Pick a form of exercise that is attractive to you and set moderately challenging goals, expert says.
Every January, people have good intentions of seeing their bold fitness goals come to fruition. Whether it is Dry January or losing weight — sometimes the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
According to registered psychologist Dr. Patrick Keelan, picking a form of exercise that is attractive to you is crucial for success, along with setting specific goals.
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“Starting off, make the goal very specific to what you’d like to achieve,” he said. “For some people, that might be a fitness goal involving exercising regularly or maybe working out three days a week. For other people who are more experienced in fitness, it might be more ambitious, like completing a marathon or breaking three hours in a marathon.”
Dr. Keelan also emphasized the importance of setting moderately challenging goals. When a goal is too easy, people throw in the towel out of sheer boredom. On the other hand, if a goal is too challenging, people become frustrated with the lack of progress.
“If there are days when you don’t feel like working out at all, we often employ the five-minute rule where you say I’m just going to show up,” he said. “That keeps the habit going in those beginning stages; once you’ve established the habit, you can build on it.”
Here are five ways tenacious Calgarians can crush their fitness goals without even knowing it.
When training his clients, the founder of Impact Boxing and Fitness, Louis Raposo, said he starts with establishing a strong foundation — much like building a house.
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“We try to keep the mind, because the mind gets very bored,” he said. “So there’s always something different at our gym. It could be strength, it could be core, it could be conditioning, it could be boxing — we change it up all the time.”
With kickboxing as a new addition to the facility, Raposo echoed that keeping the mind and body going is crucial for success.
“It’s the best fitness you can do,” he said. “We have a deck of cards where each card is an exercise; so we flip a card, and that’s 10 pushups, for example.”
With a lot of angles and plenty of movement, Raposo said you have to be able to carry your own body weight, and whether you are a beginner, advanced, amateur, or child, he is determined to help you achieve your fitness goals.
“The reason we picked ‘Impact’ as a name is to literally make an impact on people’s lives, which we have done for over 22 years.”
With mobility, strength, and intense cardio at its core, Barre West offers 45-minute and 50-minute group fitness classes. Depending on the class, attendees might get more of a strength or more of a cardio component.
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According to owner and Pilates expert Adriana Britton, the number one thing that people are seeking with barre workouts is low-impact combined with high-intensity core strengthening.
“We address that part of the body like no other,” she said. “That is definitely one of our specialty areas for this program.”
The program also caters to pre-natal and post-natal; Britton said a lot of members planning for pregnancy spend a lot of time in the program to help strengthen their pelvic floor and core.
“We have a mom and baby program, which definitely, around the pandemic, went from sort of an accessory workshop to one of our main programs,” she said.
Britton acknowledged that while studio environments, especially boutique-style studios, can lean female-forward, Barre West’s male members enjoy the workouts just as well.
“And then it’s super injury-friendly,” she said. “We have so many really great success stories — clients with osteoporosis — that either they were able to temper it or help build bone density. So our program is really strong but really accessible.”
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Whether you have two left feet or are graceful, Jazzercise North Calgary wants you to dance like nobody is watching.
Owner Robyn Wilson described the program as dance-based workouts in a group fitness atmosphere with top-40 music and no generational gaps.
“We cater to all walks of life; we’re kind of known for that,” she said. “We have everybody, from kids coming with their moms to grandmas; many times three generations working out together.”
Each class is approximately an hour long, and there are a variety of different formats, with the popular flagship format known as ‘Cardio Sculpt’ leading the way.
“That’s about 40 minutes of dance-based cardio, and you’re working your whole body,” explained Wilson. “We’re doing tons of lunges, jumping, and all kinds of dance-based things.”
Inspired by Mambo, salsa, and kickboxing, the workouts target the upper body, lower body, and core, with an added strength component in every class.
“In ‘Cardio Sculpt’, we do 20 minutes of choreographed dance-based strength,” Wilson said. “We use weights, exercise mats, and everything is choreographed to top-40 music where you’re doing some pushups and planks to whatever music is on top of the charts right now.”
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Scaling the side of a simulated rock wall can offer a unique way of reaching the peak of fitness goals.
With over 25 years of experience, owner of Bolder Climbing Josh Muller said climbing offers a unique exercise experience that allows you to get strong and fit without the conventional boring sides of exercise.
“I always joke to people that it’s a good way to trick yourself into exercising,” Muller said. “Because you’re only on the wall trying really hard for about 15 seconds, maybe 30 seconds, and you come to the ground and you’re huffing and puffing for five minutes while you socialize with your friends.”
Bolder Climbing offers two main disciplines: bouldering and rope climbing.
