Exercise activity recording system

Abstract

A multiple exercise activity recording system in which each piece of equipment, exercise movement exercise area, fitness activity or biometric in a facility where exercises are pre-formed is assigned to an exercise identification module. Each exercise identification module is linked or coupled to a terminal with a display and a manual input device. Each user is assigned a personal identification device that is presented or inputted into the terminal before or after the exercise equipment or exercise area is used. After exercising, the user activates the exercise identification module assigned to the exercise equipment or to the exercise area. Upon activation, one or more sub-routines automatically run in the terminal. Prompts presented on the display then request user input of information pertinent to the exercise activity. The inputted information may be stored in the terminal or immediately transmitted to a permanent member data file on a local or remote server.

Description

[0001]This utility patent application is a continuation in-part application of the Utility U.S. Pat. No. 7,507,183, issue date Mar. 24, 2009, (Ser. No. 10 / 819,052), filed Apr. 6, 2004 which is based on the provisional patent application (Ser. No. 60 / 461,204) filed on Apr. 7, 2003.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]This invention relates to exercise metrics recording systems, and more particularly, to exercise metrics recording systems located in health club / gym facilities that offer different pieces of exercise equipment and exercise activities to its members.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]There are approximately 22 thousand fitness centers and health clubs in the United States serving approximately 40 million members. The health club industry is characterized by rapid growth in club members (8% per annum) and an explosion in exercise related activities and equipment. There has also been tremendous growth in information related to the optim...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive, easy to use exercise recording system specifically designed for use in a health club and other sports and fitness facilities which offers different pieces of exercise equipment and exercise activities to its members.

[0017]It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system that uses handheld devices or terminals that allow members to easily record various exercise activities in the facility.

Problems solved by technology

Direct participation by the professional trainer in most or all of his or her clients' exercise sessions carries with it a number of negative attributes, including very high service costs, advance scheduling requirements for exercise sessions, regimentation of recreational workout activity into ‘hard core’ training sessions and, for some, a ‘loss of privacy’ in exercise activity that many health club members view negatively.

Active network systems encounter problems dealing with any equipment that is mobile or capable of being employed in multiplicities of exercise movements.

In addition to problems accommodating data input from some types of exercise equipment, active network systems do not support tracking of activity-related exercise (e.g., aerobic dancing; running; basketball; etc).

Additionally, the provisioning of electrical power to active networked systems and the installation of network monitors, data input means, and sensors at each piece of the networked equipment result in high capital installation costs and high recurring maintenance costs.

Active network systems are also costly to expand as new exercise machines and methods are brought into the health club.

The principal problem with menu-driven database programs as applied to health and fitness records is the length and complexity of the menu necessary to accommodate the literally thousands of exercise options available in a typical health club.

The burden of cycling through available workout options to locate the desired entry point in the database program has rendered menu-driven database programs too burdensome for most health club members and impractical as effective exercise metrics tracking systems.

There are many number of innovations relative to script based exercise records systems, but the identification of these script based exercise record systems as “related art” is problematic.

Scripted systems simply do not meet the challenge of identifying what exercise activity / s a User elected to perform during a given work out.

Accordingly, script-based systems have enjoyed limited acceptance among health club members.

Finally, while Script based systems are not precisely “related art,” a second issue is worth noting that has kept these systems from enjoying wide applications in the health and fitness club market.

While the health club operator can control perimeter facility access, the health club operator cannot control access to individual exercise apparatus or compel the use of his or her club based training services in conjunction with the script based system.

In fact, script based exercise records systems operate to introduce internet / non resident trainer competition into a health club, threatening a major revenue source for the typical health club.

The end result being relegation of script based systems to treatment related exercise programs (Health care provider prescribed) and limited acceptance by interne trainers.

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