As a cyclist, a lot of training in London is done on the turbo trainer, especially during winter when the roads are icy.  Whilst the bang for your buck you receive is great, it can be a lonely existence.  So a range of virtual training applications have emerged that allow you not only to simulate outdoor rides, but to do so with other people from around the world.  The idea is that this provides extra motivation to complete your workout.

Studio is a similar service for runners.  It aims to provide people working out on a treadmill with all of the trappings of a group workout experience, complete with support from coaches, a tailored playlist and so on.

The app is currently only available on iPhone, but the makers nonetheless hope that the service will be a welcome addition to the workouts of users, especially those running with the Apple watch.  It enables a range of biometric data to be fed into a leaderboard to gamify your workout and compete against both yourself and others.

Connected gyms

They’re part of a growing trend for more ‘connected’ gyms.  For instance, a German company are attempting to connect gym goers to a more technologically advanced training regime.  Munich based eGym provide gym equipment that’s connected up to the cloud, so not only can you view your training data remotely, but so too can your personal trainer.

What’s more, the connectivity offered via the machines allows trainers to provide live feedback and support to gym-goers as they train, with live data fed back and forth via the cloud.

Users can access their training plan, with the machines provided by eGym aiming to provide a full-body workout in as little as 30 minutes (which sounds a bit fanciful to be honest).  All of this is tied together via a smart wrist band that users use to login to the machines and tie their training together with fitness goals and progress monitors.

With many of us embarking upon fitness regimes in the new year, it’s interesting to see the help that is at hand to make our efforts more successful.