“With bouldering, our walls go 15 feet above the safety pads, and you climb that without ropes,” Muller explained. “We teach you how to fall safely onto the pads.”
Rope climbing, however, might give beginners more knots in their stomachs than in their ropes, as the height has a significant difference with 40-foot walls.
“It also requires more than just strength — it requires flexibility; it requires a certain amount of problem-solving,” Muller said. “Conquering certain fears, balance — it’s an all-encompassing activity compared to a lot of other sports.”
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To help facilitate results in fitness goals, Calgary nutritionist Stacy Yates said Dry January, where one abstains from alcohol, can be a good start.
“Alcohol really doesn’t benefit us nutritionally in any sort of way,” she said. “So I think that’s actually a great challenge for people, especially if they’ve had a little bit of an overindulgent December.”
Yates emphasized that if people are drinking on a regular basis, Dry January is an easy introduction to cutting calories, with the added benefits of financial savings, better sleep quality, and increased energy.
“Sometimes the best thing for someone to start eating and drinking clean is to start moving their body,” she said. “They feel like ‘oh, I’m starting to work out now; I don’t want to put that junk in my body anymore’, which junk includes alcohol. They also might start prioritizing sleep because they want to feel like when they get on that spin bike the next day, they don’t have a headache.”
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The beauty of a standing abs workout is that you do not need a mat, much space, or to get down on the ground for any of the exercises. That makes it easy to fit into a busy day, whether you are working out at home, short on space, or prefer to stay off the floor altogether.
None of that means it is easier or delivers fewer results. Pilates instructor and Balance Body Educator Portia Page built this five-move, all-standing core workout to show that you can still challenge your abs effectively without a mat or traditional floor exercises.
Standing ab exercises challenge the core in a more upright, everyday way than floor-based exercises do. Instead of working from a fixed position on a mat, you are asking your body to remain stable while standing, moving and balancing, which naturally brings more of the core into play.
Pilates instructor Page explains that this routine works the core through rotation, anti-rotation and lateral stability, the types of strength you use when walking, lifting, or changing direction. Because you are on your feet, balance becomes part of the challenge too, and even small wobbles force the deeper muscles to switch on.
She also includes elements of controlled power and standing hollow work, which asks the core to absorb and redirect force rather than just hold tension. The result is a stronger, more responsive midsection, without the need for any planks or crunches.
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Fitness and health apps have been promising “smart coaches” and “personalised training plans” for years. But, to date, most programmes have been like online shopping recommendations, with exercises broadly matching your demographic profile and performance level.
However, the rapid advances in real-time image recognition, generative AI and natural language processing are bringing an AI coach worthy of the name within our grasp. And not just for high-tech gyms like Lumin, but also for people working out at home or in the park. Peloton, for example, films how you exercise and provides feedback in real time. Google has also announced AI-powered personalised fitness and health advice for its Fitbit range.
HYROX pro athlete Jake Dearden putting in the work on an indoor bike
© Baptiste Fauchille/Red Bull Content Pool
Market analysts think the AI fitness market could be worth close to $35b USD by 2030. But how close are we to that future? Which company is training up the supertrainer? And how will that change the way we exercise, sweat and track our progress? And what do we need to know about this new world?
Most fitness apps give generic exercise suggestions
© Patrik Lundin/Red Bull Content Pool
Confidence Udegbue has the perfect CV for designing an AI coach. The Vice President of Product at fitness app Freeletics studied electrical and computer engineering and teaches fitness classes in his free time. His broad shoulders, muscular biceps and infectious spirit are a dead giveaway: this guy knows what he’s talking about.
“In the gym, I can see immediately when someone I’m teaching is making a mistake,” says Udegbue. “But that expertise is hard to scale.” Freeletics is trying to solve that problem with AI. The app has been using a predictive algorithm since 2019 to suggest workouts based on demographic data and self-assessed fitness levels. This means that a 39-year-old man who has been training for two years and is at level 63 in the app won’t receive the same instructions as a 25-year-old beginner.
Freeletics uses AI-based motion analysis powered by models like those from Google’s MediaPipe framework, which includes BlazePose – the successor to the earlier PoseNet model. The models provide a skeletal muscle database that can replicate all types of exercises, for which Freeletics sports scientists then define the movements. That way, the system can assess whether that squat you just did went low enough.
World-class sabre fencer Olga Kharlan checks her phone
© Yurii Strokan/Red Bull Content Pool
In 2024, Freeletics introduced the Coach+ feature – an AI-powered chatbot with Freeletics expertise and access to anonymised data from over 59m user journeys. Users can ask the virtual coach questions like, “How can I build muscle mass?” or “I feel weak – how can I motivate myself?”
