by
Greg Margason
| Dec 18, 2024
As you look around your home, you may spot devices like smartphones, tablets, smart TVs or even fitness tools like a smart gym, a smart soccer ball, or a virtual reality exercise bike. These devices not only keep us connected or entertained but also transform how we approach health and fitness. Moreover, these fall under mobile health (mHealth), defined as the integration of mobile health technologies with advancements in smart sensors, 5G communication systems, Web 2.0 functionalities, cloud computing and social networking technologies, all aimed at delivering personalized, client-centered health care services. mHealth has made integrating healthy habits into daily life easier and more accessible than ever before.
Wearable Technologies
In the United Sates, most adults don’t meet the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week. Studies often highlight the potential of wearables and apps for promoting physical activity. Wearables like Apple or Garmin watches and associated apps can help track physical activity, sleep and calories burned in real time, which could be foundational to motivate users to set and achieve health goals. Fitness trackers and apps, for example, can help users stay engaged with their goals, optimize health outcomes by motivating sustainable behavior changes, and offer scalable, cost-effective solutions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
mHealth and wearable technologies are increasingly leveraging AI and big data to create personalized fitness plans tailored to individual needs, such as daily activity levels, sleep, mood and body weight. By the end of this decade, the AI market is expected to grow exponentially, influencing everything from medical diagnoses to fitness tracking. Fitness apparatuses such as Tonal and smart mirrors are AI-driven devices that offer personalized fitness plans for home use. Fitness apps integrated with wearables like Fitbit use AI to personalize exercise prescriptions. For example, certain apps combine real-time activity data, physical condition and user preferences to create tailored workout plans. By leveraging reinforcement learning or deep learning, AI-driven technologies can provide dynamic feedback, helping users stay motivated and consistent.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are among the most exciting technologies in health promotion. VR creates fully immersive digital environments, whereas AR overlays virtual elements onto the real world. Games like FitXR, Supernatural Fitness, Pokémon Go and Zombies Run have shown how these tools can encourage physical activity through fun, engaging experiences. While still in their early stages, VR and AR, with their interactive features and components, are set to revolutionize fitness and health promotion, blending entertainment with movement to help people stay active.
Health Hubs
Health promotion, however, isn’t limited to individual devices. Digital health hubs are emerging as a complement to traditional fitness clubs. These encompass key components such as designing and implementing training programs, tracking client progress, managing nutrition, enabling in-app payments, engaging clients and offering rewards. Apps like BetterYou and Virgin Pulse exemplify this approach by creating comprehensive platforms where users can set health goals, track progress, participate in group challenges and receive incentives for achieving wellness milestones.
For example, BetterYou collaborates with institutions like the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to integrate with other apps, engage employees and provide a centralized platform for tracking wellness habits. Similarly, Virgin Pulse partners with organizations and universities like the University of Minnesota and Arizona State University to access to employer-provided fitness and wellness resources, offer features such as fitness and wellness tracking, and facilitate personalized health consultations (e.g., health coaching, nutrition coaching). It also provides monetary rewards for completing a specific number of gym visits per month and compensation in health care credits for achieving annual points-based goals provided by health insurance companies. These platforms not only enhance accountability but also motivate users through personalized health management and tangible rewards.
Building a Healthier Future
While emerging technology offers new ways to promote physical activity and health, challenges remain. Hundreds of wearables and apps are available, but their long-term effectiveness is still under study. Questions linger about how well these mHealth programs help users increase physical activity, lose weight or sustain fitness goals over time. Scalability may be limited and driven by large corporations, and safety and cybersecurity are critical issues that must still be resolved. Importantly, technology alone cannot drive behavior change. Successful implementation depends on thoughtful program design, collaboration among health professionals with end users and removal of barriers like cost and accessibility.
mHealth and its innovations align with a broader shift in health care from reactive treatment to preventive care. By leveraging the “Internet of Health Things” like wearables, apps, AI and VR/AR, health professionals can proactively monitor and optimize clients’ physical activity and overall well-being. Real-time data allow for personalized fitness plans and early interventions, potentially preventing the onset of chronic disease or slowing their progression.
The integration of emerging technologies in fitness and health holds immense promise. By combining fitness wearables, mobile apps, AI and VR/AR, we can create mHealth programs that encourage more active lifestyles, reduce sedentary behavior and improve long-term health outcomes. However, to fully harness their potential, these tools must be thoughtfully designed, accessible and supported by strong partnerships across industries, researchers and end user communities.
As technology continues to advance, it offers unprecedented opportunities to transform physical activity promotion. When implemented effectively, the mHealth programs can empower individuals to lead more active lives, creating a healthier and more connected global population.

Zan Gao, PhD, FACSM, is the department head and professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he also directs the Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory. He is a member of the ACSM’s Diversity Action Committee and an internationally recognized expert on lifestyle behavior interventions using emerging technologies, including VR, fitness wearables and mobile apps. Dr. Gao has authored or co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and published an edited book titled Technology in Promoting Physical Activity and Health. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology and the co-founder of a mobile technology company developing the precision exercise prescription app sFitRx.

Fang Yu, PhD, is a professor, Edson Chair in Dementia Translational Nursing Science, and director of the Roybal Center for Older Adults Living Alone with Cognitive Decline at Arizona State University’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation. Her research focuses on exercise and lifestyle interventions to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease and fosters the training and education of students, postdocs and faculty. Her research findings have been broadly disseminated via journals and a book titled Alzheimer’s Rx: Aerobic Exercise. Dr. Yu is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of the America and the American Academy of Nursing.