Wellness company MYXfitness has become the latest company to launch an on-demand, at-home fitness offer, looking to engage consumers directly through virtual fitness.
MYXfitness' package includes a commercial-grade Star Trac Stationary Bike Trainer fitted with a 21.5-inch interactive tablet, accompanied with a Polar OH1 heart rate monitor. The bike will be priced at US$1,199 (£926).
A MYX Plus package – which includes the bike and also three sets of SPRI dumbbells, a kettlebell, a resistance band, a GAIAM 24" foam roller and two mats – will be made available at US$1,499 (£1,157).
Bike owners can then tap into a digital platform which offers hundreds of classes, ranging from cycling, HIIT, cardio dance and barre to yoga, mindful movement, meditation and "everything in between". The on-demand offer will be priced at US$29 (£22) per month.
According to MYXfitness, the wide range of exercise offer – rather than focusing on a single discipline like cycling, running or rowing – will allow the company to provide users with strategic recommendations to mix up their workouts, infusing cardio, stretching, strength and foam rolling.
To add personalisation to the service, each members' fitness journey will also be measured through a proprietary 'MYX Score,' calculated off a user's heart rate, age and current level of fitness.
"Rather than trying to climb an arbitrary leaderboard, MYX Scores provide a uniquely rich and personal snapshot of one's success and progress over time," said Heberto Calves, President of MYXfitness.
He added that the wide range of classes and the MYX Score is part of the company's strategy to provide a "more holistic" approach to at-home fitness.
"The personal wellness and at-home fitness industries are booming, yet Americans' mental and physical health are on the decline," he added.
"For many people, the market's current offerings don't suit their needs and lifestyles—MYXfitness hopes to fix that.
"Using science-backed methods and positive psychology for a personalised, holistic approach, MYXfitness hopes to close this gap and transform the fitness landscape, offering users a safer, healthier and smarter platform to achieve their wellness goals."
The MYXfitness launch comes just days after Technogym announced it has teamed up with 1Rebel to develop an at-home indoor cycling platform.
The tie-up is part of Technogym's global Live service, launched in March this year. In addition to 1Rebel classes, Technogym Live will also feature content from other boutique operators – with Virgin Active Revolution in Milan, Italy and Rumble in New York, US already signed up.
The at-home fitness sector has been hotting up recently, with a number of new operators looking to tap into the potentially lucrative market.
In October, US-based startup Mirror secured an US$34m investment in a new round of funding led by hedge fund Point72. Mirror is a fitness content streaming device – designed as a traditional full-length mirror – offering workout videos and music. The Mirror itself costs US$1,495 to purchase and monthly subscriptions for classes are priced at US$39 per month.
This was followed by fitness equipment giant Johnson Health Tech announcing that it will launch a at-home indoor cycles and treadmills through its Horizon Fitness brand.
The new Studio Series kit has been designed to allow users to tap into on-demand services from Peloton, Studio.live and other fitness services.
In May 2019, boutique cycle studio operator Flywheel teamed up with Amazon.com to make its Flywheel Home Bike available to customers.
