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Apple’s Enduring Industry Impact Steve Jobs mourned, fitness apps continue to multiply
C
BI notes with regret the passing, in early October, of Steve Jobs, the cofounder and chairman of CEO, who, in addition to his many universally acknowledged achievements, also had a profound and enduring impact on the fitness industry. “Thanks to Steve Jobs and his innovations, the face of fitness has forever been changed,” observed Dr. Cedric Bryant, the chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise (ACE). “With a constantly evolving selection of fitness and health apps available on iTunes, Apple technology has brought increased ease, accountability, and enjoyment to exercise … Consumers have more access than ever before to online fitness programs, personal training instruction, and support systems, which has prompted millions, worldwide, to enrich their quality of life through exercise and physical activity.”
Bryant was among a number of industry leaders to pay tribute to Jobs.
Apple’s projected club-centric app
Apple’s contributions to the industry seem likely to continue. According to several reports, the company is now developing a Fitness Center App that will make health clubs an integral part of its expanding fitness package. Commenting on an application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last spring,
patentlyapple.com reports: “Apple’s patent describes the possibility that the iPhone will one day include a single, seamless application that will introduce new members to
a fitness center and motivate these new customers to keep returning to the fitness center as active members.”
The multifaceted app, as envisioned, would include functions addressing virtually every aspect of the prospect/member/club dynamic. It could be used, for instance, to prompt someone to join a club; find one that was appropriate for them; motivate them to use it regularly; teach them about exercise; inform them about club pro- grams; and allow them to track their workout stats and interact with other members.
“It’s been a while since Apple has delivered any quality development on the fitness front,” observed
patentlyapple.com, “and those of us who like to work out would really like to see this finally come to market.” —|
> Short Takes |Exercising With Avatars
A growing number of studies suggest that virtual online workout partners, or “avatars,” can have a positive impact on individuals striving to become more fit or lose weight, reports Psychology Today magazine. In some cases, avatars prompted their human “partners” to exercise 25% longer or do 10 times as many reps. A critical factor: the avatar’s appearance and own performance. —|
24 Club Business Internat ional | DECEMBER 2011 |
ihrsa.org The military, meanwhile, looking for ways to
reduce the number of combat-related injuries, are creating new High-Intensity Tactical Training (HITT) Centers. Eschewing most traditional exercise equipment, they make use of sprint lanes, training ropes, power racks, kettlebells, nontra- ditional strength tools … and Cybex’s Arc Trainer. The Arc Trainer is currently being used at the
Marine Corps Air Station in New River, North Carolina; the Army’s fitness center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and the HITT facility at Elgin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. —|
Workouts for Sports
or Combat Cybex serves serious golfers and U.S. military personnel
>They are two very different clienteles—serious golfers and the nation’s servicemen and service- women—but, in September, Cybex International, Inc., the Medway, Massachusetts–based fitness equipment manufacturer, announced that it was now able to serve both even better. The company officially introduced the Cybex
Golf Performance Program, and also reported that its equipment is now being utilized by high- intensity training centers operated by the U.S. Marine, Army, and Air Force. “If you want to succeed in the game of golf,
you need to be serious about fitness,” insists golfing great Greg Norman, who helped develop the program and is a Cybex spokesperson. The new golf-specific regimen, comprised of
four individual four-week routines, is designed for use in conjunction with the Cybex Bravo functional trainer, which marries selectorized and cable-based strength training.
Greg Norman’s swing
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