(Toronto, July 9 2026) JMIR Publications released a feature News and Perspectives story on AI fitness advice in its News and Perspectives section. In " Should AI Be Your Personal Trainer? ", JMIR Correspondent Anna Zucker covers the growing use of AI chatbots for personal fitness programs.
The Pros of Using AI for Personal Training…
Personal training can support and motivate physical activity, benefiting clients' health—but it's not cheap. Free or low-cost AI chatbots like ChatGPT, which use data from scholarly sources and online content created by human fitness professionals, can be used to generate training programs, "help[ing] democratize fitness knowledge, especially for people in resource-limited settings," writes Zucker. She reports on two studies which compared ChatGPT and human fitness professionals when, in one study, answering fitness questions; and in the other, creating a personalized fitness program. Both studies found ChatGPT to match or outperform the fitness professionals.
…And The Cons
"Access to fitness knowledge," writes Zucker, "may not be the same as access to fitness coaching." The degree of nuance required in helping clients stay motivated, work around injuries, and safely push their limits requires continuous monitoring and communication—not to mention visual and tactical judgment—according to JMIR's sources, which includes multiple runners; physical therapist and owner of ReMove Rehab and Performance Katy Vieira; and personal trainer and rehab specialist Steven Kane.
Striking A Balance
Can we have it both ways? Zucker reports on a recent validation study of MediaPipe Pose, an AI model which can analyze real-time smartphone video to estimate body position and movement. Though the study found that the model achieved 97.2% accuracy in estimating human movement, its authors cautioned that it can't fully replace human professionals' comprehensive clinical judgement and support, instead recommending a hybrid model using "AI for daily guidance and certified professionals for regular check-ins," writes Zucker. This model—combining the low cost of AI tools with the professional expertise of human trainers—could potentially allow for a wider reach of quality, personalized fitness advice.
Please cite as:
Zucker A. Should AI Be Your Personal Trainer?
J Med Internet Res 2026;28:e106128
URL: https://www.jmir.org/2026/1/e106128
doi: 10.2196/106128
About JMIR Publications News and Perspectives
JMIR Publications is a leading open access publisher of digital health research. The News and Perspectives section is the newest addition to its portfolio, established to bring the rigor and integrity of academic publishing to scientific journalism. The section features well-researched, expert-driven content from the Scientific News Editor, Kayleigh-Ann Clegg, PhD, and a network of specialist JMIR Publications Correspondents to keep the digital health community informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve.
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