A Coventry gym has become the Midlands’ first to install automatically-adjusting equipment which uses AI to cut workout time and tailor exercises for people in recovery.
The Xcel Leisure Centre in Canley, which is operated by CV Life, has unveiled its Technogym Biocircuit, which adapts to individuals so they do not have to fiddle with adjustments or move heavy weights to set machines up.
Equipment responds to settings stored in users’ membership bands and moves into place, which can benefit visitors with hip, knee, back or other musculoskeletal issues – as well as gym enthusiasts looking for an elite-level exercise.
The equipment, ranging from treadmills and upright exercise bikes to leg curl, chest and shoulder press, vertical traction and abdominal machines, acts as a personal trainer, guiding users on a pre-programmed workout as they move through exercises and weight classes.
Short workout programmes, along with the automatic adjustments, also reduce time spent in the gym.
Chris Panter, Wellness Manager for CV Life, hopes the technology will appeal to a range of audiences and help more people get active – including working parents and those dropping children at groups and classes at Xcel.
He said: “We’re really excited to be the first venue in the region to offer this magnificent technology to our members. The machines are suitable for everyone, regardless of experience or capability.
“We envisage it being popular with people who take training seriously but also people who are looking to get themselves in shape, those over 50, perhaps people with less mobility or long-term health conditions – and we hope in time to be able to accept health referrals from the NHS.
“Our aim is to develop Xcel Leisure Centre as a wellness hub and reach more diverse populations, but it’s also about engaging with those who are anxious about the gym environment, who feel unable to attend, or who have never exercised.
“Biocircuit is in the room next to where our NHS musculoskeletal assessments take place, and it’s on the ground floor making it even more accessible than the gym itself. We hope it will be a good solution for some local care home residents, helping not just with physical health but with social interaction too.”
Alan Shaw, Trustee for CV Life said: “I’m really impressed with how much this kind of technology can assist and promote healthy lifestyles and good workouts.
“It won’t just accommodate super-fit athletes, it will be really user friendly for older people or those with health impediments.”
The Technogym Biocircuit has been given its own room at the Xcel Leisure Centre, with standalone memberships and bolt-ons for existing customers available.