PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF VIRTUAL FITNESS WORK - DARIAN PARKER, PHD, NSCA-CPT

Past Present and
Future Digital
Technologies and
the Implications of
Virtual Fitness
Work
Darian Parker, PhD, NSCA-CPT

Why Was the
Internet
Created?

Tension between the US
and the Soviet Union in
the 1950’s

US Scientists vs. Soviet
Scientists

Sputnik = Fear of
Technological
Advancement and More

Who Created
the Internet?

1969 UCLA student
programmer Charley Kline
through ARPANET, the
precursor to the modern
Internet, sent the first
electronic message to Bill
Duval at Stanford University.

“Lo” to “Login”

4 Computers connected to
ARPANET

1970’s TCP/IP: Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (Kahn and Cerf).
Created data transmission
between networks

1983, Jan. 1st:: ARPANET
adopted TCP/IP and
assembled network of
networks (which became the
modern internet)

1990: Creation of the World
Wide Web (www) by Tim
Berner’s Lee

1992: Invention of Mosaic at
the University of Illinois at
Urbana- Champaign

1992: Congress allows
businesses to use the internet
for commercial purposes...the
birth of e-commerce

Cloud and Video Conferencing
were huge for growth of e-
commerce

Speaking of Video
Conferencing...

When and
Why Was
Video
Conferencing
Created?

1964: Developed by AT&T

1968 : Debuted at World’s Fair in
New York

What was the reception? Not good

Primarily developed by corporations
to decrease employee travel

1980’s: More mainstream adoption,
but still very expensive.
Compression labs sold system for
$250,000, then PictureTel sold for
$80,000 to other corporations

1990’s: Advancement in IP Tech
from IBM. Priced dropped to $20K

Early 2000’s: Polycom, View
Station and Via Video created
desktop solution and
widespread sales (1 billion)

Mid 2000’s: widespread need
for videoconferencing in
higher education and
telehealth/telesurgery,
growth in Wi-Fi and HD
camera technology

2010 and Beyond:
Cloud Computing
and Mobile Phone
Technology

The Rise of Fitness
and Technology…How
Did We Get Here?

1st Wave of Fitness and
Technology (Television)

Jack LaLanne and “The Jack
LaLanne Show” (1951)

Fitness was broadcast into
homes with TV’s becoming
more widespread in homes

2nd Wave of Fitness and
Technology - VCR and At
Home Workouts (1980’s)

Jane Fonda’s Exercise
Videos spread the at home
workout craze/group
exercise/exercise fashion

Introduction of VCR to
many people

3rd Wave of Fitness and
Technology - VCR/DVD
At Home Workouts
(1990’s/Early-Mid 2000’s)

Rise of Taebo and
Celebrity Workouts,
Beachbody DVD
workouts P90X, Insanity

4th Wave of Fitness and
Technology - (Late 2000’s -
Current)

June 27th, 2007 - Release of
the 1st iPhone

World wide adoption of
smartphone tech = more
opportunity for fitness
professionals

Rise of online program design,
GPS and body monitoring
systems

4th Wave of Fitness and Technology - (Late
2000’s - Current)

Skype (2003), YouTube (2005), Whatsapp (2009)
Zoom (2013), Facebook Watch (2017) and
Google Meet (2017)

Creation of Pelton, Mirror, Tonal, Les Mills Online
and More (Live and Recorded Fitness)

Covid-19 Pandemic has
greatly increased the
adoption of virtual fitness
technologies

Increase in lead generating
and service providers sites
for in person and virtual
work

More options for remote
work and future rise of
“anywhere gyms”

What is the 5th Wave of Fitness
                                            and Technology?

                                            Virtual and Augmented Reality

                                            Holographic Technology

Will Virtual Reality Based Fitness Become
Indistinguisable from In Person Fitness?

Remember This?

The Future is
Here...

What is the
Likelihood of
Mass Adoption of
Virtual Fitness
Technology and
Work?

Current Research in Human
Personality

Dr. Jen Howk, Dr. Lisle and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
(2020) are current and prominent psychologist
and researchers in human personality/behavior.
Recent research focuses not on “personality
types” which have no scientific foundations, but
on personality traits that are flexible, malleable
and move along a continuum of these traits.

