Technology for Virtual Fitness TRANSFORMING FROM GROUP EXERCISE TO VIDEO PRODUCTION By Matt Eckstein, CTS-D, AE Design & Robert McDonald, NCARB, LEED AP, CEO/Architect, OLC
Recreation centers have traditionally served as places of connection for a community, combining social activities with fitness and recreation to strengthen community ties and improve the lifestyles of millions of Americans. Most of these centers include some sort of group exercise studios that were designed to host groups of people all exercising together, but like many markets they have had a sudden disruption to a core tenant of the service: the ability to meet in groups in person. For now, many recreation centers have hastily arranged digital events, Zoom workouts, group/simultaneous runs using whatever means available to them, with the results varying from amateurish to semiprofessional. But some are looking further into the future than the current crisis and planning for a renaissance following the pandemic age. While it is important to open back up to in-person workouts as soon as possible, future-proofing an in-person and online hybrid model is critical to long term success. If we can create events and workouts that can work both in-person and on-line, we can also reach community
members who may not have been able to visit in-person due to their schedule, geography, or physical limitations.
have some of this equipment installed in your space.
Livestreaming, conferencing, and instantfeedback technology will only continue to be integral to the way that we live, work, and recreate. The upside is it’s also becoming cheaper and easier to implement into already existing spaces, and the quality can go up with just a few upgrades.
Technology Upgrades All of this technology doesn’t mean hiring a full-time production crew, but can be designed and set-up by a skilled technology designer to be user friendly through the use of presets, scenes, and simple user interfaces. This person should be able to assess your needs, work with your budget to find the needed hardware, and to customize the software as needed. A quick way to upgrade your digital presence include a computer, a camera such as a Huddly or Vaddio USB camera, a reliable internet connection, and a small microphone system, such as a Shure SLX-D wireless system with a headset microphone, or a Fitness Audio microphone system. It’s likely that you may even
To further increase production value, consider automatic camera controllers that allow multiple camera angles based on where the teacher is in the room, and a video capture card. This allows for flexible room setups and plug-and-play live streaming. And don’t forget your audio capture and mixing. For hybrid classes with music, allowing for the soundtrack in the room to be streamed over the internet live stream, but ducked under the instructor’s voice is a small but powerful feature that can take your class to a more professional level.
Soft codec-based live streams (the technical term for services like Zoom) could come with a small class fee; just as you would for a virtual class through a university. As the revenue stream from these classes increases, you can use some of the funds to continue to improve the technology and your Huddly IQ production value. As you ramp up your technology offerings, do consider your content. The days of broadcasting to a passive audience are quickly coming to an end, and interactivity and participation are critical. Capitalizing on technology that allows participants to share their progress and experience can make anyone feel included no matter where they are. One of the exciting things in a spin class is the competition on the leaderboard. Peloton, a popular home-cycling system, and other similar products use technology that reports back to the instructor’s dashboard about their class’s progress/statistics, but that concept can be applied to recreation center clients with simple technology like Wahoo Fitness sensors which can report stats back to the live instructor. Don’t forget to add some lightheartedness and novelty. Goat yoga is unusually popular, and a fun new internet trend is for goats to join web conferences with the appropriately named GoatToMeeting. Why not combine the two, and offer a
22 • Colorado Byline | Summer 2020
