Mirror, the fitness equipment that's part full-length mirror and part LCD screen, took the home-workout world by storm in early 2019 and has now launched a new, futuristic version of customized fitness: in-home personal training, but without a personal trainer actually in your home.
Until now, Mirror's main offerings included live and on-demand fitness classes from a variety of disciplines, including cardio, kickboxing, Pilates, barre, strength training and more. And while those features were revolutionary as far as home fitness goes -- sayonara, ad-interrupted YouTube videos -- it turns out Mirror has had something even better in the pipeline.
Now, this sleek device offers real-time, one-on-one personal training.
Read more: 3 smart gyms tested and rated: Peloton, ClassPass and Mirror
The device's built-in microphone, speaker and video camera allows your personal trainer to see what you're doing, and vice versa. Mirror's fitness professionals deliver real-time feedback, form corrections, and encouragement, just like a personal trainer in a gym does.
Mirror matches clients with a trainer based on the client's preferred type of workout, coaching style, session length and schedule. Then, Mirror trainers customize each session based on their clients goals, activity preferences and fitness level. During a session, members will see their instructor on the screen, their own form and their biometric data, such as heart rate.
Unlike the live and on-demand classes, personal training sessions with Mirror are much less structured. Clients have the ability to guide the session and ask for different exercises and activities if they aren't enjoying the session programming.
At just $40 per 30-minute session, Mirror's personal training platform is actually less expensive than gym-based personal training, where rates can soar upward of $100 per half-hour session. But combined with Mirror's base price of $1,495 and the $39 monthly fee for access to Mirror's workout classes and platform, you're still paying a lot for fitness.
Mirror offers real-time and on demand workout classes too.
Angela Lang/CNETOne cool thing about the new feature, though, is that additional household members can jump in on a personal training session for no additional cost. At a gym or fitness studio, adding one or more participants to your training session costs extra, often as much as an additional $50 per person per session. Of course, the cost of personal and group training varies based on your location and what gym you go to, but Mirror's offer is an added bonus.
Why personal training? For Mirror, it's a way to encourage even the busiest of people to commit to their fitness.
"We're democratizing premium fitness experiences and giving access to the best trainers, no matter where you live or how busy your schedule may be," Brynn Putnam, founder and chief executive officer of Mirror, said in a press release.
Mirror's personal training feature also offers opportunities for professional fitness trainers and specialized instructors to grow their businesses -- they can reach more clients without the constraints of geography or time.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.