Freeletics is currently testing a version that will allow the app to see you work out. As of April, users have been able to record themselves exercising on their smartphones. “AI counts the reps and gives direct feedback,” Udegbue says. That is particularly helpful because even experienced athletes do not always perform pistol squats or burpees correctly.
Max Verstappen warming up before a F1 race
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
A personal coach was long the preserve of Hollywood actors, top models and CEOs – a highly competent service provider, always available whenever a slot opened up in their client’s busy schedule. They know their clients’ allergies, preferences and weak spots. They always know how to set the pace. Sometimes they’re pushy, sometimes they go easy. They are a mix of therapist, personal assistant and best friend – open 24/7, all major credit cards accepted.
In the soccer world, the manager is often called “boss” – a figure of respect who takes care of the players both on and off the field. A good coach can tell when something is off in a movement – when the person’s mind is elsewhere, or they’re lacking energy. Anyone who has had that person in their life knows that a good coach is worth their weight in gold, which is why there are coaches for everything – careers, relationships, nutrition – and why the idea of a personalised fitness coach is so appealing.
AI has no body or talent. It doesn’t know what it feels like for sweat to run down the skin or for muscles to cramp or for adrenaline to rush through the veins. But it does recognise patterns and make predictions that we humans can use increasingly often and, in the best-case scenario, find out more about ourselves in the process.
High-jump star Mutaz Barshim lifting heavy
© Diaa Amer/Red Bull Content Pool
Mirrors show you how you see yourself. But the Magic AI Mirror promises that you will like what you see if you follow the exercises and tips on the reflective screen. Behind the glass surface is an AI coach who steers your workouts in real time.
Growl goes even deeper into movement detection. The start-up has developed an exercise boxing bag that captures every movement with 3D cameras and Lidar (light detection and ranging) technology. AI corrects your posture or encourages you when your energy decreases.
Whoop’s fitness trackers combine biometric data with generative AI. If you’re wondering when you got your best sleep, you’ll get a precise answer: “On July 14, because the allergy season was over and you didn’t drink alcohol.” You can chat with your body.
Freeletics is also banking on predictive AI. “Soon the system will recognise that user X has had an increased resting heart rate for days, so I won’t suggest high-intensity exercises,” says Udegbue.
The vision all companies are working on is a multimodal coach: AI that unlocks information – biometrics, genetics, video, training history – and conveys it intuitively to the user. But a perfect coach is more than just an algorithm. Researchers are working on reinforcement learning systems that set individual step goals that are challenging but achievable, and adapt whenever progress has been made.
Training is possible anywhere
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
“We will not be able to deliver on the promise of absolute personalisation for the mass market,” Eskofier says. But before you lose hope, you should know what he means by personalisation.
His laboratory supports, among other people, Sebastian Steudtner, the big wave surfer and world record holder. To do this, they measured his body in an MRI scanner, carried out psychological assessments, calculated strength curves and even fitted his surfboard and wetsuit with sensors.
Eskofier’s team created Steudtner’s digital twin. By the time the project concluded in May 2025, their AI system could already discuss with a real coach what angle Steudtner should surf a 100-foot wave at, and whether he’d be strong enough to do it.
No equipment, no excuses – embrace the simplicity of pure movement
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
“We can’t offer that service to millions of people,” Eskofier says. “But these systems can still create real added value.” He believes AI coaches are a good base: “AI can take over data processing and routine personalisation, while real coaches can focus on mentoring.”
AI coaches are getting smarter all the time, too, which is why it’s important to know what they can and can’t do. Limited data sets can lead to bias if too few women or people of below-average height are represented in the data.
“No matter how good the technology gets, one thing will never change,” says Udegbue. “A coach can only make you better if you want to be better yourself, too.” It’s all in your hands.
Credit: René Ramos/Lifehacker/ZaZa studio/Adobe Stock/Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment/Vadym Kalitnyk/iStock/Getty Images
I have a love-hate relationship with the smartwatch on my wrist. This relationship is no doubt shaped by the fact that I write about fitness tech for a living, but I know I’m not alone in succumbing to an obsession with numbers from my wearables. Did I hit 10,000 steps? What’s my resting heart rate today? Is my sleep score better than yesterday’s? When did progressive overload turn into screen time overload, too?
The fitness tech boom is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon—and with it, we consume a constant stream of promises that this data will make us healthier, stronger, and faster. With the sheer amount of health insights potentially available to us at any time, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. I’ve watched my least health-anxious friends become consumed by metrics they’d never heard of two years ago. They’re tracking bone density trends, obsessing over cortisol levels, panicking about stress scores that fluctuate for reasons no algorithm can fully explain. I can feel my fitness trackers pull me away from genuine wellness and into a mental health disaster. The good news: When I look up from my screens and start talking to real people, I see I’m not alone in wanting to unplug and push back against the overly quantified self.
