Digital fitness has changed how we stay healthy—from how we get our heart rates up when we exercise to how we slow them down as we catch some ZZZs. In addition to making things easier for customers, this pivot from fitness belonging solely in posh city studios to literally anywhere there’s Wi-Fi reception has helped trainers and entrepreneurs expand their reach and find new ways to interact with their clients.

“By keeping training virtual, people still get the same workout they would in person,” says founder and fitness trainer Allegra Paris. “With lower price points, I’ve been able to reach more people and make fitness more attainable to someone like the mom who just had a baby and can’t get to a class.” 

This expansion of reach has created a big boom in the fitness industry. Market segment projections estimate that digital fitness will reach $19.30 billion in 2023, according to Statista, and revenue is estimated to grow another 6.49 percent by 2027. Prior to 2020, the market was just hitting $11 billion and, in just three years, has nearly doubled its massive reach. 

How are trainers capitalizing on the technology at hand to prioritize their clients and have their fitness content go further? We talked to three trainers to find out just that—keep scrolling for their insights.

Allegra Paris

Armed with a business degree, Paris decided that she could combine her education with her interests to become a fitness instructor. She was on the fly from New York to Miami to Los Angeles to train her clients, but when COVID-19 hit, she took her personal training virtual and scaled her business up. “Going virtual gave me my physical health back,” Paris says. “I was running around New York City, going from client to client, trying to fit everyone in. Now, I am able to get workouts to more people and virtual training allows me to have a lower price point for everyone.”

Today, clients can do her beloved sculpting workouts and track their progress via her app. Still, Paris is excited to see the fitness tech industry continue to evolve and access new, cutting-edge features that can help her better track each client, like the ZOZOFIT 3D body scan app – used with the wearable ZOZOSUIT. “Previously, it might take a few months to really get to know a client and their needs, but new tech options like ZOZOFIT are changing the game,” she says. 

Tracking minute progress from the get-go can boost motivation and accountability early on and change the client’s mindset of what progress is, while showing Allegra real change in increments as small as ¼ inch. 

“This makes my job more efficient and productive as I am truly able to make sure my clients are progressing and seeing results,” Allegra says. 

Both the client and Allegra will also simultaneously utilize the hands-on app that features a precise 3D body scan for each user in less than two minutes, producing ten key body measurements. This eliminates both the human error of measuring and inaccurate scales, and allows clients to visualize goals in a new way. 

“I’ll be able to get information about my clients body fat and measurements that I might not have been able to accurately get before,” Allegra says. “This makes my job more efficient and productive as I am truly able to make sure my clients are progressing and seeing results.” 

Not to mention, the feeling both she and her clients will get from seeing those measurements change even if training remotely. Allegra says she is excited to accurately obtain this information, track it with each training, and be able to guarantee they'll see progress and results. The hyper-focused details make troubleshooting problem areas easier, leading to results from a motivated client. Starting a client in the suit from the get-go, she explains, is opening up a whole new chapter. 

“I am excited to start out a new client wearing the suit,” Paris says. “Now, I have to take a few months to fully get to know each client and fully understand them. Having this at the introductory is really cool.” 

While she grows her business and community, she will continue adding new and innovative ways to stay connected. “ I think everyone should have equal access to training,” she says.

Cleopatra Lee

Cleopatra Lee, trainer and founder of Cleopatra’s Army, is reshaping health and wellness for women of color. “What pushed me to create Cleopatra’s Army was growing up in Harlem, I noticed a lack of wellness initiatives,” she says. “There needed to be more well-rounded opportunities for people of color and especially women to focus on their own health. That is what really pushed me to start Cleopatra’s Army.” 

Lee found her footing in high school, posting her track outfits, and she extended this reach post-grad to further fitness. “If I can platform myself looking cute, I can use that attention and shift that focus to health and wellness.” Today, Lee says what motivates her is the community she has created. “It’s what keeps me going,” she says. “I get to spend a lot of time around a lot of different women with a common goal, and helping them reach their health and wellness goals motivates me.”

Her community is anchored in connection. They utilize accountability chats, the website forum, and even an Instagram chat to keep each other focused on their well-being. “Following up and checking on people is one of the most important parts of the business,” she says. “It lets them know you are there.” 

She plans to utilize the ZOZOFIT to take that interactive feature and connection to the next level.  “You can track even the body fat percentage along with the measurements,” she says, which helps her clients stay in tune with their goals. “​​Having access to the ZOZOFIT gives my clients direct access to monitor themselves without a Cleopatra’s Army trainer being present.”

Cleopatra’s Army is rooted in providing wellness opportunities for minority groups, and while the tech industry continues to evolve, high price tags can price some clients out. ZOZOFIT, however, democratizes fitness in new ways by offering precise, high-tech tools for under $100, a piece that aligns with Cleopatra’s values and with her training approach. 

“Cleopatra’s Army is dedicated to making wellness more accessible to minority groups, and accessibility requires affordability,” she says. “ZOZOFIT being well priced creates opportunities for more people to benefit from this new fitness/technology crossover.” 

Beyond the price point, the tech can also be utilized by anyone who has a phone, bringing fitness and training to their fingertips.“Our ‘Army Bratz’ will have access to new tech that can help them picture their fitness goals and share their progress,” Cleopatra says. And not to mention, the ZOZOFIT app comes with a free subscription and unlimited scans. As new fitness technology like ZOZOFIT and more help her provide new ways to reach her growing army, this is just the beginning. 

From apparel and workouts to forums and events, Lee and her army are changing the fitness industry. 

Sami Clarke

Sami Clarke, trainer and creator of FORM, an online digital fitness platform, describes her training style as relatable and tangible for those on the go. “When I moved to LA, I started playing with different workouts and finding my routine and my groove,” she says. “As I started to travel and talk to other women, we connected on finding the enjoyment of moving our bodies  and it not being a chore.” 

In 2016 when Instagram added the Stories feature to the platform, Clarke saw an opportunity to share insights into this movement-as-pleasure model. “I realized this was my time to share what I am passionate about, and I was passionate about really taking care of myself,” she says. She began by sharing her workouts, what she was eating, and what her day looked like—and it resonated with her followers. From there, she began curating 30-minute workouts for free on Instagram Live and YouTube.

As the pandemic sent everyone looking for ways to stay active while remaining apart, Clarke had a greater realization. She founded FORM after seeing the ease with which anyone could participate, modify, and use her workouts. “It is an inviting welcoming workout that is 30 minutes,” Clarke explains of the hybrid HIIT and Pilates workout. 

Looking ahead, Clarke is excited to continue to expand FORM. The brand just launched nutrition on its site and Clarke is continuing to look for ways to use technology to deepen her connection with her clients on the app and in forums. “I feel like the tech is allowing us to communicate with our audience and not feel far away,” she says. In the meantime, she is just excited to see how small actions can have huge impacts on the FORM community.