Apple Looking To Hire Health and Fitness Experts

February 11 2014

Apple Looking To Hire Health and Fitness Experts

Earlier this week, Apple posted an ad on their job website seeking a “User Studies Exercise Physiologist" who is capable of working 40 hours a week at the company’s headquarters in Santa Clara Valley. Since Apple is obviously a tech company, this job posting has led many people to speculate why they are seeking experts in the health and fitness field.

While there’s been no official response from Apple, some people believe the company is gearing up to release a smartwatch (possibly called the iWatch). Samsung already beat Apple to the draw by releasing the Galaxy Gear smartwatch; however, it looks like Apple is taking the time to improve the function and design of their smartphone before releasing it to the public, and hiring fitness experts could help them accomplish this.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch really lacked any usability as a fitness tool. Sure, it could perform some basic tasks, but ultimately it served little use as a viable health and fitness tool. Apple is likely trying to avoid this problem by hiring experts to ensure the readings are accurate and correct.

Some of the potential health and fitness features we could see in the upcoming Apple iWatch include the following:

• Heart rate readings
• Steps taken
• Speed
• Metabolic rate
• Etc.

There are several fitness watches already on the market which perform these functions and more. However, there’s a general problem of accuracy among most of them, which is likely the reason why Apple decided to hire some health and fitness experts.

So, when can you expect to see the fitness-themed iWatch available for sale at your local Apple store? Considering the company has yet to confirm the development of a smartwatch, we can only speculate when, or if, they will release one. However, most tech analysts believe an iWatch release is on the horizon, and that it could happen within the next 6-8 months.

The listing stated the following:

"Design and run user studies related to cardiovascular fitness & energy expenditure, including calories burned, metabolic rate, aerobic fitness level measurement/tracking and other key physiological measurements.

Candidate will be knowledgeable about the physiological effects being measured and how to avoid potential inaccuracy and experimental error due DOE flaws and/or reference monitor (i.e. metabolic cart, etc.) usage issues.

The role will need to apply relevant knowledge to the design of products and their testing/validation through user studies.”

Apple iWatch concept image