Tailored Travel Workouts with Aktiv Virtual: Customizing the Gym Experience

As a personal trainer, one of my biggest pet peeves was seeing how many people would come to the gym just to do 'cardio' on the ellipticals or treadmill, rather than head out to the weight room. At first, I thought it was fear of injury, then I thought it was just a lack of confidence with what to do with the heavy weights. Now, I realize the reality of the situation is simple: people don't want to have to think about exercise when they already have so many other things on their mind.

That's where Aktiv Virtual comes in. Aktiv has partnered with over 5,000 hotels and even expanding into fitness facilities across America to take all of the guesswork out of working out.

No more walking into the gym and just hitting the cardio machine for an hour. Aktiv brings a digital personal trainer to the gym space so you can get just the right workout tailored to how you're feeling that day and your goals.

I had the chance to experience Aktiv Virtual recently at a super tech driven hotel in Menlo Park called the Park James. (I was able to sneak a peek into the rooms, and they've got tablets in there to order room service and everything.) Aktiv lets you choose from four different trainers to lead you through a custom workout, built around how much time you have, how you're feeling that day, and even the type of workout you want (high intensity, or relaxation, etc).

All of the equipment I would need for a decent workout on a business trip was on the Aktiv rack, and the instructions were quite clear on what to do and when to get proper rest periods. Speaking with the CEO, Bryan Green, I was able to find out that some hotels are putting Aktiv Virtual inside some of the guests rooms. No more getting ready for the gym, going to workout, then coming back to the room and showering and changing again. With Aktiv in the room, you can just workout in whatever clothing you want.

Now, one word of caution to those of you dedicated to fitness like I am. Aktiv Virtual is not meant to replace a quality personal trainer, nor is it going to be able to take place of a good crossfit box/workout. In my experience, most of the clientele at gyms go straight for the treadmill/elliptical simply because they have no idea what to do otherwise, or simply lack the mental bandwidth on a business trip to put together a weight workout This is where Aktiv Virtual shines, filling in as a temporary trainer when people can't afford that expertise, but want a better workout than a treadmill can provide.

As I said, Aktiv Virtual is set up in over 5,000 hotels across the country. But, what I was super excited about was these systems being present in fitness facilities as well. A gap exists between individualized personal trainer sessions and group classes; you want something custom, but don't want to pay the high prices trainers charge. Aktiv comes in and provides custom workouts tailored to you and your mood that day, but you don't have to pay anymore than you already are for your gym membership.

Long story short, Aktiv Virtual helps people that don't want to think about their workout get a great workout without turning to the treadmill or elliptical. But, while it can provide an awesome weight bearing workout for most, people that already know the ins and outs of workout design might be slightly disappointed in the early stages of the product. That being said, I'm super excited about the potential of the system to provide MUCH more variety in the workouts, and even what could happen if they allowed users to save the workouts, make profiles to see their progress, or even sync with fitbits or other wearables.

If you'd like to learn more about Aktiv and all they're doing to shake up the fitness space, check out https://aktivsolutions.com/. In the meantime, have a happy and healthy rest of your day, keep smiling, and enjoy your next workout!

Omid Vojdani is a health and wellness expert with over 10 years of hands on experience focusing on injury rehabilitation, postural alignment therapy, relationship counseling, and spiritual growth. You can find more info at succeedwithomid.com