The New Personal Trainer? Can AI Really Help You Lose Weight and Be Fit?

BY DR. SONEZ BARNARD
Jul 1
5 min read

We live in an age where AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a part of our daily lives. And while some are still sceptical, there are others who claim to be leveraging this tool as the ultimate hack for upgrading their lives. In the fitness and health industries, numerous AI-powered tools are at our disposal, promising to change the way we approach these areas of our lives without needing to sign up with a trainer or nutritionist, as you would traditionally have done.

But the rise of these tools raise many questions in the minds of users: Is AI really capable of managing your fitness goals, much like a coach or fitness trainer would? If so, is it able to do so reliably?

As it is still relatively “early days” for artificial intelligence, perhaps the most important question should be: To what extent could AI help you understand and take charge of your own health and fitness journey?

As a medical doctor with over 10 years of experience in fitness and wellness, I explored how AI can be used effectively as a tool to support healthier, smarter workouts

Can You Get Personalised Training Plans Without a Personal Trainer?

In both the medical and fitness industries, there has been a reliance on a one-size-fits-all approach for a long time. This is even more evident in the generic advice returned when enlisting a Google search to help address your fitness concerns.

This is something that AI has the potential to change, and many believe that it has given the general public access to a more individualised approach, without needing to sign up with a personal trainer or a dietician.

Before exploring these possibilities, it is important to familiarise yourself with what AI is, how it works, and what its potential and limitations are.

What is AI?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a set of technologies that enable computers to perform a variety of advanced functions, including the ability to see, understand and translate spoken and written language, analyze data, make recommendations, and more.

In simple terms, AI is exactly what the name suggests. It is an artificially created intelligence.

This differs greatly from a service like Google, which is a search engine. Search engines retrieved information from an extensive database in response to a certain input, or keywords.

AI is vastly different. An AI search, if given the correct input (or “prompts”) will take all the information given to it, will interpret and analyse it, and will return personalised and specific results. AI-powered chatbots (like ChatGPT and Grok) are built to think, problem-solve and rationalise much in the same manner that humans do.

But just how good is this artificially created intelligence really, and is it able to do all it promises in a real-world application?

How Smart is AI Really?

Traditionally, health and fitness professionals have built their expertise through years of hands-on practice. That clinical and coaching experience allows them to spot individual patterns and adapt their recommendations with precision—ensuring each plan truly fits the person, not just the trend. While health and fitness professionals share similar formal training, their ability to link pattern-recognition to the application of an effective outcome, is what distinguishes successful practitioners.

The AI systems that are used in the health and fitness domains, similarly rely on data interpretation, and also employ pattern-recognition strategies. While a human expert might rely on the experience gained working with hundreds of clients, AI draws insights from millions of datasets, enabling it to deduce a personalised plan based on statistical patterns and proven outcomes.

However, as artificial intelligence tools continue to evolve, questions remain about its ability to replicate, or even surpass, human expertise.

Is AI Able to Interpret Prompts Well Enough to Give Valuable Feedback?

As with most things in life, output is highly dependent on input. When using AI chatbots, this becomes especially important. Designed to interpret language in a way that is similar to human intelligence, artificial intelligence will not give meaningful feedback to superficial requests.

However, with a detailed and goal-directed input, AI tools generate meaningful output that is similar to that of a fitness professional, tailored to you as an individual.

Putting AI to the Test—Insights from a Health and Fitness Expert

To understand how effective AI can be in creating personalized fitness guidance, I approached it the same way I would a consultation with a real professional. I provided detailed information about my daily habits, including my snacking patterns, work schedule, fitness goals, and previous training experience.

I also highlighted my current weight, desired outcomes, specific challenges I face, such as how long work shifts often disrupt not only my eating schedule but also my workout routine. With this information, I prompted the AI chatbot—and the responses were surprisingly tailored, addressing my concerns with structured, thoughtful solutions.

A Guide to Using AI for Fitness: How to Get Smarter, More Personalised Results

To get accurate and personalized results from an AI tool, the first step is to be as clear and specific as possible about your needs and goals. Approach your prompt like you would approach a consultant with a health or fitness professional. What details would they need to know about you, to help you in the best possible way?

6 Key Details to Include in Your AI Fitness Prompt

Your Expectations: Clearly describe your intentions and your expectations. For instance, you could start with: “I want you to completely manage my fitness and weight loss journey in the same way a coach and trainer would”. Also tell the bot that you want to create a training plan weekly, and to adapt and change the plan weekly, based on your feedback or progress. Include additional requirements from the bot, such as the need for an eating plan tailored to your needs and with the option to make food swaps when required.

Your Profile: Include your age, gender, current weight, career schedule and time limitations. You could also include current or previous major life stressors, existing medical conditions and previous injuries that would limit your training.

Your Goals: Outline your desired outcome in all areas where you want to see improvement. Be specific about what you want to achieve, for example: weight loss / endurance / strength. Include your goal weight and other desired outcomes.

Your Training: Outline as much detail pertaining to your training, as possible, including the type of training you prefer (or dislike), the training facility or equipment at your disposal, and the time you are able to spend per training session. Also include reasons for defaulting training programmes in the past, your current level of fitness, and any restricting injuries.

Your Dietary Requirements: For a personalised nutrition guide, include details like your meal frequency and timing, your usual meals, likes and dislikes, and any appropriate food allergies.

Your Challenges or Obstacles: List any expected barriers or obstacles to success. Include training obstacles, dietary obstacles, and patterns of behaviour that have stunted your progress in the past. Here, also list other commitments that often take priority over your fitness goals.

The more detailed and honest your input, the more accurate and personalised the AI-generated output will be. Although artificial intelligence does not serve as a replacement for professional health and fitness services, it certainly could be a valuable tool if used thoughtfully and appropriately.

For those who are well-informed about their health, AI could be a beneficial tool for their fitness and weight loss journey. And although AI might not be able to completely replace your trainer, it certainly does put some of the power to managing your health, in your own hands.

If you were looking for a “no-excuses” way to improve your health, give AI a try. You never know, this might be exactly the spark your fitness routine needed.