Apple’s new smartwatch will not be the instant “silver bullet” to destroy health clubs as some have predicted, rather it will be the subsequent refinement of the product which will have the biggest impact, according to leading industry analyst Bryan O’Rourke.

Speaking exclusively to Health Club Management at IHRSA 2015 in Los Angeles, O’Rourke said that similarly to the i-Pod, it will be further iterations of the watch which will really cause a shift in consumer habits, a process that could take 3-5 years.

“Apple as a brand has an excellent focus on the consumer, so ensuring the Apple Watch successfully fulfils their needs will be its top priority,” said O’Rourke, who is CEO and founder of advisory firm Integerus.

“Gyms are no longer the sole domain of fitness, so they will have to shift with changing consumer needs, although the Apple Watch won’t be some silver bullet to deliver a crushing blow to operators. But operators will need to work out how to integrate it into business models. The solution may well come from someone outside the industry with a fresh perspective. For example, Uber wasn’t founded by cab drivers.”

Finally unveiled this week, the Apple Watch is being hailed by some as a game-changer for the wearable tech sector.

From a health and fitness perspective, the Apple Watch features photo sensitive sensors on its back to help record pulse information, while WiFi allows GPS usage to keep track of movement, pace and distances travelled. The watch also includes an accelerometer to measure total body movement, as well as the quality and intensity of movements made.
For O’Rourke, the Apple Watch brings a wealth of opportunities for health clubs to broaden their reach, but it will take closer collaboration between different sectors of the industry to unlock a successful solution.

“We’ve seen apps develop from simple games to impressive business models like Uber that harness multiple platforms to create greater products,” he added.

“That’s why we’ve created the Fitness Industry Technology Council (FIT-C), to make it easier for operators, suppliers and technology firms to work together and foster a thriving and integrated fitness technology sector.”