Apple Watch will let you earn discounts and other perks by going to certain gyms

Working out is always nicer when there’s a reward (well, in addition to staying fit).

Now, with the new Apple Watch Connected program, wearers of Apple Watch will be able to earn discounts on gym memberships, Nike and Apple gift cards, and more. 

The program, as reported by Business Insider, is taking advantage of Apple’s GymKit platform, which lets users connect their Watch with gym equipment. 

Apple has four partners at launch, each offering different perks: Basecamp, Crunch Fitness, Orangetheory, and YMCA. The partners will commit to offer an iOS and an Apple Watch app, implement GymKit into their exercise machines if possible, offer Apple Pay, and launch a rewards program called Earn with Watch.

The breakdown of the rewards is as follows:

• Basecamp will let users to earn back the cost of the Apple Watch Series 5 GPS.

• Crunch will offer discounts on gym membership fees, up to $300 over two years.

• Orangetheory will offer Apple and Nike gift cards.

• YMCA will donate to “community initiatives.”

Interestingly, users will be able to earn these rewards even with physical activity outside of the gym, like running or walking. 

It’s worth noting that the program’s scale is currently far smaller than it may seem. For example, Orangetheory is only launching it in two New York City locations on Thursday, but plans to expand to its other 1,200 gyms in the U.S., while Crunch Fitness is launching in two Manhattan gyms this week, with more to follow. 

Apple Watch has recently focused on health and fitness-related features, helping Apple outsell other smart watch makers in 2018 by a large margin. The Apple Watch Connected initiative will make it a little harder to switch from the Watch to a competing product, especially if it expands to other gyms.