Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health has unveiled a prototype for a “gym of the future” powered by artificial intelligence and designed to support people in becoming healthier not only physically, but metabolically and mentally as well.
The smart facility features screens lined with cameras and sensors complete with posture analysis tools, biometric scanners and AI-driven assistants, as the gym collects real-time data to create personalised fitness, nutrition and healing plans.
“This is not just about working out, this is about rethinking the gym itself,” Dr Faisal Haji, division director of health sector innovation at the Department of Health, told The National. “We’re building a gym that will make you healthier in every sense. There’s no attachable wearable. This is all technology with sensors that can detect posture changes, heart rate and energy output.”
How does it work?
The experience starts with a full body scan that captures temperature, heart rate, posture and muscle composition. Within seconds, a digital twin is created and connects to the Sahatna app, made by the Department of Health that contains a users’ complete health records including medications and lab results.
After the scan, users move to a treadmill equipped with smart posture sensors that evaluate movement dynamics and muscle activity. “What makes this treadmill smart is the posture analysis through dedicated sensors that offer insights to ensure proper form during exercise,” Dr Haji said.
The most transformative part of the gym comes after physical activity, where users meet an AI assistant that pulls together all the data gathered from initial scans, workout duration, posture, fatigue and energy burnt to generate a personalised fitness plan.
“The magic actually happens after you’ve done all the scans for the legs and hands,” Dr Haji explained. “It [the AI assistant] creates a report that customises the best-fitting plan for you.”
The experience does not end with exercise. A digital nutrition system uses clinical data and the results of the scan to tailor meal recommendations whether for diabetics, athletes or those recovering from injury. “If you want to take it to a different level, the AI nutrition system will tailor a plan using your clinical and lifestyle data. It tells you what drink, what food and what nutrients your body needs to recover faster,” said Dr Haji.
The prototype also includes a futuristic “wellness chamber” for muscle recovery and mental well-being. This climate-controlled chamber helps regulate body temperature and brings heart rate and stress levels back to baseline through a sequence of cooling air and gentle heat.
“Your recovery is not only physical, it’s also mental,” said Dr Haji. “The healing chamber brings your mental well-being to where it should be. The idea is to help your body and mind recover in sync.”
Can information transform fitness?
Dr Haji said his team started the project by asking what holds people back from staying healthy and argued that “for many, it’s not motivation, it’s information“.
“People don’t always know how to work out correctly, what’s best for their body, or how to recover,“ he said. “We thought, what if the gym could tell them all of that, in real time?”
The concept is part of Abu Dhabi’s broader shift towards proactive and preventive health care, embedding wellness into daily environments such as workplaces, schools and homes. It was unveiled as part of Abu Dhabi Global Health Week.
“When we say we’re moving from reactive to proactive health care, this is what we mean,” said Dr Haji. “How do we make prevention part of our daily life? Where do we actually live? At home, at school, at the gym. So why not create environments that make us healthier by design?”
While it is still a prototype, discussions are under way to roll out the technology in real-world settings. “There are already a few companies interested in how we can evolve this and bring it to market,” said Dr Haji. “You might start seeing features of this in gyms very soon.”
