Orangetheory Workouts Now Support Apple Watch

Need to Know

• Apple announced the support of Orangetheory Fitness heart-rate monitoring device, OTbeat Link for Apple Watch.
• Once paired with your Apple Watch, OTbeat Link broadcasts workout stats like heart rate and calories burned on LED screens placed through the tech-enabled studio. Users will also have their metrics visible directly on the face of their Apple Watch.
• Previously, Orangetheory customers used branded wearables to manage and track exercise stats.
• Orangethoery has over 1,300 locations across 23 countries. The rollout will begin in NYC and expand around the world in 2020.

Analysis

Orangetheory, the HIIT exercise boutique, has long enabled the use of technology in their classes through the use of wearable heart-rate monitors, large LED screens, signature orange lighting, and in-depth body analytics scales. 

After listening to customer requests for Apple Watch-enabled workouts, the company announced OTbeat Link, a device that, once attached to your Apple Watch, allows members to sync workout data with monitors throughout the studio. In addition to being viewable on the big screens, the data —calories burned, heart rate and workout points—also displays directly on the user’s watch face. 

The announcement is a big deal considering Apple’s ample upgrades to the Apple Watch over the last few years. Apple has consistently focused on improving features such as heart rate monitoring and with Google’s recent acquisition of Fitbit, Apple is looking to gather as much fitness data as possible to keep up with the technology-driven side of working out.

Orangetheory also announced two business-side apps aimed at streamlining the day-to-day of its employees. One is designed to go paperless and assist associates with member check-in and class scheduling; and the other to help coaches run class programs directly from their Apple Watch eliminating the need to memorize a month’s worth of programming at a time.

Orangetheory says the update should help coaches spend 10% more time, or 7.2 million more hours per year, giving more guidance. Given the complexity of an Orangetheory workout (two groups are working simultaneously on cardio and strength, with coaches giving cues to both), more time for guidance is an important benefit. 

Founded in 2010, Orangetheory Fitness quickly stood out from its competitors in the boutique fitness space through its use of technology.

Orangethory’s OTbeat Link device will be available at two New York City studios in December with a national rollout coming to all studios in 2020.