HYDERABAD: Even as smartwatches count steps and mobile applications log calories with precision, young Indians are not letting technology dictate their fitness journeys. A study by researchers at IIIT Hyderabad finds that users are constantly negotiating with, adopting, and at times ignoring fitness data, instead of relying on instinct, environment and everyday experience.
The study, presented at the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems and titled ‘Everyday HCI of Adaptive Fitness: The Bricolage of Self-Tracking in Urban India’, shows that users combine multiple tracking methods rather than strictly following app-generated metrics. Participants reported using smart devices for step counts while maintaining handwritten logs, progress photos or engaging in discussions with peers and trainers to assess fitness.
The research, led by Shivam Singh, Raagav Ramakrishnan and Chetan Mahipal under the guidance of Prof. Nimmi Rangaswamy, points to flexible and improvised usage. Describing this approach as bricolage, Prof. Rangaswamy told TNIE, “They switch between apps, logbooks, photos and conversations whatever works in their context.”
The year-long qualitative study, conducted across cities including Gwalior and Hyderabad, involved around 25 participants aged 18 to 40. Researchers carried out in-depth interviews and participant observation in gyms to understand routines and app usage.
Cultural practices also influence behaviour. Fitness routines are often adjusted during festivals and weddings, with users reporting little guilt over temporary breaks.