When we think about things such as global health, how are we supposed to entice such a large population to take their health seriously and make a conscious effort to improve their nutrition and activity levels? It’s nearly impossible. We have people who financially can’t afford a gym membership – even though around 162 million people globally do have one. We have people who do not have their own means of transportation and therefore need to use public transportation which can get expensive if you want to use it to go to work and then to the gym later in the day. How can we solve this global health issue that is plaguing our population? It’s actually quite simple – digital fitness.
A Smartphone in Hand Can Improve Global Health through Digital Fitness
Look at society these days. We can’t go anywhere without our smartphones. We text, email, call, use social media, use the internet, and ask Siri whatever the heck is on our mind. It only makes sense that if you want to improve your health and fitness that the digital fitness space would be the next big play.
By the end of 2019, it is projected that around 2.5 billion people will have and use a smartphone. That’s crazy when you think about it. It’s also said that nearly 30% of the people across the globe (that equates to around 2 billion people) are overweight or obese. Do you see those numbers? 2.5 billion people will have a smartphone and 2 billion are overweight or obese. If everyone who had a smartphone utilized digital fitness, we could put a HUGE dent in the number of people who are at an unhealthy weight in the world (we all know not everyone will jump on board with the thought of digital fitness and utilizing your smartphone to improve global health).
Digital Fitness Through the Use of Apps
If trends continue the way they have, it is estimated that by the year 2022, the digital fitness space will be valued at around $27 billion. Additionally, the growth of use has seen triple-digit growth. From 2014 to 2017, the growth when it comes to the overall usage of health and fitness apps grew 330%.
And if you think wearable technology is going to be a thing of the past, think again. It is estimated that Apple has sold around 33 million of their Apple Watches to date (which can be used seamlessly with their Apple AirPods to be used when exercising – I wrote a review previously that you can read here). They have also mentioned that in the last year they estimate around 15 million alone were sold. When push comes to shove and total sales are looked at, Apple should be seeing a yearly revenue of around $5 billion which is actually higher than that of the luxury watch brand, Rolex. Now, not everyone will use their Apple Watch for fitness, but Apple is making a huge push to bring new health and fitness technology to their watches with each new version.
Related Article: Five Best Ways To Monitor Fitness Progress
We can’t forget about Fitbit too. It has been said that since 2007, the total number of Fitbits sold has been around 84 million. People are finding such devices simple to use and extremely helpful when it comes to tracking their fitness and making their health a priority. Digital fitness aligns with the same movement wearable technology is making and can truly help improve global health.
As it stands right now (at the time of writing this), the number one fitness app on iTunes is AAPTIV, where around 30,000 classes are listened to on the app every single day. That’s crazy to think about and can truly help transform global health! These classes are made up of 27% treadmill, 22% strength training, 14% outdoor running, and 37% classified as “other.”
If you’ve read some of my content in the past, you know I’m a huge fan of the app, MyFitnessPal. I suggest everyone should download the free app for your smartphone and start using it. Touching on some of my content in the past that you may have seen, you’ll also know that I am NOT a fan of fitness and Instagram influencer, Kayla Itsines – who has over 11 million followers on Instagram (if you haven’t figure out how powerful social media is, you’re going to get left behind – start leveraging it for your business and personal brand). Yet, I can’t knock her hustle as her fitness app called SWEAT, made an estimated $77 million in revenue in 2018.
Fixing Global Health
I’d be naïve to think that digital fitness will solve all of the issues across the globe when it comes to those being overweight and the overall obesity epidemic we face (especially here in the United States). However, if we can improve the retention of those who are willing to give health and fitness a try, we could start chipping away at the issue and improve global health.
The more we can make health and fitness “simple to follow,” the more we will see the percentage of people around the globe being overweight start to decrease. But in order for that to happen, people need to first start.
Author Bio:
Matt Weik, owner of Weik Fitness, LLC, is a well-respected fitness expert/author with a global following. His work has been featured all over the globe as well as having published more than a dozen books. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, personal trainer, and sports nutritionist. Find out more at www.weikfitness.com.