Apple Watch compatible gyms can now reward you with gift cards for working out

(Image credit: Apple)

Do you use your Apple Watch at the gym? Soon you may be able to get a discounted membership or Apple gift cards just for reaching your goals.

A new scheme called Apple Watch Connected has been announced in the US, and it will reward you for reaching certain goals.

Certain gyms have Apple GymKit integration that allows you to use NFC to connect your smartwatch into gym equipment, and this would be used to track your progress.

This new Connected rewards scheme is being used at Orange Theory, YMCA, Basecamp Fitness and Crunch Fitness. So far, this is only available at limited gym locations for each of those brands.

Gyms can join the scheme for free but there's a lot of hoops to jump through to be able to do that, such as having GymKit-ready equipment and an app for iPhone.

What is unclear at the moment is how extensive the discounts to membership will be or how much you can get rewarded for meeting your goals.

Each gym brand seems to be offering its own scheme - for example, Crunch Fitness is discounting memberships while Orange Theory is giving out gift cards.

Exactly how you set your goals has also not been made clear yet, but we'd anticipate those would be different for every person who's using the scheme.

Apple has yet to confirm whether it will be bringing the Apple Watch Connected scheme to other countries. GymKit connected gyms are available in a variety of countries including the UK, so it's not out of the realms of possibility that the company will one day launch it outside the US if it proves successful.

Via The Verge

James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.