Keep moving – this is how health can be maintained well into old age. Together with partner organizations, Salzburg Research showed in a large field test how smart technology can support and motivate the 55+ generation.
Challenge
Motion is the key to health. That is why maintaining or improving personal fitness into old age is important. How can older people be supported who do not want to go to the fitness center but want to train independently and healthily at home?
Solution
Austrian research institutions and companies developed “Fit mit ILSE”, an innovative, technology-based and sport-science-based exercise program for at home and on the go. With a combination of personal support and new technologies, the 55+ generation can maintain or improve their fitness.
ILSE was specially developed for people who do not want to go to a fitness center, but want to practice independently at home and still value professional support. A personal coach developed an individual exercise program for each fitness level of the participants. With the help of a tablet and their own television, people were able to practice independently at home.
With the help of a 3D camera connected to a TV set, users could check for themselves whether they were performing the movements correctly. For example, the 3D camera alerted you if you were not balanced during an exercise.
In 2019 and 2020, extensive field tests with over 200 participants took place in Salzburg and Vienna.
Benefit
The sports science evaluation of the field tests shows: ILSE works. Participants who have used ILSE at home for at least 14 weeks have become fitter. The subjective sitting times were reduced and the perceived fitness of the participants increased. In addition, the participants experienced themselves as more self-effective in the sense of more effectively overcoming barriers that previously stood in the way of their physical activity.
Video about the project with testimonials from test subjects:
A business model for the future was developed during the project. Two partner organizations developed both a model for end users and a B2B model.
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