I went into testing this portable, AI-powered personal trainer with a skeptical mindset — but came out seriously impressed at its movement mapping technology

I agreed to test the BodyPark Atom, which aims to offer the best bits of personal trainer technique feedback, without any of the drawbacks.

A small smart speaker-like unit with an AI-powered, body-mapping camera on top, it offers real-time feedback on your movements, plus guided sessions to be completed as part of a larger workout plan.

It's magnetized too, so you can take it to the gym and stick it to a squat rack should you need form-correction outside of the home.

Workouts and plans can be constructed for you, or you can edit them yourself in the app.

It might look like Star Wars' BB8, but the idea here is to help you dodge the costs of a trainer — and the location and time constraints — by putting some of the best bits into a digital assistant, which uses AI to provide feedback on technique as well as structure workout plans.

That means a device that can watch your technique, count reps, and offer feedback to help you improve.

That all sounds great, but I went into testing with a skeptical mindset, having seen how AI can miss the mark entirely when it comes to designing workouts .

While the promise of AI is exciting, the reality often isn't so impressive.

That was what I came away feeling about the BodyPark Atom, which is helpful and certainly can push newcomers things in the right direction, but is also still a pretty new and developing technology with its own teething issues.

All that said, I would still recommend one of these for anyone looking to improve exercise, avoid injury or progress training plateaus in a novel, fun and affordable way.

Fully equipped (Image credit: Future) My usual training involves a gym session twice a week, some boxing, and cardio in the form of either a long run or maybe a long gravel bike ride.

I incorporate a dash of swimming, paddle boarding or surfing when possible.

Being able to do a HIIT class, in my kitchen, was a real treat It meant I saved time on doing it at home, I was able to control my environment for comfort, and I could use my own kit like mats and dumbbells as needed.

While you can get a thousand different HIIT classes from the likes of YouTube, the BodyPark offers guidance and coaching that static videos don't.