This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they’re going to change your life. Optimizer arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 10AM ET. Opt in for Optimizer here.
This time last year, I’d cut 16 minutes off my four-mile run time, was lifting three to four times a week, and had lost 10 pounds after a consistent six months of training. I felt amazing. Then life happened.
A year later, I haven’t run more than a 5K in three months, I gained back those 10 pounds from stress, and have been beset by injuries, illnesses, and other health concerns. Much of this was due to factors outside my control. Frustrated, a month ago I decided to lock in while testing three fitness AI coaches and plans: Fitbit’s AI health coach, Peloton IQ, and Runna. I’d try them out while training for a 5K race to see if I could improve my time, which had slipped over the last year from 31 minutes to 38 to 40 minutes.
In short, I ran that 5K race last week. I improved my time by a whole five minutes. After I told all three AI to take a hike.
I’m not universally against AI coaching in health and fitness apps. The data slog is often overwhelming. As a lifelong overachiever, it’s a constant journey to recognize and accept my limits. Having an intelligent guide to check me when I’m being unrealistic or falling into a negative mindset is — in theory — a good idea. The reality, however, is never quite that simple.
The pitch with these coaches is that they can demystify training and personalize it to your individual circumstances. When you set these trainers up, you tell the AI a certain goal of yours — to lose weight, improve fitness, run a distance within a certain time, or some other variation of that. With chatbots like Fitbit’s AI coach, you can tell it other details, like “I’m starting new medications” or “I’m prone to shin splints and have access to a Peloton Bike.” Theoretically, this helps the AI better customize its recommendations.
In theory, I like some of what Fitbit’s AI health coach attempts. In practice, it’s so easy to bully into submission. Photo: Victoria Song / The Verge
For instance, Fitbit’s AI suggested that since I was coming back from a two-week illness, I should incorporate gentle bike rides, walks, and steady-state Zone 2 runs to ease back into things. It generated a program with three workouts per week. Not bad.
Peloton IQ, however, was a bit more loosey-goosey. I had to do three workouts to unlock AI insights, and in the meantime, suggestions were based on previous workout history from four years ago. Meanwhile, Runna’s AI-generated plans were more or less based on a survey. After certain workouts based on pace, it might adjust your targets or give advice. If you’re sick, traveling, or injured, it’s on you to tell the app.
First, these AI features don’t hold you accountable. It’s so easy to fib your way into extended rest. If you want tough love, you’ve got to tell the AI that’s what you want. Even then, you can always disable that in settings if the AI gets on your nerves. Say you’re feeling a smidge tired but could still exercise. You tell the AI, “I’m tired today.” What you might need to hear is, “Just get out the door, see how you feel, and quit early if needed.” Instead, you’ll likely hear, “Oh, that’s okay, be gentle with yourself and take an extra rest day!”
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