, and colleagues to help professionals and brands to consider key trends that will
increasingly impact the market and the business models serving the market.
Please visit us at fittechcouncil.org, subscribe to our newsletter, and listen to our Fitness +
Technology Podcast. Our content is free. We are a 501(c) 6 non-profit and thank our many
supporters and board of directors for their leadership, contributions, and insights.
Bryan K. O’Rourke
Chief Executive
FITTECHCOUNCIL.COM @FITTECHCOUNCIL

ABOUT FIT-C
E S T. 2 0 0 8
For ten years the fitness industry technology council has been working with innovators
in the fitness industry to promote the responsible and effective adoption of technology to
enhance user experience, improve business models, and grow the marketplace.
Over forty global brands provide their support, including fitness operators, equipment
manufacturers, associations, executives, and technology developers for their insights,
contributions, and collaboration. We thanks those brands and their leadership.
Every year we release our key trends report for free to the world and provide resources
to support increased adoption of innovative technologies. We hope you like it.
If you would like to get involved let us know info@fittechcouncil.org and follow us
@fittechcouncil on most digital networks.
We are a 501(c)6 non-profit that has the support and involvement of
leading global betterment, wellbeing, and fitness technology brands. We
spend all of our funds on educating and supporting the adoption of
technology to enhance user experience, improve business models, and
growth the marketplace.
A Non-Profit Consortium
Over 20,000 fitness professionals and decision makers receive our
monthly newsletters, with tens of thousands listening to our Fitness +
Technology Podcast weekly. Our videos and presentations around the
world also share thought leadership.
Information Resources
Our board of directors include global technology leaders: Kelly Card of
ABC Financial, Ted Vickey of FitWell, LLC, John Ford of eGym, Paul
Lockington of ShapeLog, and Bryan O’Rourke of Vedere Ventures. We
thank them for their leadership and contributions.
Leading Board Of Directors
FITTECHCOUNCIL.COM @FITTECHCOUNCIL

+
2019 TRENDS IN CONTEXT
I T I S N O T J U S T A B O U T T E C H N O L O G Y
As the Gartner Hype Cycle attests there are many “technologies” emerging, from VR, to AI
and from voice to quantum computing. The list is long. What is “new” isn’t going to impact
business models and markets in the next 12 months but might in 24-36. Just consider home
voice devices and platforms like Google Home and Amazon Alexa; those came out of
nowhere.
Each year many “trends” are identified using generic terms with misunderstood implications.
“Wearables” as an example are just sensors and their current use cases are still evolving;
what does that exactly mean when terms like these are identified as a key trend ? We try to be
more contextual in our report so that it can hopefully be more useful in redefining UX and
enhancing business models and strategies.
FITC attempts to contextualize technology based on underlying megatrends, the way
consumers and organizations view the world, and how those customers and business models
are evolving. It is not just about technology, it is about how we work, live, exercise, eat, learn,
socialize, purchase, and more. It’s not just about fitness; it is about a larger ecosystem of
wellbeing and betterment.

FIVE UNDERLYING MEGATRENDS
T E C H N O L O G Y I S A B I G PA R T O F T H E G R O W I N G E C O S Y S T E M O F W E L L B E I N G W H I C H I S
C H A N G I N G F A S T A S A R E S U LT O F T H E S E F I V E M E G A T R E N D S T H AT A R E I M PA C T I N G A L L
I N D U S T R I E S . T E C H N O L O G I E S S E R V E A S A S Y M B I O T I C D R I V E R I M PA C T I N G B E H AV I O R S
A N D C R E AT I N G M O R E O P T I O N S , A LT E R N AT I V E S , A N D C H O I C E S G I V E N T H E S E T R E N D S .
ConsumersGlobalism Demographics Technologies Economics
An interconnected multi-
cultural world creating new
markets, cross boarder
competition, and innovation.
Changing demography with an
aging population, the decline in
brith rates, and heightened
cross generational dynamics.
Increasingly empowered and
knowledgable buyers have
higher expectations of
everyone and everything.
Always on and connected with
more intelligence along with
distrust and ethics being a
bigger concern.
Sustainability and the fourth
industrial revolution recreating
industries, jobs, production,
capital and payment.

