Exercise Equipment Is Blending with Video Gaming, Says Exercise Machine Firm Nexersys

Nexersys Corp. is releasing a new piece of exercise equipment designed to take advantage of several trends in consumers' tastes in home fitness.

In doing so, Nexersys, an emerging player in the exercise equipment industry, appears poised for success.

The Nexersys iPower Trainer blends elements of mixed martial arts training techniques with an engaging video gaming experience. The equipment is a striking machine that takes its input via seven padded accelerometers that gather data about a user's workout. It then displays this information interactively via a19-inch LCD flat-screen monitor with sound or 2.4GHZ wireless headsets. An on-board professional MMA trainer helps guide the user through a series of finely tuned, unique training programs. These features, taken together, effectively blur the line between exercise and gaming, resulting in an exciting and engaging new product that just might capitalize on the changing tastes of its target market.

While many Americans claim to be exercising, there are signals that fewer and fewer are actually doing so, or at least not at the levels the government recommends. American obesity rates, along with the proportion of Americans who are simply overweight, are both on the rise. According to Terry Jones, Nexersys' CEO, there are many reasons for this, but a vitally important element is a lack of quality exercise.

In an era where leisure time seems to be decreasing, and where an increasing emphasis is placed on efficiency, the Nexersys approach of using high-intensity interval training techniques to deliver a power workout is likely to be a more desirable exercise method. High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is predicated on the concept that short bursts of extremely rigorous exercise, interspersed with resting periods of regular exercise, is more beneficial than a longer, more subdued workout. Far from sacrificing the quality of a workout due to time constraints, HIIT turns the brief period of time used into a strength, since it frees the exerciser to push himself to levels that would be otherwise unsustainable over longer periods of time.

There is also an increasing demand for leisure time to be flexible. The positioning of the Nexersys iPower Trainer as a piece of home exercise equipment means that it's going to appeal to those who want to exercise with high-quality equipment but would rather avoid the hassles and expenses associated with maintaining and using a gym membership.

What leisure time Americans do have is increasingly screen-oriented. Americans are consuming more entertainment in screen form, whether via a TV or a computer monitor, than ever before. The continuing mainstreaming of video games means that, these days, larger audience is more receptive to gaming products. The Nexersys iPower Trainer takes advantage of these trends by incorporating elements of gaming in its high-intensity interval training workout scheme. Due to the allure of its gaming traits, Nexersys is uniquely positioned in the home fitness industry to make the transition from sedentary to active easier than ever.

The Nexersys iPower Trainer is expected to be on the market this July with an anticipated cost of around $1,800, a price point that compares favorably to other entries in the home gym market.