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Exercise Equipment Gets Smart |
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 Ever wondered if your glutes, lats and pecs are getting the workout they deserve? When your exercise equipment is retrofitted with the Mytrak Health System, youíll know for sure.
Developed for the health club market by InCorp Ventures Inc. (mytrakhealth.com) of Mississauga, ON, the system adds intelligence and automation to exercise equipment.
By installing infrared sensors to exercise devices such as non-computerized bikes, treadmills, weight and hydraulic exercise stations, the system is able to measure, calculate and provide instant feedback to users based on their degree of effort and desired goals.
Initially, each exercise station in a facility is retrofitted with a Mytrak Exercise Computer (EC) and sensors. The EC, equivalent in size to a Palm Pilot (above), transforms the exercise station into an intelligent and automated personal coach continuously learning, measuring and tracking the userís heart rate and overall physical performance.
 Each microprocessor-based EC is hardwired to the exercise equipmentís IR sensors mounted on its hydraulic pistons. ìThe speed and rate of change of the pistonís position is constantly monitored,î according to Reed Hanoun, founder of InCorp Ventures. Proprietary software calibrates the system to each piece of equipment.
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Using complex algorithms, the data measured is processed by each EC and transmitted wirelessly to a local computer on the premises and compared against the userís wireless heart monitor data.
ìGetting meaningful feedback to calculate the human energy expended during exercise is key,î said Hanoun.
For each member, the Mytrak system establishes a unique Performance Index (PI), a value of energy scale ranging from 100 to 1000, that each user is required to achieve. A PI of 1000 represents the highest and optimal level of physical performance, reflective to a professional athlete.
Once the profile has been created, the user wears the heart rate belt and RFID band, approaches each exercise station assigned and scans his/her ID into the EC, automatically activating the system. In seconds,
the EC retrieves the users profile from the local computer and downloads a profile specifically formulated
for the memberís unique body signature. As the user exercises, their heart rate is tracked and compared to their heart rate target zone while their physical effort is compared to the PI value established.
The EC provides feedback by activating various clusters of LEDs ranging from yellow to green to red. The objective for the user is to activate and maintain the green lights for both heart rate and physical exertion: ìGO FOR GREEN.î
The local computer is the central system that manages all data and communicates with all ECs in the building. Users are able to login at a kiosk before starting an exercise routine, accept the workout program
modified by Mytrak based on results from the previous workout and amount of consumed calories or change their desired goals and objectives. Once completed, the kiosk sends the revised exercise profile to the various EC units for each exercise.
A website management system application also allows members to log onto the local computer, retrieve training data, enter consumed meals and print reports. The Internet system assembles all cardiovascular
data, exercise outcome data, dietary intake data, and lifestyle data to provide the user with clear, objective summaries of changes observed and required.
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