A NEW LENSE FOR ORGANIZATIONS
E
N
2. USER EXPERIENCE
The experiences brands seek to create for their
employees, customers, and stakeholders are the key
differentiator in a competitive world. Omni-presence,
hyper-personalization, frictionless commerce,
strategic, facilitated, and convenient are all things that
combine to evoke feelings in humans.
1. MINDSET
How brands and organizations see the world, how
their values are basis of their culture, and how they
interact with and deliver value to their employees,
stakeholders and customers. Mindset is the most
important aspect of foundational success today
because it impacts what people see as possible.
4. EXECUTION ENGINES
The foundation to executing experience in a
sustainable business now requires fundamental
tools : enterprise systems, human capital, automation,
data collection, and machine intelligence. Without
attention to these engines UX and New Economics
cannot work.
3. NEW ECONOMICS
New ways to create and monetize the business as a
platform, digital-physical delivery, dynamic pricing, the
way businesses can sustainably monetize has
expanded into many many options. Transaction is the
lowest common denominator with platforms enabling
the highest value creation dynamic.
M
U
T H E F O U R K E Y C O M P O N E N T S O F S U C C E S S F U L B U S I N E S S M O D E L S T O D AY A R E T H E M U N E D Y N A M I C S .
T E C H N O L O G I C A L T O O L S A L O N E W I L L N O T M A K E A S I G N I F I C A N T I M PA C T W I T H O U T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A N D E M B R A C I N G T H E S E M U N E D Y N A M I C S : M I N D S E T , U S E R E X P E R I E N C E , N E W
E C O N O M I C S A N D E X E C U T I O N E N G I N E S A N D P R I O R I T I Z I N G T H E M A C C O R D I N G LY.

MINDSET IS THE NEW STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE
T H E K E Y C O M P O N E N T S O F S U C C E S S F U L B U S I N E S S M O D E L S T O D AY A R E B A S E D O N H O W
O R G A N I Z AT I O N S V I E W T H E W O R L D . O L D W AY S A N D S E E I N G T H E F U T U R E A S A R E F L E C T I O N
O F T H E PA S T L I M I T S P O S S I B I L I T I E S W H I L E T H I N K I N G A N E W C R E AT E S O P P O R T U N I T I E S .
CONTROLLING TO EMPOWERING
In The New Era Of Openness Telling People
What To Do Is Not As Effective As Inspiring
And Connecting Purpose.
PLANNING TO EXPERIMENTATION
The Only Way To Learn The New Is To Try Things
Work On An 80-20 Ratio Of Existing And New
Business
PRIVACY TO TRANSPARENCY
Opening Information To All Enables The
Other 5 Keys To Flourish In The New Era.
PREDICTABLE TO UNPREDICTABLE
The Past Is Not Predictor For The Future.
Assumption To Knowledge Ratios Have
Changed.
PROFIT TO PURPOSE
Short Term Aims Undermine Long Term Value.
Attracting Customers And Partners Takes A
Vision
HIERARCHIES TO NETWORKS
Interoperable Organization Leverage
Capacities Better Results Through
Collaboration.

NEW BUSINESS ECONOMICS
T H E M A N N E R I N W H I C H B U S I N E S S E S G E N E R AT E VA L U E I S F U N D A M E N TA L LY C H A N G I N G .
T H I N G S L I K E F L E X I B I L I T Y, L E A R N I N G F R O M D ATA , A N D W E L L D E S I G N E D E X P E R I E N C E S ,
G E N E R AT E M O R E VA L U E A S T I M E G O E S O N . O W N I N G T H E C U S T O M E R E X P E R I E N C E I S K E Y.
1. GREAT PRODUCT SERVICE
You Must Have Products And Services
Designed To Fit Speciﬁc Markets And That
Have A Clear Distinct Proposition.
2. ATTRACTION OF CUSTOMERS
Attracting Your Target Market Means Advertising
In New Ways.Mostly Through Great Product &
Service.
3. USERS - MEMBERS
When Obtaining Members You Need To
Obtain Their Data.
6. INCREASE INSIGHTS
Insights Result That Drive Better Product And
Service Innovation.
5. DATA ON EVERYTHING
By Tracking Everything About Your Customer
You Begin To Learn About What They Really
Want.
4. CREATES INTERACTIONS
As Members Use Your Products And Services
You Must Track Their Interactions.

