The present disclosure provides a system that quantitatively tracks an individual's diet and exercise using smart devices (phones, watches, and other wearables). Unlike existing programs, which work in energy units (calories), the present system works in mass units (grams) and satisfies the fundamental physics law of conservation of mass. Food ingested is tracked as well as exercise in order to place the user on a quantitative, custom diet that safely and effectively results in weight loss. In addition to rigorously treating the problem of weight loss by addressing the physics that underlies diet and exercise, the system empirically learns about the user over time such that performance may be optimized.

A control system for controlling one or more of a plurality of exercise apparatuses across a network comprises a processor; a communication subsystem configured to communication with the plurality of exercise apparatuses across the network; and memory for storing information about one or more users. The information comprises, for each user, identity information, including a user identifier; and a resistance level indicator. Upon receipt of a user identifier from an exercise apparatus in the network, the processor is configured to identify the resistance level indicator stored in the memory corresponding to the user identifier, and cause the communication subsystem to transmit to the exercise apparatus the resistance level indicator for that user. Upon receipt of a performance parameter of a user from an exercise apparatus in the network, the processor is configured to determine whether or not to modify the resistance level indicator of that user stored in the memory based on the received performance parameter.

A media-playback device includes: a media-output device that plays media content items; a physiological measurement device programmed to measure at least one physiological measurement of a user of the media-output device; and a physiological control engine configured to: identify a current physiological measurement for the user; and cause the media-output device to modify playback of the media content items based upon the current physiological measurement.

A treadmill includes a platform where the platform includes a first side panel and a second side panel spaced apart at a distance from the first side panel, and a gap defined between the first side panel and the second side panel. The treadmill also includes a running deck contained within the platform and exposed within the gap, a first pulley connected to the running deck, a second pulley connected to the running deck opposite the first pulley, a tread belt surrounding the first pulley and the second pulley, a first post removably connected to the platform, a second post removably connected to the platform, and a first rail transversely connected to the first post and the second post.

An illumination device for directing light into a transparent fluid tank of a fluid-resistance exercise machine is disclosed. The device can be coupled with an exterior surface of the tank and includes a light source oriented to project light through a surface and into a region of the fluid tank where the light can be observed by a user of the machine during operation, especially when a rotary device disturbs the fluid to generate the fluid resistance effect. The illumination device can include a control unit having a processor and a communication device, where the communication device receives an exercise-related parameter related during operation of the exercise machine. In response the control unit can dynamically adjust a quality of the light as a function of the received parameter, such as heartrate, output, resistance, time, distance, or speed.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture for measuring and adjusting physical resistance for athletic activities and fitness equipment are disclosed. An example system includes a user-wearable sensor to measure a first level of physical effort during a first athletic activity using fitness equipment and to generate sensor data indicative of the measured first level of physical effort. The example system also includes a controller to receive the sensor data to perform a comparison of the sensor data and data from second athletic activity indicative of a second level of physical effort, and automatically generate a control signal to adjust a setting of the fitness equipment based on the comparison.

Described herein are methods for determining a target musculoskeletal activity cycle (MSKC) to cardiac cycle (CC) timing relationship. The method may include detecting a signal responsive to a cyclically-varying arterial blood flow at a location on a head of a user; providing a recurrent prompt at a frequency of the heart pump cycle using the signal, such that the signal correlates with a magnitude of blood flow adjacent to the location, and the recurrent prompt is provided to guide the user to time performance of a component of a rhythmic musculoskeletal activity with the recurrent prompt; and guiding the user to adjust a timing of the component of the rhythmic musculoskeletal activity to substantially maximize a magnitude of the signal. In some embodiments, the method further includes generating the recurrent prompt by amplifying the sound generated by the blood flow in or in proximity to an ear of the user.

In general, the present invention relates to exercise devices and systems that can receive and run workout programs that include control command subsets that control the moveable members of a plurality of different exercise devices. Exercise devices of the present invention are able to ignore the control command subset(s) that do not control their moveable member(s) and recognize the control command subset(s) that control their moveable member(s). Exercise devices of the present invention are further able to, if necessary, perform a sizing restriction to the relevant control command subset(s). Motivational content may also be modified in connection with or independently from a sizing restriction made to the control commands. The present invention also relates to a method for controlling one or more exercise device with a workout file that includes control command subsets that control the moveable members of a plurality of different exercise devices.

Described herein are systems and methods for favorably coordinating a timing relationship between a musculoskeletal activity cycle and a cardiac cycle of a user. A method may include repetitively detecting a signal that correlates to a blood volume in the user; determining an actual value of the signal that varies with the timing relationship; computing a trend of the actual value of the signal; and adjusting the movement guidance based on the trend of the actual value. A system may include a prompt device configured to provide recurrently a movement guidance to the user for guiding performance of the rhythmic musculoskeletal activity; a sensor configured to provide a signal that correlates to a blood volume in the user; and a processor configured to determine an actual value of the signal that varies with the timing relationship and to adjust the movement guidance based on the trend of the actual value.

A system for multi-track playback of media content includes: a media device; a user interface, provided at the media device, which displays a visual array of media options, a playback logic, provided within the media device, which is configured so that, while a selected point or region is determined by the user interface as being moved in response to user input, within the visual array of media options, the system determines media options that are proximate to the selected point or region, and adjusts playback parameters for corresponding media content items, by crossfading or otherwise combining playback to reflect the media options relative distances from the selected point or region; and a tempo logic, provided within the media device, which is configured to provide or receive a selected tempo and provide the one or more media content items associated with the selected tempo.