If you use an Apple Watch with cardio equipment, GymKit should be on your radar. It’s the best way for Apple Watch and a fitness machine like a treadmill or elliptical to exchange workout data, producing more accurate measurements than either device can provide alone.

Apple introduced GymKit with watchOS 4 in 2017, but compatible equipment has remained surprisingly difficult to find. The good news is that, nearly a decade later, you no longer need to spend around $15,000 on a GymKit treadmill.

Instead, you can spend around $1,000 on an excellent home treadmill that works with Apple Watch. I’ve been testing the BowFlex T6 treadmill this summer, and its combination of GymKit support, approachable pricing, and dial controls makes it easy to recommend.

What makes Apple GymKit so useful

GymKit provides a two-way connection between Apple Watch and compatible treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, and indoor bikes.

Without GymKit, cardio equipment knows your pace and distance but needs separate hardware to measure heart rate. Apple Watch tracks heart rate but has to estimate treadmill distance and pace from your wrist movement.

GymKit lets the two devices fill in each other’s gaps. Apple Watch sends heart-rate data to the treadmill, while the treadmill sends back measurements it knows directly from the workout.

Anthony Winge, Director of Product Development at Johnson Health Tech, tells 9to5Mac that calories, speed, distance, pace, time, incline, and heart rate sync in real time between the treadmill and Apple Watch, creating a more unified and accurate Fitness app record.

Using GymKit with the BowFlex T6

Pairing is intentionally simple, but what surprised me is how forgiving the process can be. You can connect Apple Watch before starting, but you do not have to do everything in that order.

For example, I can start the workout from the T6 console, get the belt moving, and then hold my Apple Watch near the NFC reader and confirm the connection. Realizing I could pair after starting was a bit of an unlock for me. For whatever reason, beginning on the treadmill and bringing in Apple Watch afterward feels more natural.

Once connected, Apple Watch offers four GymKit workout choices: Indoor Walk, Indoor Run, Time to Walk, and Time to Run. The first two provide the standard Apple Watch workout experience. The latter two let Apple Fitness+ subscribers combine the treadmill’s GymKit data with Apple’s audio-guided workouts.

After pairing, the treadmill and Apple Watch stay together. Pausing, resuming, or ending the workout from one also updates the other.

Your heart rate appears on the treadmill console throughout the workout. As Winge points out, that is especially useful for zone-based training because you can monitor your heart rate without repeatedly checking your wrist or holding the treadmill’s metal sensors.

BowFlex includes GymKit across its current T6, T9, and T16 treadmill lineup. That means the feature is not being reserved for the most expensive model.

GymKit with iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 in iOS 27

Starting with iOS 27, GymKit is no longer limited to Apple Watch. You can connect an iPhone to compatible equipment and use AirPods Pro 3 as the heart-rate source. I tested that experience with the BowFlex T6, and it essentially delivers the Apple Watch GymKit experience without the watch.

Meanwhile, watchOS 27 improves wrist-based distance estimates for indoor walks and runs. That should help when GymKit is unavailable, but a direct connection to the treadmill remains the most accurate option.

Why GymKit has been so difficult to find

The biggest problem with GymKit has always been availability.

Compatible machines initially appeared in premium fitness clubs in major cities. Equipment has since reached more regional locations, including some Planet Fitness gyms, but support remains far from universal. Even at a participating gym, only some machines may include it.

Buying GymKit equipment for a home gym was even harder. When I last checked in 2020, compatible Technogym treadmills started at just under $14,000. That might make sense for a high-end commercial gym, but it was a non-starter for most homes.

At the time, I hoped GymKit would eventually reach treadmills in the $1,000 to $1,500 range. The BowFlex T6 is exactly that kind of machine.

BowFlex T6 brings GymKit home

The BowFlex T6 treadmill is priced at $999 (reg. $1,299).

That remains a normal price for a capable home treadmill and roughly one-tenth of what a GymKit model cost when I last looked.

The T6 also avoids using an expensive built-in touchscreen. Instead, it has a straightforward console and an adjustable shelf for your own iPad, tablet, or phone. That keeps you free to choose a workout platform instead of tying the treadmill to one service.

You can use Apple Fitness+ (Apple One Premiere), Peloton, Zwift, or BowFlex’s optional JRNY platform. Your device can pair with the T6’s built-in Bluetooth speakers, while the console continues to display the workout data you need.

The treadmill itself does not require a subscription. That distinction matters at a time when connected fitness equipment can come with an ongoing fee just to access its best features.

Dial controls are the surprise highlight

Aside from GymKit and the approachable price, my favorite feature is how the BowFlex T6 controls speed and incline.

Rather than repeatedly pressing arrow buttons while walking or running, you roll dials mounted on the hand grips. The right-hand dial adjusts speed, while the left-hand dial controls incline. I find this much faster and more natural when making adjustments on the fly.

BowFlex pairs those QuickDial controls with what it calls its MaxReact drive system, which responds quickly as you change speed or incline. That makes the controls especially useful for interval workouts where you are frequently moving between intensities.

I first experienced dials like these while testing Peloton’s original treadmill several years ago. That machine cost a fortune, so finding a similar control system on a much more affordable treadmill is an excellent bonus.

The T6 also has a cushioned 20-by-60-inch running surface, speeds up to 12 mph, a motorized incline up to 15%, a three-speed fan, and a folding deck. Those are solid home-treadmill fundamentals without forcing a large touchscreen into the package.

Conclusion

Overall, I highly recommend that anyone building a budget-conscious home gym consider the BowFlex T6 treadmill. BowFlex offers more expensive models with advanced displays and larger running surfaces, but the T6 gets the important things right without adding costs I do not need.

GymKit support has been fantastic with Apple Watch and, more recently, with iPhone and AirPods Pro 3. The treadmill also supports Samsung Galaxy Watch if that is your preference.

Have you used Apple GymKit with Apple Watch before? Let us know in the comments.

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