Tech Shout!

The Nike and Apple alliance has surely redefined the fitness regime of many. Thanks to the novel Nike + iPod running experience, which merges music, personal coaching and fitness networking, staying fit has become all the more exciting. And the fun just seems to be growing more!

The Nike + iPod experience will now be available in gymnasiums worldwide in Summer 2008. Nike and Apple are currently working with leading gym equipment manufacturers such as Life Fitness, Precor, Star Trac and Technogym to make their cardio equipment Nike + iPod compatible, so that health club members will be able to easily track workouts on cardio equipments like treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes and stair climbers.

At the very beginning of the workout, Nike + iPod users will have to plug in their iPod nano into the equipment, through which they will be able to automatically record their progress. Thereafter, users can connect their iPod with the computer to upload the workout to www.nikeplus.com.

Trevor Edwards, Nike’s Vice President of Global Brand and Category Management said, “The Nike + iPod experience revolutionized running. Now we’re revolutionizing the gym cardio experience.” Adding, “We’re enabling people who go to the gym an opportunity to set goals, track progress, and compete in challenges with their friends and with other members of www.nikeplus.com. It’s a groundbreaking tool for people who want to maximize their workouts.”

“The iPod is an essential part of millions of people’s workouts and now users can easily set goals and track their progress with Nike + iPod,” noted Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing for iPod. “We’re excited to be working with Nike and leading equipment manufacturers to bring the Nike + iPod experience to the gym.”

Members from a number of the participating gyms, including 24 Hour Fitness in the US and Virgin Active Health Clubs internationally, will soon be able to use Nike + iPod to track their workout and log their data on www.nikeplus.com.

Below are some of the advantages that users will receive with the coming in of Nike + iPod into the premises of the gyms:

Nike + iPod will allow gym members to track progress, set goals and make challenges on www.nikeplus.com.

By using the www.nikeplus.com coaching tools, personal trainers now have the ability to help clients chart their progress.

When gym users connect their iPod nano to their computer, their workout data is sent to www.nikeplus.com through iTunes. This workout data is converted to “CardioMiles” so that users of cardio equipment can easily set goals and participate in challenges with runners and with users of other cardio equipment.

The Nike+iPod Sport Kit and Nike+ Shoe hit shelves worldwide in mid-2006. Just a few months back, Nike and Apple rolled out a personal fitness workout kits for Indian sportsmen.