OCEAN
OCEAN - Take The Big Five Project Personality Test
https://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/

O - Openness - curious vs. cautious

C- Conscientiousness - Efficient/organized v. extravagant/careless

E - Extroversion - Outgoing vs. reserved

A - Agreeableness - friendly/compassionate vs. challenging/callous

N- Neuroticism - sensitive/nervous vs. resilient/confident

Some Questions to Ask Yourself About Possibly
Moving Forward in Virtual Fitness Work

● Am I Open to Adopting New Technologies in Fitness and
  Wellness?
● What Type of Virtual Fitness Work Do I Want to Get Involved
  In?
● Do I Believe that Virtual Fitness Work Will be a Viable Long
  Term Option for Me?
● Will I Be Able to Effectively Translate My Presence Virtually?
● Will There Be Options for Mentorship and Training in the
  Fitness Virtual Space?

Current Pros and Cons of Virtual Fitness
Work

Pros                     Cons

*Lifestyle Flexibility   *Lack of In Person Socialization

*Efficient Scheduling    *Skepticism of Clients/Colleagues

*Little to No Overhead   *Connectivity Issues

*Broader Client Base     *Lack of Education/Training

But….Will Those Cons Fade as Technology
Continues to Grow?

● Connectivity Will Improve (5G, Better Rural Internet Coverage
  and Futuristic Quantum Computing)
● Training/Education for Virtual Fitness Work Will Come Online
  (Certifications, Workshops)
● Decreased Skepticism with Wider Adoption (Elevators, EV’s and
  more)
● Increased Technology Will Make Virtual Connection Closer to In
  Person Socialization Feeling (Not Completely, but Close)

Is Virtual Fitness Work
        for You?

Site and Source Page (Images)

Sputnik image: Image courtesy of @nasa.com

Picturephone image: https://www.vyopta.com/blog/video-conferencing/brief-history-video-
conferencing/#:~:text=In%201968%2C%20video%20conferencing%20was,called%20the%20Picturephone%20fro
m%20AT%26T.

Video Conference Picture

https://www.parmetech.com/the-business-benefits-of-video-conferencing/

Jack Lalanne Picture

By Photographer: Cliff Riddle, Hollywood - eBay itemphoto frontphoto back, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16893911

Site and Source Pages 2

Big 5 Personality Test - https://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/

Nikola Tesla Pic - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla

Paul Otlet Pic - By Paul Otlet - Mundaneum, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38324530

Vannevar Bush Pic - https://www.ibiblio.org/pioneers/bush.html

TCP/IP - http://www.ryanseslow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/tcp-ip.jpg

World Wide Web - https://miro.medium.com/max/898/0*1pc3uBYgX58bXF0b.jpeg

Site and Source Pages 3

Mosaic Pic - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NCSA_Mosaic.PNG

E-Commerce Pic - https://www.paymill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/How-to-Keep-Your-E-Commerce-
System-Funtioning-at-Optimum-Capacity.png

Back to the Future Conferencing Pic - https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dEcJxEXlFEo/maxresdefault.jpg

Cloud Computing Pic: https://www.esds.co.in/blog/mobile-cloud-computing-the-upcoming-
trend/#sthash.SbtasljM.dpbs

Jack LaLanne Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4A3mdG5zbQ

Site and Source Pages 4
Taebo Pic: youtube.com

Insanity/P90X: https://soreyfitness.com/fitness/pump-p90x-insanity-hybrid/

Iphone evolution pic: https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/iphone-evolution-timeline-chart

Online Fitness Design app: https://blog.goposse.com/friday-design-inspiration-15-inspiring-fitness-app-
designs-7a721294094

Tonal Pic: https://www.cnet.com/health/tonal-personal-trainer-weight-machine-home-gym/

Mirror Pic: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/smart-home-gym-equipment-mirror-tonal-peloton-review.html

Peloton: https://www.forbes.com/sites/andreawasserman/2020/02/13/peloton-mirror-and-tonal-3-retail-
strategies-3-lessons/#7375bcfe5e42

UBQFIT: https://headlineplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/338e076807912ad0aadda8dc8f62a7f9.png

Site and Source Pages 5
Apple Glasses: https://curved.de/news/apples-ar-brille-koennte-schon-2020-erscheinen-621070

Black Box Gym: https://www.fitness-
gaming.com/images/Markets/Fitness_and_Sports/2791_black_box_vr_to_unveil_revolutionary_vr_gym_syste
m_at_ces_2018/010_virtual_reality_gym.jpg

Total Recall Pic: https://level9personaltraining.com/will-apps-videos-and-virtual-trainers-replace-real-
personal-trainers/

Portl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhcvNmBnCb0