The tryst between fitness and technology began many years ago as apps, products, and machinery became more innovative in line with the demand for such innovation by customers worldwide. And by the looks of it, this trend won’t stop anytime soon.

Among the scores of new technologies, one that has got the highest seat on the digital transformation wave is Blockchain. Even the statistics hint at this: the Global Blockchain Technology Market is estimated to rise at a CAGR of 58.90% from 2016–2024.

In view of this estimate, those having health and fitness-related businesses are asking themselves two basic questions: ‘How to increase the number of users further? and ‘How to keep improving the quality of services?’

And partnering with a blockchain app development company that well understands their needs has helped them fetch massively positive results in terms of customer retention and the bottom line. But these aren’t the only benefits of blockchain in fitness industry.

Benefits of Blockchain in Fitness Industry

Thanks to blockchain in fitness industry, now, people don’t need to regularly visit gyms or fitness clubs to stay fit and well.

By using fitness apps powered by blockchain, they can get the guidance of fitness and diet coaches who tailor their diet and workout plans as per their specific fitness goals.

Here are some other capabilities built into fitness apps backed by blockchain that are changing the face of the fitness industry: 

• Gamification

Integrating blockchain-based gamification features like rewards and badges in fitness apps motivates users to take real action, complete their daily workouts, and stick to the routine. 

Besides, blockchain adds utility to fitness apps by making the overall customer experience more transparent and user-friendly.  

• Better Data Privacy 

Blockchain technology makes tampering with the user’s data impossible. That’s because blockchain is essentially decentralized. In other words, there are multiple (and equal) owners of one digital property. 

The technology has encryption algorithms built on immutable structures. This ensures end-to-end data privacy and security. 

• No Third Parties Involved

Fitness enthusiasts get access to tips and fitness lessons from their trainers after settling the payment through smart contracts. 

And as more and more people invest and use cryptocurrencies today, fitness app admins can also allow users the option to make payments in crypto.

• Increased Efficiency

After specific conditions are met, smart contracts immediately get into action. 

They make it possible for fitness app users to take the benefits of automated procedures like class scheduling and membership renewals while getting access to personal training sessions.

• Better Engagement

To motivate users to achieve their fitness goals, fitness apps can also use blockchain-based rewards and incentives. Under these, clients are rewarded with digital tokens or cryptocurrencies.

Clients can redeem these for services, products, or discounts.

Blockchain Use Cases for Fitness Industry

Blockchain technology has caused a disruption in the fitness industry by making fitness app usage more accessible, rewarding, and efficient for users.

• Improved Data Analytics

Blockchain significantly helps generate real-time analytics reports. Based on these reports, app owners can make value-adding decisions for their businesses. 

Besides, client-related information like requirements, feedback, and payment details can be securely stored and analyzed using blockchain technology. 

• Accurate Fitness Tracking

Safely exchanging and storing information on a person’s diet, biometrics, and exercise habits is possible with blockchain technology. Further, this information can be shared with personal trainers and healthcare providers to ensure its accuracy.

• Better User Management

With thousands of customers online, it’s difficult for fitness trainers to keep track of every individual class or group session. 

A blockchain-powered platform features automated smart contracts, which reduce a lot of manual tasks for fitness coaches.  

• Real-Time Notifications

Generating real-time alerts and notifications for audiences becomes seamless due to blockchain in fitness industry. The admin and trainers can send alerts about new schemes and fitness services, and create health and fitness awareness. 

These push notifications help fitness app owners promote their businesses among a massive audience by giving them a personalized experience. 

• Marketing Channel for eCommerce Brands 

Today, many niche brands have come up that sell dietary and nutrition-based products. And a lot of their client base comes from fitness apps promoting their products. 

Customers can also buy exercise equipment from these apps as many sports brands too advertise their products here.

Meanwhile, the fitness app development company can use blockchain to integrate multiple payment methods.

• Fitness Marketplace

Blockchain technology can be used to build decentralized fitness marketplaces. Here, fitness experts directly offer their services to clients without involving any middlemen. 

Challenges of Blockchain in Fitness Industry

While there’s no doubt that blockchain technology offers many potential benefits for the fitness industry, it is also fraught with many challenges:

• Lack of Regulation 

As blockchain is not fully mature yet or widely adopted, it lacks standardization and regulation. This makes some businesses resistant to the full-scale adoption of blockchain solutions. 

As for the consumers, they find it difficult to navigate the market.

• Problem of Scalability

Blockchain scalability basically means the speed at which it can handle the ever-growing number of transactions. The scalability issue arises from the fact that blockchain requires every participant to 100% agree on the validity of transactions.

Presently, Bitcoin has a throughput–or transaction per second rate–of 7 transactions every second. As getting all miners’ confirmation takes time, Bitcoin transactions can take up to 3 hours to process!

So, with time, scalability is becoming an issue with regard to blockchain. This is making it difficult for fitness app owners to adopt blockchain technology on a large scale.

• Technical Inadequacy 

This is perhaps the biggest challenge to the adoption of blockchain technology in fitness apps. Adding blockchain-based features requires a certain level of technical knowledge from the developers’ end. 

And only a very few mobile app development companies have been able to successfully build one such fitness app. In fact, many fitness businesses aren’t fully aware of the benefits of blockchain in the first place.

• Lack of Interoperability

Multiple blockchain platforms or solutions are often not able to communicate with each other. This leads to the fragmentation of data, and the seamless exchange of information is hindered. 

Conclusion

Experts say that in the future, fitness enthusiasts (especially the teenage and young population) would want to work out with video game elements shown during the LIVE sessions. 

Already in the Metaverse–the next big version of the Internet–such interactive visuals are available to the user. So, if a user gets a digital reward in fitness Game A, they can show or use it in Game B too. 

So, to stay relevant, fitness app owners worldwide would have to transform various processes and improve developer competencies for them to be able to build robust health and fitness apps on the blockchain.

We at Code Brew Labs are just the fitness app development company to choose if you want to build one such power-packed fitness app. All our tech solutions are future-next and can be fully integrated with third-party APIs, and are 100% customizable.

What’s more? You also get full access to the app’s source code and full ownership of IP rights. Get in touch to know more.