When I put out a call on Instagram asking people about their relationship with posting workout data and fitness content, I received hundreds of responses from people exhausted by the performance of fitness. Even if your only audience is your own reflection, simply owning a wearable can create a real barrier between feeling good about your body and your fitness journey. Did I work out enough today? Will my friends see that I skipped a workout? Should I push through injury to maintain my streak?
For these reasons, celebrity trainer Lauren Kleban says she doesn’t like to rely on wearables at all. “Counting steps or calories can quickly spiral into a bit of an obsession,” says Kleban, and that “takes the joy out of movement and away from learning what’s truly best for us.” She says her clients want to focus on their mind and body connection, now more than ever. There’s a real, growing desire to rebuild a sense of intuition that doesn’t depend on feedback from a watch.
Similarly, Marshall Weber, a certified personal trainer and owner of Jack City Fitness, says that he’s “definitely been surprised by the growing push towards unplugged fitness,” but that he “totally gets it.” Weber says he’s had clients express feeling “overwhelmed with their Fitbit or Apple Watch micromanaging their training.” When every workout becomes about numbers and keeping up with an average, it’s all too easy to lose touch with your body. “The anti-tech movement is about taking back that personal connection,” Weber says. After all, when was the last time you finished a workout and didn’t immediately look at your stats, but instead just noticed how you felt?
This is the paradox at the heart of fitness technology. Tools designed to help us understand our bodies have created a new kind of illiteracy. Maybe you can tell me why you’re aiming for Zone 2 workouts, but can’t actually recognize what that effort feels like without a screen telling you. In a sense, you might be outsourcing your own intuition to algorithms.
If nothing else, the data risks are real. (Because if you think you own all your health data, think again.) Every heart rate spike, every missed workout, every late-night stress indicator gets recorded, stored, and potentially shared. Still, for me, the more insidious risk is psychological: the erosion of our ability to know ourselves without consulting a device first.
What do you think so far?
So what does unplugged fitness actually look like in practice? It’s not about rejecting all technology or pretending GPS watches and heart rate monitors don’t have value—I promise. Look, I crave data and answers as much as—and maybe more than—the average gym-goer. I’m simply not woo-woo enough to ditch my Garmin altogether.
Instead, I argue for re-establishing a hierarchy in which technology serves your training, not the other way around. “Sometimes, the best performance boost is just learning to listen to what your body is saying and feeling,” says Weber. But what does “listening to your body” actually look like?
If you’re like me, and need to rebuild a connection with your body from the ground-up, try these approaches:
Start with tech-free workouts. Designate certain runs, yoga sessions, or strength workouts as completely unplugged. No watch, no phone, no tracking. Notice what changes when there’s no device to check.
Relearn your body’s signals. Can you gauge your effort level without looking at a heart rate monitor? Do you actually know what “recovery pace” feels like for you, or are you just matching a number? Practice assessing fatigue, energy, soreness, and readiness without checking your watch.
Replace metrics with sensory awareness. Instead of tracking pace, notice your breathing pattern. Instead of counting calories burned, pay attention to how your muscles feel. Instead of obsessing over sleep scores, ask yourself a simple question in the morning: how do I actually feel?
Set goals that can’t be gamified. Rather than chasing step counts or streak days, aim for qualitative improvements. Can you hold a plank with better form? Does that hill feel easier than last month? Are you enjoying your workouts more? These are the markers of real progress.
Create tech boundaries. Maybe you use your GPS watch for long runs but leave it home for everything else. Perhaps you track workouts but delete the social features. Find the minimum effective dose of technology that serves your goals without dominating your headspace.
Reconnect with in-person community. The loss of shared gym culture—people actually talking to each other instead of staying plugged into individual screens—represents more than just nostalgia. There’s real value in working out alongside others, in having conversations about training instead of just comparing data, in building knowledge through shared experience rather than algorithm-driven insights.
Unplugging is easier said than done, but you don’t need to go cold turkey. Maybe in the new year, you can set “body literacy” as a worthwhile resolution. At the end of the day, exercise should add to your life, not become another source of performance anxiety. It should be energizing, not exhausting—and I don’t just mean physically. The never-ending irony of modern fitness culture is that in our pursuit of optimal health, we keep inventing new forms of stress and anxiety. When all forms of wellness come with trackable metrics and social pressure, I think we’ve fundamentally missed the point.
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