This project will assess the effectiveness of live fitness sessions broadcast via gigabit networking. Participation in regular group fitness programs and access to personal trainers is a way to improve the health of individuals, thus increasing lifespans and reducing the overall cost of healthcare. Significant challenges exist in the participation in regular fitness programs including cost, time and geography. There are over 251,000 registered fitness trainers in the USA which deliver group fitness and personal training programs at their local health clubs on a daily basis. This proposal seeks to explore the effectiveness of live broadcast fitness via gigabit networking and the impact of varying the video fidelity. The study will utilize the KinectHealth software application, GENI racks and the OpenFlow networking protocol. Kinect Health 3D was a Bronze price winner in the recent MozillaIgnite competition.
Obesity and its consequent diseases is a national problem that is a significant component of rising health-care expenditures. Exercise and even modest exercise-driven weight loss can significantly lower fasting blood sugar, improve glucose tolerance, and reduce blood triglyceride levels. This project will explore a network-mediated method of encouraging and facilitating regular exercise and will document its associated bandwidth requirements.