Virgin Active’s Mansion House club has become the first in the UK with Apple Watch GymKit integration. We went along to put it through its paces and see how it fares on the treadmill.
To say the Apple Watch began finding its footing when it started focusing more on fitness is probably an understatement. Since the launch of the more exercise-oriented Apple Watch Series 2 – which introduced water-resistance and built-in GPS – the Apple Watch has become more of a hybrid device that’s a fully-fledged sports watch and a smartwatch combined.
That focus continued with the Apple Watch Series 3, which looked to remove more of the reliance on an iPhone carried in tow. The latest Series 3 model has an altimeter for elevation data and optional LTE connectivity so you’re never disconnected even if you leave your phone behind.
GymKit
Another new feature Apple showcased at its Series 3 reveal was its GymKit integration, which is a part of the latest watchOS 4.1 operating system, meaning it’s available across all Apple Watch devices. The new functionality allows the Apple Watch to communicate with compatible gym equipment, allowing two-way exchange of relevant information. For now, the focus is on cardio-based machines, such as treadmills, ellipticals, indoor bikes and stair steppers.
Speaking with Jay Blahnik, Apple’s Senior Director of Fitness for Health Technologies, he sees integration very much as a way of removing some of the pain points of beginning any indoor workout. After all, go for a run outdoors and distance and pace are all measured by the built-in GPS of the newer Apple Watch models. Go for a run on a treadmill in the past and all of this information and more, such as incline, is being accurately measured by the treadmill but not on your Apple Watch. Conversely, your Apple Watch is capturing lots of data not seen by the equipment, such as your heart rate.
It’s this disparate information that means accuracy is lost. Jay Blahnik told me that Apple’s own research show that most users simply hop on gym equipment and begin a Quick Workout. This means that important user data isn’t being provided to the equipment, such as age, height and weight, meaning any calorie burn estimations are going to be way off the mark. Now, through GymKit, this user data is instantly shared with the equipment.
By: Richard Easton