It would be useful to see the counter view to this. I’m fully onboard with the role of digital in health & fitness (Strava, meditation apps, run trackers, HRMs, cycle navs) but I do feel some concerns about the idea that you need hardware and a group to exercise. There’s proven and significant mental & physical health benefits in getting outdoors, experiencing the outside world whilst exercising, sometimes alone. The idea of a ‘smart treadmill’ feels limiting to me — not to mention that even smart treadmills don’t adequately replicate the physical benefit you get from running on outdoor terrain.

As for democratisation, I’d like to see more people realising that getting fit can simply involve putting on your running shoes and opening the front door — it’s cheap (almost free), liberating and you can do it anywhere. ParkRun is a brilliant example of how it can be highly social and motivating too. Cycling is not dissimilar, just the kit is a bit more expensive!

I’m definitely pro-tech in health, I just wonder whether Peloton and similar services are ‘healthy’ in the widest sense?