Apple Potentially Developing Fitness Center Application for iOS

135330 fitness app in gym motivation

As noted by AppleInsider and Patently Apple, the U.S. Patent and Trademark today published a patent application from Apple describing an iOS application designed to support fitness and personal training functionalities.

The integrated application can provide a full fitness center experience by introducing potential new customer to a fitness center and then motivating them to return to the fitness center as active members. For example, the integrated application can provide functions to introduce new customers to a fitness center, can provide functions to motivate customers to join and actively visit the fitness center, can provide in-gym motivation, and can provide post-workout motivation.

Apple breaks the application down into four categories: introducing users to fitness facilities in their areas, encouraging them to join and participate, motivating them while using the facilities, and post-workout motivation to return and continue their fitness program.

135330 fitness app post workout motivation

The application offers capabilities to permit fitness facilities to reach out to potential customers with introductory offers and coupons, potential integration with fitness equipment for tracking performance, and social aspects to allow users to motivate each other.

The patent application was filed in October 2009 and is credited to Stan Ng, a longtime Apple product manager and marketing director, and Michael Hailey, a former Apple marketing manager who is now employed at Nike. Apple of course has a long-standing partnership with Nike dating back to pre-iOS iPods to offer Nike+ running and training integration. Apple has also previously expressed interest in developing digital fitness companion software for its portable devices, indicating that the company has been working through a number of concepts for how to potentially enter the market.

Tag: Patent
Related Forum: iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

griz Avatar
188 months ago
Cool, it's the iNag.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlligatorBloodz Avatar
188 months ago
I see this turning into Apple collecting 30% of your gym membership...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cheerwino Avatar
188 months ago
And just when I thought the news couldn't get lamer than the white iPhone...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3282868 Avatar
188 months ago
Wrong room indeed. Probably the only exercise the above posters get is picking apart macrumors stories. I wonder how many of the above posters actually delved any deeper into what the patent is all about.

LOL I was gonna say. Fitness isn't a top priority for the general member here, hence why it has as many negative votes as positive :p. C'mon guys, work on those Mac bellies ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vincenz Avatar
188 months ago
I guess it's the next logical step for their customers who are glued to the computer chairs constantly refreshing MR for the next article.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tones2 Avatar
188 months ago
seriously how can this be patented?

Exactly. This is just a slight twist on about 10,000 existing products. The patent thing is SO ridiculous.

Tony
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)