'Smart fitness studio' opens in Short Pump 

Richmond residents Eric and India Morgan recently opened their first Exercise Coach location at 3436 Lauderdale Drive in Henrico. The couple plans to open additional studios in the city's near west end and in a location south of the river within the next few years.

The Lauderdale site is the first artificial intelligence-enabled fitness studio in Virginia, with machines that adjust a person's workout to his/her strengths and weaknesses in real time.  The AI features are particularly attractive to reluctant exercise consumers, such as those who have trouble fitting workouts into their schedules, or who dislike the gym scene or are afraid of injuring themselves.

Unlike those at big box gyms, Exercise Coach workouts (scheduled by appointment only – no walk-ins) are supervised by a coach and limited to 20 minutes twice per week. One-on-one private training is available, as well as semi-private training, which allows no more than four clients per trainer.

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, Exercise Coach is the fastest growing personal training franchise in America, and the fifth fastest growing fitness franchise overall.