As we continue to gain information online about health and fitness, it becomes increasingly easier to access personalized workout plans, however, with AI rapidly dominating the internet sphere it is difficult to find information that is not reliant on AI. There are a multitude of AI “personal trainers” and health tracking products that have had an AI “coach” implemented.
Unlike personal trainers, AIs are available 24/7 and are mostly free, and appear to be helpful with training goals and recommendations based on trackable progress. There are also multiple downsides. From being unable to give feedback, to being useless, to being overbearing, AIs can have several negative consequences compared to a more standard personal trainer.
What Are The Benefits of A Personal Trainer Compared To AI?
Firstly, when compared to a traditional personal trainer, AIs are unable to provide meaningful feedback. This is because a trainer that is physically present can offer you constructive criticism that will allow you to improve. For example, if your form is wrong, or if you are over-exerting yourself and aren’t benefitting as much as you could, an AI cannot assist you; only someone that has been trained to spot you can really tell you that. If you are feeling tired, or are just in need of a chat, a personal trainer can add a personal and understanding touch.
Secondly, personal trainers have the advantage of being human. There are many reported cases of a fitness AI being really strict in a way that punishes beginners. There are multiple examples of gyms offering in-home personal training too. So for if you feel more comfortable exercising in your own home, this would be a great example. In person training will be more realistic about expectations and results.
For example, if you set yourself a goal to lose 10 kilograms in a month, a personal trainer might tell you your goal is challenging and is inadvisable for beginners, but an AI would accept it and draft a plan it claims will achieve your goal. However, when you fall behind, it will push you harder to achieve your goal, even if it is dangerous for your health. Such as increasing the number of days it originally instructed you to train, or encourages you to spend hours training with no rest. There exists the opposite effect with AI, in which it will be overly positive and servile towards the user, constantly agreeing and never offering criticism. If you skip an exercise, it is ‘a vital break for your own good’, if you switch out the exercise, it will be ‘a bold innovation’. This is especially seen in the bigger AI models such as ChatGPT and Gemini – since their goal is to maximize the time spent with the AI unlike personal trainers, whose main goal is to help you. On the other hand, a personal trainer will not push you beyond their assessment of what you can do. They will also understand if you are tired or need rest and will modify your workout as needed. This has deeper consequences as well. Our perception of our body affects our mental health, and interacting with an AI that is either laissez-faire, which means less results, or, shames you for not working out enough. Neither of these situations will result in a positive mental space and will eventually deter the person from working out.
Ultimately, AI can never replace personal trainers, and trying to do so has proven to result in some negative side effects. Due to the way AI is coded, its main focus is not centered on making you healthier, or getting to know you so that they can help you achieve your goal, but rather, its main focus is to flatter you for further engagement with the model. This can cause you to be disappointed by your results, (if you get any) or push you towards an unclear health plan that causes bodily harm or permanent damage. If you want to work out and achieve the results you want, investing in a personal trainer will help you do just that!