P
PERSONAL
SERVICES
COMMUNICATION
TO SPECIFIC
USERS. CREATE
LOYALTY.
E
EASY
FRICTIONLESS
BUYING, SIMPLE
FAST FUNCTIONAL
F
FACILITATED
BUYING
SERVICES
ACROSS
PLATFORMS
S
STRATEGIC
INVEST IN WHERE
THINGS ARE
HEADING. VIDEO,
MOBILE, VOICE
O
OMNICHANNEL
OWNING THE
CUSTOMER 24/7
U S E R E X P E R I E N C E I S N O W K I N G F O R O R G A N I Z AT I O N ’ S T H AT W A N T T O S U C C E E D .
T H E S E P I L L A R S O F U S E R E X P E R I E N C E A R E N O W R E Q U I R E D F O R R E L E VA N C E .
RETHINKING USER EXPERIENCE

Michael Doe
IMAGE
PLACEHOLDER
Jeniffer Thompson
IMAGE
PLACEHOLDER
Erica Doe
AUTOMATION ENTERPRISE
CLOUD SOLUTIONS
SENSORS - DATA HUMAN CAPITAL
I N O R D E R T O O P E R AT E I N T H E N E W E C O N O M I C M O D E L S A N D T O D E L I V E R O N U S E R
E X P E R I E N C E T H E S E E X E C U T I O N E N G I N E S A S A M U S T F O R A N Y O R G A N I Z AT I O N . H O W T E C H I S
A P P L I E D A N D W H Y I T I S A P P L I E D I S M O R E I M P O R TA N T T H A N T H E T E C H I T S E L F.
THE NEED FOR THESE EXECUTION ENGINES

Ethical
Technology
Re-Mixing
Re-Inventing
Hybrid
Brands
Engineered
Wellbeing
Escape
Experiences
2019 FITNESS INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
T H E F I V E T R E N D S T O K E E P A N E Y E O N I N 2 0 1 9 A N D B E Y O N D

F I T C 2 0 1 9 F I T N E S S T E C H N O L O G Y T R E N D R E P O R T
1 ESCAPE EXPERIENCES
N E W I M PA C T F U L E X P E R I E N C E S W I L L C O N T I N U E T O D I F F E R E N T I AT E
A N D D E L I V E R G R E AT E R VA L U E T O U S E R S . T E C H N O L O G I E S W I L L B E
A B I G C O N T R I B U T O R T O T H E S E N E W E X P E R I E N C E S .
Apps that influence behaviors, like Nudge and Noom are only the start. Technologies
like Wexer, FOD, MYZONE that take information, content, and interfaces to support
change and to inspire will increasingly enhance wellbeing and fitness experiences.
Motivational & Inspirational
Virtual reality, augmented reality, voice, gamification, and gesture interface: the way
we experience experiences will be impacted by how we interface with technologies.
Experiences will be beyond the range of normal physical human experience.
Transcendent
With AirBNB offering “trips” which include culinary, mind body, or fitness
experience, with Equinox offering fitness travel experiences and more a new
world of experiences driving new value and new business models is notable.
Beyond The Ordinary
New venues and the integration of technologies are enabling new conveniences
and ways to more easily consume wellbeing; from Peloton and Mirror at home or
Equinox on the go, to Habit for customized home delivered nutrition.
Hyper-Convenient

2 ETHICAL TECH
Consumers are responding to an increasingly chaotic and uncertain world by
demanding proof over promise. Consumers want to support brands that strike a
balance between purpose and functionality and understand the WHY behind tech.
Show Don’t Tell
Brands should stand for what is meaningful and relevant to them and their customers
in the advent of technological innovation. Using technology to their benefit without
ethical application is a path to value erosion and distrust.
Brands Take A Stand For Users Win
Full disclosure requires simpler explanations of privacy policies and clearer and
more transparent uses of data giving users greater control of what they surrender
and the cost benefit of their sharing their data.
Privacy
Consumers have very high expectations for how brands can use innovative
technologies, but most are afraid of how those same technologies might disrupt
their lives adversely.
Innovation Meets Ethics
A S D ATA A N D A I A R E U S E D A N D R E L I E D U P O N M O R E B R A N D S W I L L
B E C H A L L E N G E D T O B E R E S P O N S I B L E I N H O W T H E Y U S E I T.

