There are some people who have no problems training on their own, but there are some who thrive off the competition and camaraderie of playing and competing against their teammates during a training session. Now if you fall in the latter camp, you might be interested in checking out an app being developed by Microsoft Research and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
Dubbed SwimTrain, basically this is an app that when paired with a smartphone will let the swimmer feel like they are competing against other people during their swimming sessions, even if they are swimming by themselves. All you need are a hair of underwater headphones and a waterproof case for your smartphone and you’ll be good to go.
According to Microsoft, “It uses all the great tech packed into your mobile phone to evaluate your progress, coordinate with your team, and provide sensory feedback, keeping your “train” running, and keeping you entertained, all while getting fit.” KAIST also found that when swimmers used the app, it helped them feel more motivated to push themselves harder.
It’s an interesting concept but unfortunately it does not sound like the app will be available to the public anytime soon, but if you’d like to get a better idea of SwimTrain, you can read up KAIST’s paper or check out the video above for the details.