Sports Authority, a sporting good retailer, has launched its first fitness app, called BodyFit, which offers users access to more than 100 personal training videos.
The BodyFit app also provides users with instruction on using Sports Authority's line of BodyFit exercise equipment. The training equipment and app are split into three categories: activate, train, and recover.
“Our new BodyFit App is a free personal training app that offers exclusive and original exercise videos guided by professional fitness instructor Laura Wilson,” Stephen Binkley, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Sports Authority, said in a statement. “We are thrilled about the launch as it complements our newly redesigned BodyFit fitness accessory line, making fitness more accessible than ever to our customers.”
In the last couple years, there have been at least four other retailers -- either brick and mortar or online -- that have moved into digital health offerings.
One of the more high profile launches came from Under Armour, which launched Armour39 in March 2013 and UA Record in January 2015. The company also bought three existing health and fitness apps, MapMyFitness, as well as MyFitnessPal, and Endomondo.
Another retailer, SwimOutlet.com, launched an activity tracking offering called Swim.com, which launched a public beta for its swim tracking platform in 2014. The website helps swimmers track, share and compare the workouts they monitor with waterproof activity trackers. The website also offers a comparison feature so consumers can shop for an activity tracker that can track swims. Users can specifically look for which ones track workout time, pace, stroke count, stroke rate, interval detection, and workout alerts.
And in March 2015, Warby Parker, an eyeglass retailer, announced that they are investing in technology that allows consumers to conduct smartphone-based eye exams.