, sparked my curiosity: what do these big players in the fitness space see in gamified fitness?
For one, it's projected to be a huge area of growth for the industry. A report by Technavio found that the interactive-fitness market is expected to grow by $5.44 billion between 2020 and 2024, as reported by"We believe that combining cardio equipment with digital content and bringing that into the home is highly conducive to people creating habit-forming fitness routines," Tom Aulet, cofounder and CEO of Ergatta, says.
"Some folks will always prefer being led by an instructor, others like zoning out and taking a virtual ride through Hawaii, while some love the thrill of a game or competition." Peloton's inspiration to incorporate gamified fitness came from the platform's preexisting interactive components, according to Jim Green, the company's senior product manager."Years before 'Lanebreak,' we've been including gamified elements like our leaderboard, our achievement badges, the real-time interactive metrics from device sensors," Green says."But 'Lanebreak' is definitely the most directly gaming-inspired experience we've developed.
Considering my own personal experience, the scientific studies, and insight from industry leaders, all signs point to gaming becoming an important part of connected fitness going forward. As both Aulet and Green note, bringing games to connected devices provides an additional way for people to enjoy their workouts — which, really, is the ultimate goal.