3 RE-MIXING & RE-INVENTING
Community based business models can create high value using technology
platforms. The most successful brands will understand, engage, listen to, and love
their communities who will be creators and collaborators for creating , supporting,
and advocating products and services.
Communities
In a world of diminishing resources, rising costs of pollution, and irresponsible past
practices consumers want to see smart sustainable technology practices.
Technologies are helping Adidas and Parley for example create shoes from
recycled plastics. Expect more of these initiatives that re-invent sustainably.
Sustainability
Re-purposing assets and re-mixing their delivery to create new fitness experiences
is innovative. New music licensing arrangements and technology solutions like
Aaptiv and CLASSPASS are creating new applications for music streaming with
fitness. Other examples will emerge.
Unseen Opportunities
The open-source fitness platform CROSSFIT emerged from part-time hacking by
thousands of fitness enthusiasts scattered all over the planet, connected only by
the Internet and the WOD. McFit’s Maria might be another emerging example.
Open Source
L E V E R A G I N G D ATA A N D C O M M U N I T I E S W I L L R E Q U I R E M O R E O P E N
C O N N E C T I V I T Y. S M A R T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S W I L L R E LY O N N E W U S E R
A N D PA R T N E R C O L L A B O R AT I O N S T O R E - I N V E N T A N D I N N O VAT E .

4 ENGINEERED WELLBEING
Major companies like Apple and Amazon are entering health care to integrate
sources of data including those from their wearable devices, apps, along with other
innovations to enhance the quality of care while reducing costs.
Medical
In 2017, the US meditation market generated $1.2B in revenue and is forecasted
to reach $2.08B in revenue by 2022. Self-care apps topped Apple’s 2018 trends
list, with consumers spending $32M on mindfulness apps like Calm and
Headspace.
Mindfulness
10 new DNA tests are coming to market every day and the cost of DNA tests are
dropping significantly. A long list of customized fitness, nutrition, and other
solutions are available based on those tests including DNAFIT and others.
DNA Data
70% of the world population is either reducing meat consumption or forgoing meat
altogether. Technologies will generate better meat and dairy substitutes.
Customized nutrition solutions based on DNA and other factors will expand.
Nutrition
W I T H G R E AT E R A C C E S S T O I N F O R M AT I O N W E W I L L B E A B L E T O
B E T T E R E N G I N E E R O U R W E L L B E I N G .

HYBRID BRANDS
GymShark is a fitness brand wrapped in an apparel business using online content.
Bandier puts fitness studios in its boutiques. Fitness Kitchen delivers healthy fit
foods. New models will combine different aspects of wellbeing in new ways.
Fashion & Nutrition Meet Fitness
McFit is innovating and launching new models, Equinox is hybridizing. Health
care providers are innovating. Service providers are innovating. Discovering new
ways to meet trends and new markets will be a major undertaking by legacy
brands.
Legacy Models Hybridize
New models like Diamandis’ HLI have created sequenced genomes and phenotypic
(physical traits) databases to uncover insights capable of transforming “sick-care”
from reactive to proactive with prescriptions for fitness, nutrition, and more.
Sick-care Meets Prevention
Equinox hotels open in New York City and Los Angeles in 2019. Equinox’s bespoke
travel experiences, will launch in 2019 with 8 to 15 tours planned. Fitness and
Wellbeing are extending increasingly into travel and travel experiences.
Fitness Meets New Avenues
T H E C O N V E R G E N C E A N D D I V E R G E N C E O F I N D U S T R I E S M O D E L S
W I L L L E A D T O N E W B U S I N E S S M O D E L S A N D M A R K E T S .

“ Y O U C A N ’ T W A I T F O R I N S P I R AT I O N , Y O U H AV E T O G O A F T E R I T W I T H A C L U B ”
JACK LANDON
I F Y O U A R E I N T E R E S T E D I N L E A R N I N G H O W Y O U R O R G A N I Z AT I O N C A N
TA K E A D VA N TA G E O F T H E S E T R E N D S A N D I N N O VAT E L E T U S K N O W .

JOIN FIT-C TODAY.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR
FREE FITNESS +
TECHNOLOGY PODCAST
AND OUR NEWSLETTER.
P L E A S E S H A R E T H I S R E P O R T
A N D G I V E U S Y O U R C O M M E N T S .
R E A C H O U T T O U S
I N F O @ F I T T E C H C O U N C I L . O R G
T O L E A R N M O R E
T H A N K Y O U .

2019 Fitness Industry Technology Trend Report

More Related Content

What's hot

Similar to 2019 Fitness Industry Technology Trend Report

More from Bryan K. O'Rourke

Recently uploaded

2019 Fitness Industry Technology Trend Report