Fitness Data Ecosystem

Of the few posts that I've made, I'm probably at greatest risk of just not being aware of products that might already exist to address this. I've looked - but haven't seen - so if you are aware of what I speak of - please let me know. But here goes . . .

The Beginning
My wife was kind enough to buy me a Nike triax c3 (sorry, no direct link due to an absurd use of Flash) for Christmas, which is a watch and heart-rate monitor. I had been looking into buying one and she was aware my research. The watch/monitor combination is nice and works just find (though the first one she bought did not work at all). It was a very modest price at Costco, I think about $35.

So it's great, I can look at my watch and see what my heart rate is. But unfortunately, it stops there. There must be something more and there is, but I will argue later that it isn't enough or at the very least, it falls short of the potential with current technology.

The Ideal
The ideal Fitness Data Ecosystem (FDE) would do three things well: define a standard data format for workout information and human physiology (perhaps with a cute name like FitXML), spur a new set of data capture and transfer devices and finally, spur the creation of a whole range of programs for people to evaluate and track their workouts and progress. Let's look at each of them in turn.

FitXML
Yes, I know, I Googled it too. It apparently does exist, but only used in a proprietary and horribly obscure program, Personal Fitness. So, for all practical purposes, it does not exist.

Contents of FitXML
I think it should have the following components:
- Any human body characteristics one could think up (height, weight, waist size, bicep, neck size, body fat, etc., etc.)
- Workout routine information (name, type of exercise, repetitions, weights, other gear used or to be used, etc.)
- Heart rate & other real time body stats
- Running/biking mileage, pace, GPS or pre-programmed waypoints (see Nike's very cool Google Maps mashup where you can just click your route).
- Songs played (or to be played)
- More? (let me know if something obvious is missing)

Data Capture & Transfer Devices
Here, I think most of the devices for data capture all exist in some form or another from all of the usual suspects. They do a great job if you are doing some sustained cardio routine. I do cardio, sure, but I also lift quite a bit (not that you'd know it by looking at me).

The next big leap that would have to happen is a set of weight machines that would sense what you were lifting. It doesn't seem like it'd be that hard (i.e., a well placed strain gauge and some electronics). I think it could work like this:
- You approach a machine and when you are seated, your workout fob communicates with the machine to let it know that you've arrived and they synchronize timing.
- You lift (hard because you're a beast, as my kids would say).
- On each movement (begin, top, end), the machine transmits a time code, type of movement, the amount of weight going up.
- Some machines, the movement isn't obvious (like a Smith Bar). Here, your fob gives you several choices, but defaults to the workout routine that you've preloaded into the workout fob. The range of motions could be narrowed down by what portion of the machine the bar is traversing.
- For free weights, things potentially get trickier. However, the solution might be as simple as built in accelerometers. They are relatively cheap and small and would likely do the trick. There would have to be some sort of activation of dumbbells. There it could be as simple as when you take them off the (non-direct contact charging) rack, they search for the closest workout fob. Barbells could perhaps work with the combination of a strain gauge and the accelerometer. This would save the system from having to make all of the weight plates self-aware, so to speak.


Finally, after the workout the workout fob would wirelessly (Bluetooth?) send all of the workout information to your computer to where the information would be imported by your computer-based program.

Fitness Program (excuse the pun)
Here is where you will track your progress and build your future workouts. The primary function will be to manipulate FitXML. Well behaved programs will keep all of your data in the non-proprietary format and will compete instead on the innovative and intuitive ways to manipulate and create workout routines. I'd expect everything from opensource to commercial alternatives.

Who should do it?
All of the current fitness companies. But the problem is that they legitimately only control a portion of the fitness space, not enough. Nike already has a pretty good system of tracking running information with or without an iPod. Cybex does a good job getting pulse/calorie/distance information to the user on a per use basis. Nobody has a comprehensive system.

I think that somebody like Cybex or Nautilus are in the best position to make this happen, not somebody who just makes shoes. Unfortunately, the most likely outcome of Nautilus or Cybex doing this will be a closed system that does allow for an ecosystem to develop around it (i.e., Nike do its thing with shoe sensors and watches).

Cost Implications?
I believe that Bluetooth is the best choice for data transfer - it should be wireless and on a standard protocol. Costs for Bluetooth are probably are $10 to $15 per unit (based on this article).