Technogym says it already has 5,000-plus deployed machines with Apple GymKit

Equipment maker Technogym said on Tuesday that it now has over 5,000 GymKit-ready cardio machines deployed worldwide, just months after its equipment became the first with the platform in a real-world gym.

The equipment is spread across "hundreds of fitness clubs all over the world," according to the company. This includes treadmills, ellipticals, stair-steppers, and stationary bikes.

The first deployment of GymKit happened at a Fitness First gym in Sydney, Australia in November. Since then it has been spreading not just through Australia but the U.S. and U.K.

The technology lets Apple Watch owners running watchOS 4.1 or later sync data with cardio machines, taking advantage of each device's strengths to provide more accurate workout stats. A Watch is paired via NFC, and once the workout is over, user data is wiped from the gym machine for the sake of privacy and preparing it for the next person.

Indoor workouts are often trickier to calculate, since GPS can't be used to gauge pacing or distance, and an altimeter becomes useless to judge floors climbed.

Some other equipment vendors onboard with GymKit include LifeFitness, Schwinn, and StairMaster.