AI for Everyday Life: How ChatGPT Improved My Workout
The Hype and the Hesitation
I'm sure you've heard all the talk about AI lately—it’s everywhere. But if you’re not someone who lives and breathes tech, it might feel like a whole other world. ChatGPT this, AI that. But if you're not a techie, it can feel like you're already behind—or like it’s just not for someone like you.
If this sounds like you, then here’s a personal example I hope will show you how versatile and helpful ChatGPT can be in ways you may not even think to try.
My Fitness Fix-Up
I’ve been going to Planet Fitness a couple of times a week since moving to Arizona, trying to build consistency. My biggest challenge has been creating routines using the equipment I had available at the gym so I would stay motivated and engaged without getting bored. I stopped thinking I’d stick with three days a week and opted to be realistic, focusing on two days of workouts consisting of cardio and strength training. I was already e-biking a couple of times a week and incorporating other movement into my life.
I turned to ChatGPT to help with my plans. Here are the criteria I defined first for my workouts:
Using workout data I’d saved for several months as history, create two interchangeable routines that offered something different
Keep the routines focused on machines available at my gym
Structure the workouts such that I could do them anytime throughout the week, even on consecutive days without fear of straining any one muscle
Incorporate cardio and stretching into the routine
Keep the time commitment around 60 minutes
Make each workout contain a variety of exercises covering both upper and lower body muscle groups
Here’s what I did (and how simple it was)
I had my workouts for several months in an app that allowed me to export them to a PDF. The data included entries for each workout, including the date, exercises with a number of sets, reps, and weight used. I uploaded the PDF of my past workouts to ChatGPT and included a prompt explaining what I wanted. Here's a screenshot showing that first step. (I started with 30 minutes as a guide, but moved on to a full 60 to cover everything I wanted to do)
What I Got Back
The resulting workouts I got were a great start, including two separate routines with suggested exercises and associated weight and reps for each. With this base starting point, I continued to “talk” to ChatGPT and refine the workouts, asking for backup exercises if a machine was busy, swapping exercises out based on preference, etc. The final workouts were two complete routines, starting with cardio and ending with cardio and stretching.
I went back and forth with ChatGPT to refine everything, but looking back over the conversation now, I was a bit lazy in my instructions. ChatGPT thrives on clarity and context, and I didn’t get as detailed as I could have with those. However, I wasn’t in a hurry, and the conversation I had yielded results that I’d been working with for about a month.
You may have heard of assigning ChatGPT an “actor” when crafting your prompt. This tells ChatGPT the persona you want it to take on for more clarity and definition around your goals. I did this in my original prompt by saying, “I'd like you to act as my gym coach with expertise in health and wellness to create two full-body workout plans for me.”
This told ChatGPT to act as my personal coach. I should mention that previous chats I’ve had with ChatGPT have trained it on the fact that I am over 50 and to keep that in mind when crafting content like this.
The Bigger Point: AI Isn’t Magic, It’s a Tool
This isn’t about fitness, really. It’s about how you can use ChatGPT to make your life easier—whether you’re planning workouts, writing birthday card messages, or organizing your grocery list.
I asked ChatGPT to act as a fitness coach, but what about asking it to act as a nutrition coach, wellness coach, or career coach? The possibility of working with someone in those areas just by talking to ChatGPT sparks all sorts of ideas for your next session.
You Don’t Need to Speak Robot
Curious how ChatGPT could help with something in your life? What’s one everyday task you’d love to make easier—meal planning, travel ideas, gift suggestions, tricky emails? Give it a try, or drop me a note. I’d love to hear what you’re curious about.
If you can type a question into Google, you can use ChatGPT. You don’t need to know the right lingo—you just need to be curious.
Need help getting started? I love talking about this stuff. Reach out or sign up below for my newsletter where I share tips, stories, and ways to make AI work for real people living real lives.
