Australia’s Fitness First the first in the world to connect Apple Watch with GymKit

Australia’s Fitness First gymnasiums have become the first in the world to roll out Apple’s GymKit which allows customers with an Apple Watch to connect directly to cardio equipment for more accurate exercise information.

In an industry first, Fitness First’s members can just tap their Apple Watch to the GymKit-enabled cardio equipment to pair wirelessly and begin tracking and recording their fitness information.

The TechnoGym treadmills, ellipticals, indoor bikes and stair machines at Fitness First include the new technology so data not previously communicated like heart rate, calories burned, distance, speed and incline can now be exchanged with the Apple Watch.

When the Apple Watch is connected to the equipment there is no need to install any other apps, press any buttons or navigate any menus – it just works. You don’t even need to have your iPhone with you.

GymKit was introduced by Apple as part of watchOS 4 and was announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

“As an industry leader, Fitness First has always embraced and invested in the latest innovations in fitness to ensure we provide an enhanced member experience at our clubs,” said Chief Executive Officer of Fitness & Lifestyle Group, Greg Oliver.

“We’re constantly thinking of ways to give our members a premium fitness experience and value from their membership. Introducing Apple’s GymKit-enabled cardio equipment reflects our unwavering commitment to providing our members with the latest innovations, facilities and equipment in our Fitness First clubs.”

Fitness First gyms in Australia will be the first in the world to provide their members with Apple GymKit-enabled equipment.

“We wanted to simplify the cardio machine experience and make it more accurate than ever before. With a quick tap on your favourite cardio equipment, you’ll see for the first time, two-way data exchange in real time that will result in the most accurate measurements possible with less device management,” said Jay Blahnik, Senior Director of Fitness for Health Technologies at Apple.

“Now when Apple Watch customers view metrics during their workout, the metrics on the machine match what they see on their wrist.”

For Fitness First, using GymKit was another way of encouraging members to get fit and stay fit.

“Keeping our members motivated on their fitness journey has been a consistent priority for Fitness First,” said Michael Cunico, National Fitness Manager at Fitness First.

“We’re dedicated to helping our members go further with their training goals, and understand that for many, Apple Watch plays an integral role in tracking their fitness journey.”

The first Fitness First clubs to introduce GymKit-enabled cardio equipment will be the recently refurbished Bond St gym followed by Bondi Junction and Barangaroo in Sydney and Richmond in Melbourne.

“Together with Apple’s GymKit technology Fitness First is able to create the gym of the future. This new integrated and innovative experience with Apple Watch brings our members a truly ground-breaking cardio experience,” Mr Oliver said.