Online and alternate reality game designer at Six to Start, Adrian Hon, spoke exclusively with DevOps Online about how he is a technology and fitness fanatic, who combines the two for creativity fitness motivation and fun.
“As an avid runner, I tried using a treadmill at the gym, but I just found it way too dull. I want to feel excited and motivated when I run. That inspired me and the Lead Writer, Naomi Alderman, to develop Zombies, Run! a fitness app that weaves a story into your run, making you the central character in a zombie apocalypse,” said Hon.
‘Apps keep fitness users engaged’
Apps are a great opportunity for gyms to learn from and to help keep users engaged, according to Hon. “Just imagine if each time you went to the gym you got the next chapter of a great story. That would keep you coming back.”
Many fitness apps now work as a personal trainer because of tracking tools. They count calories, log workouts and collect fitness statistics, so consumers can see if they have reached their fitness goals.
“A few years ago fitness apps used to be seen as a bit weird, but now they’re pretty normal. I think the same thing will happen with wearables. As people become more used to seeing and using them, and apps develop to take advantage of the technology, I think we’ll see a lot more people using wearables for fitness,” added Hon.
Virtual fitness experiences
Similar to Hon’s virtual fitness incentive, a lot of gyms now have virtual spinning classes and fitness trackers.
“We’re already seeing things like virtual spin classes and fitness trackers in gyms. I think as the world becomes more connected we’ll see fitness experts from around the world offering their skills and experience as virtual tutors. Combined with wearables and VR, these virtual classes would get increasingly realistic,” concluded Hon.
“Apps are becoming more social in nature. Users want to feel connected to real people regardless of the activity and apps that can connect you to people around the world. Whatever the future holds, I think people want to be entertained. There is no longer this separation between workouts and fun, people want to have fun while they workout.”
Written by Leah Alger
