Shape up, sensory-style

How well do you know your body? Sure, you feel its aches when you lumber out of bed after overindulging in too many pints. You know when it’s hungry and when it’s full. But if that’s as deep as your connection goes, it’s at best an acquaintance.

It’s a shame, because you and your body could get on well if you tried. At least that’s what Michelle Tatom, executive producer at Microsoft, thinks. She’s helped to develop Xbox Fitness, an online library of fitness videos available on the Xbox One. Xbox Fitness uses interactive “Kinect” technology — your pulse is measured by detecting micro-fluctuations in your face to estimate your heart rate, while energy is tracked by measuring your balance, tempo and form. It’s sensory fitness — attuned to the way your body moves and responds.

I tried the Insanity workout, given by personal trainer “Shaun T”. An afternoon with him reminded me of the term I spent in the Combined Cadet Force at school: a superfit person yelling at me to “work harder!” An avatar of myself on screen showed me which muscles I was working. If I didn’t move a limb correctly, a banner told me to rectify my co-ordination to preclude injury. If I worked hard, I got points.

The gamification is clever: you can track your fitness levels against others, “play” against friends and set yourself “challenges”. The library includes a variety of videos.

There’s also the allure of working out at home. Yoga Studio (£1.99, IoS), which includes 30 readymade HD classes and 285 poses, was voted runner-up in the health category of the Best Apps Ever awards in 2012.

Is sensory the future of the workout? Chris Wright, CEO of GamesAnalytics, says the future lies with Google Glass. “It has integrated GPS, so it is suited to sports such as cycling and running. It could also be used to transform your living room into a virtual gym.” So unlock the mysteries of your muscles.