The Data Problem Isn’t Volume

Members can now collect more data than they may know what to do with: heart rate, calories, time in zone, recovery metrics. The issue is not access; it is interpretation.

“Data is only valuable if members can understand and act on it,” Kovacs says. “The difference is interpretation and context.”

Facilities that succeed with connected cardio tend to focus on a small number of meaningful metrics tied directly to outcomes members care about: energy levels, performance improvements, recovery trends. Facilities that fail often overwhelm members with dashboards and charts that lack explanation.

“When members don’t understand what a metric means or how to improve it, it becomes noise rather than motivation,” Kovacs says.

Staff education plays a critical role here. Technology can capture and display data, but humans still need to translate it into guidance that members trust.

Technology as a Bridge, Not a Barrier

Staffing challenges have reshaped club operations in recent years. Floor trainers are less common. Personal trainers are often stretched thin. Many members train alone, unsure how to progress or when to ask for help.

Connected cardio can help fill that gap without replacing human interaction.

“Technology handles measurement,” Kovacs says. “Coaches handle interpretation, motivation, and accountability.”

Kolman agrees, noting that connected systems can guide members while also surfacing opportunities for staff engagement. “We have to deliver a solution that can live on its own, but it has to still be something that humans can engage with,” he says.

In practice, that means using data and prompts to identify when a member may be ready for coaching support, which can help boost revenue and member success, rather than trying to automate the entire experience.

Why Adoption Has Lagged

If connected cardio offers so much potential, why hasn’t it been widely embraced?

Kolman points to a familiar pattern. “Traditionally, our industry has viewed this as a sales tool,” he says. “How do I get more people in the door?”

Without a clear strategy for integration, education, and usage, connected equipment becomes underutilized. Members see screens, but not purpose. Staff see features, but not workflows.

Kovacs sees the same issue from a different angle. “The most common mistake is leading with technology instead of strategy,” he says. “A better approach is to start with outcomes.”

What behaviors should change? What problems should be solved? What experiences should improve? Technology should support those goals, not dictate them.

Looking Ahead

Connected cardio will not transform club floors overnight. Costs, education, and culture all influence adoption. But expectations are shifting.

Younger members already live in connected ecosystems. They track workouts, recovery, sleep, and health across platforms. Fragmented experiences feel outdated to them.

Kolman believes the shift is inevitable. “I think, five years from now, that connected experience will be more ubiquitous,” he says. “There are too many things at play for it not to be.”

The cardio floor of the future is unlikely to look like rows of machines lined up for passive use. Instead, it may resemble a performance and health hub that adapts to the individual and seamlessly integrates with coaching, strength training, and recovery.

Cardio is not reclaiming its old role; it’s stepping into a new one.