Can Fitness and AI go hand in hand? will it succeed to take over?

We’ve all seen the new booming fitness ads on social media, particularly on TikTok, regarding AI for training. We’ve all been prone to probing about them and looking them up, haven’t we? After all, this is a new revolution that we are living and are exposed to, now more than ever. 

If the algorithm hasn’t allowed them to pop up on your phone, here’s what they’re all about. Using AI for training will grant you with personalized programs and guidance, motivational messages with detailed analysis based on your sleeping patterns, nutrition and activity for better tracking, along with additional features to give you explanation about the whole workout.

But everything has its downsides, and Artificial Intelligence is no exception. So, here’s where it falls short: emotionally, physically, and professionally. AI takes into consideration all aspects, but cannot fulfill them completely. 

Human Connection Vs AI

When working with a personal trainer, the experience is different than with AI. You will be encouraged on a daily basis, they will understand you and allow you to be seen. As Rayelle, a certified personal trainer, expresses her thoughts on these ads and mentions that: “The thing that AI can’t give to clients is the emotional and psychological support that the person in front of you should get, because being a trainer is not just about making a program and let’s do this and that exercise […] the bigger part that makes the client stay and enjoy working out with you is when they understand and see that they are being seen and taken care of.”

Working with someone is motivating, lets you be heard and feel less alone in your challenges. She adds that no encouragement from AI can match the energy of a person pushing you to keep going and listening to your problems and hardships. It’s also way more uplifting to train with someone than alone. To be fair, no one seeks a trainer if they can or want to train on their own. People need all the motivation, friendship, and support they can get to be able to focus on their goals. 

A trainer is also able to read your body language, to know when you are strong enough, when you need assistance, when you need help to break your mental barriers and be encouraged additionally. It becomes a shared accomplishment for both of you, one that is visible and added to their portfolio. In a world where everyone is digitally isolated, the relationship between a client and their trainer is a very valuable and personal bond, irreplaceable by a simple fitness app.

Privacy? Trust? 

There is always that remaining struggle to trust such a system. With the amount of personal data it requires, the fear of hacking becomes greater for clients. In fact, sensitive data is stored in these fitness apps powered by AI, including credit card details for payment, location and even other personal information. 

All the privacy policies you agree to at the beginning? Blindly done and unaware of how your data is being used, you may be left in the dark as you willingly allow AI to use whatever information you provide it with. There is also no guarantee that your results are not being taken in for research purposes anonymously, with no prior notice.

Just like you lose trust in a friend after a small mistake or betrayal, the same applies here. Trust? Well, it can hardly be acquired in this case.  

Training Ethics: The Real Purpose

Beyond trust gaps, personal trainers are able to supervise your training in ways AI cannot. They communicate with you what needs to be fixed on the spot, from imperfect form to imbalance issues.  Not only that, but they are also capable of preventing injuries by doing so and keeping your muscles from overtraining and fatigue.

With AI, training mistakes or misinterpretation of a certain ache, physical problem, or even feedback often becomes more probable as it cannot oversee your training like a trainer can. A trainer can focus on you and how your body is moving and correct you when needed as well as alleviate your pain if necessary. That way, you may ignore or undermine certain concerns that should not be taken lightly. 

A trainer is taken accountable, responsible for your safety, while AI lacks this responsibility. Normalizing discomfort or red flags your body may give you may be where this revolution is really leading us. In reality, every person’s optimal is different, and an algorithm can’t always be the most reliable to navigate humans’ fitness and health. 

All Just A Trend? 

Just like any other activity, AI is becoming a trend and there is always going to be a side to it that will fail before it is studied and perfected with technology development. Not everything is meant to be done by AI. People will always succeed if they go with the flow of time, just like personal trainers will if they incorporate AI to help them perfect their strengths and work. 

Body standards that AI bases its analysis on are all the current body trends. Even if it takes into consideration the preferences a client syncs into the app, there will always be that main program based off of the trendy and aesthetic looks that most people are now leaning towards and looking to attain. As much as we may think that AI is personalized, it takes information from common trends and statistics of what most people are going for. 

Personal trainers acquire patience and passion for training and helping others achieve their goals and succeed. They need to listen to their clients and to their problems, make them feel seen and know when to push them harder. 

Unmatched Fitness Value 

The bond between a trainer and a client is one meant to lead a meaningful and powerful journey. AI may provide more convenience and aesthetic or detailed tracking, but it cannot replace the unmatched value of human connection. 

Many factors lack in AI-powered fitness apps, some of which fall into responsibility, individual needs. Whether it’s psychological, emotional or physical, a real life trainer will always have a different and more personal input to give, knowing you, your personality, your lifestyle and even your basic preferences and goals.

So now, what will you go for? Artificial Intelligence with little to no emotional or physical support? Or a personal trainer present and aware of your needs and goals and personality?

About Fitness

Fitness is all about trying to achieve your goals, challenging yourself, and becoming the best version of yourself that you can be. Not only is it the fact that others motivate you, but the community is a supportive rock for you to become disciplined and work towards a better you. As people focus on training and human connections in the gym, AI is taking over with its evolution and famous TikTok ads about AI for training and tries to become our new personal trainer.

About The Author

Gaelle Rizkallah is a Master’s student at Saint Joseph University, specializing in Conference Translation. From a young age, she has had a passion for translation and reading. Gaelle typically enjoys studying topics that are always on her mind, specifically ones that are not so spoken about. She likes to dive into the side of trends that are rarely thought of, and sides that should not be overlooked in her eyes.