Online Fitness and 5G – with Emma Willox.

The closure of gyms, swimming pools, yoga spaces and pilates studios due to health and safety precautions meant that our fitness fanatic country had to find new ways to get their workout buzz. While gyms are beginning to reopen across the country, the landscape of the fitness industry has shifted dramatically and online workout classes and personal training are likely here to stay.

For customers in Optus 5G coverage areas, the increased speed and bandwidth provided by Optus 5G will make the online fitness experience smoother, meaning you can get your sweat on without missing a beat. Optus 5G spoke with Emma Willox, a certified pilates instructor and personal trainer, about the shift to online fitness and how 5G will help online fitness to become a permanent fixture in our lives.

Emma recently shifted her face to face pilates and personal training business online in order to offer her clients “safety, continuity & convenience in ways that the traditional teaching experience cannot”. Shifting to online has had its perks for Emma, such as no longer having to battle Melbourne traffic and having no issues finding a parking spot before class. However, Emma also admits that shifting from a face to face business into the online world has come with it’s challenges. Emma says that typically, no one has much equipment at home. So she created ‘pilates starter packs’ for her clients, designed for remote instructing, with minimal equipment required, making her online zoom classes accessible for everyone.

Emma has also struggled with the limited capabilities of current video conferencing technology. During a typical video class Emma is unable to see all her clients in full view and she is unable to monitor their form or technique. Without these clear views Emma says she “is unable to see where adjustments to a client’s form are required. I am also unable to make physical adjustments to my client’s form via video” which is a major challenge. This is where 5G could help shape the future of online fitness classes. The increased bandwidth of the 5G network could allow for live fitness classes to take place in with a high definition 360 degree view of participants so that instructors like Emma can make sure that her client’s form and technique is on point at all times.

The increased bandwidth of the 5G network would also allow instructors like Emma to run their classes at any time of the day without having to worry about the quality of their network connection. Emma says that network quality is “very important when coaching clients to ensure a clear connection to facilitate nuances in communication”. Currently Emma runs her classes, which are comprised of Traditional Pilates, Dynamic Pilates and a Stretch and Release class, on Weekdays between 7am and Midday. Network quality is typically higher at this time due to lowered amounts of online traffic congestion.

For trainers like Emma and her clients living in Optus 5G coverage areas, 5G will also allow for new and exciting tech capabilities which could be used to enhance the online fitness experience. Augmented reality could be used during online workout classes to project real-time statistics, such as a client’s heart rate, onto the screen. We might also see VR workouts come to life. Emma is excited about the 5G future of online fitness noting that it could be a “great addition to online workouts” which will allow for “people to stay connected and feel part of a team as they can really motivate and encourage each other”

In the future, Emma, and other online fitness businesses, will continue to leverage online to grow her business. This means that the increased capabilities of 5G are more important than ever to support small business and ensure our communities are staying healthy.

Optus 5G rolling out in selected areas. Not available in NT or TAS.

About Emma Willox:

Emma is a certified Pilate’s instructor and Personal Trainer, completing her Pilate’s teacher training in Sydney in 2010. Through her extensive education & experience, she is able to see firsthand the benefits of combining Strength Training with Pilates, working the muscles in very different ways with each style complimenting the other.

With a trainer background, she uses her distinctive style to offer challenging and creative variations on traditional Pilate’s exercises including flowing sequences that challenge both the body and the mind.

Emma is currently studying her Wellness Coaching and is a mentor to many starting out in the Health and Wellness industry.

Visit Emma here