From old tools to new tricks
Sure, automated training is not an invention of the present. Pedometers, heart rate straps, or calorie counters have long existed, even before artificial intelligence was on everyone's lips.
In principle, AIs build on exactly this, but they are much smarter: They not only analyze our data, but also learn from it, recognize patterns, create training plans, and constantly adapt them. They work almost (!) like personal trainers. In practice, this means: When you go running, the AI recognizes from your heart rate and pace whether you're overexerting yourself and automatically recommends a more relaxed session.
In strength training, it recognizes when an exercise was too difficult for us and adjusts the weights or repetitions accordingly. Those who train at home even receive real-time feedback from some systems with cameras, for instance, if the knees cave in during a squat or the back sags during a plank.
This is how artificial intelligence learns from training data
AI can only react as well as the data we provide it. The more accurate, consistent – and honest – the information about age, goals, performance level, or complaints, the more precise the recommendations will be. The basis for this is machine-learning models that recognize patterns from millions of movement datasets and assess load or progress. Some applications use computer vision, analyze movements live, and help improve posture – namely planks – or the timing of an exercise. Other systems evaluate training history, heart rate patterns, or fatigue values and automatically create new plans from them.
Apps, wearables, and universal AIs in comparison
There are many ways to incorporate AI into your own training. Which one you choose ultimately depends on your personal preferences, budget, and the question of how much technology you really want to use in everyday life. The most common at the moment are fitness apps, smart wearables, or universal AIs.
Apps operate on a simple principle: You train, while the AI collects data, analyzes this information, and then adjusts the training plan directly to the current performance level. If you carry your smartphone with you, the AI also distinguishes between exercises like push-ups or squats and measures repetitions, movement directions, and acceleration.
Additionally, most apps score with a wide variety of training plans, workouts, and specializations, from yoga to HIIT. However, to obtain more accurate data, such as heart rate, the apps need to be linked to wearables.
