SAN ANTONIO — Orangetheory Fitness fans are preparing for a big upgrade to the way they track personal workouts in San Antonio gyms.
Orangetheory is a high-intensity interval training class that combines great music, high-energy coaches, competition and a variety of workouts to keep you motivated, an approach that has generated legions of fans for the workout chain.
In late 2019, Orangetheory Fitness and Apple announced plans for the new OTbeatLink, a tiny device that connects with an Apple Watch to monitor participants’ heart rates and display them on in-studio monitors.
News of the OTbeatLink device was met with excitement from OTF members who had been asking why they needed to wear a studio heart rate monitor for workouts instead of just using their Apple watches.
A release date for the OTbeatLink had been set for earlier this year, but when COVID-19 hit, studios shut down and the device release was delayed.
A few months ago, OTF studios started reopening with smaller class sizes, social distancing and heavy cleaning between classes. However, the OTbeatLink still had not made its appearance.
The devices now have debuted in some Orangetheory locations across the country, according to Fran DiCarlo, a media director with the fitness company.
DiCarlo said the OTbeatLink is set for release in San Antonio no later than December 15.
It will sell for $129, which includes a device that attaches to an Apple watch band and a black charging case that looks similar to an AirPod case.
More about the OTbeatLink device from CNET and the Orangetheory website.
