Xbox One plans to kick you into shape with new fitness videos, Kinect monitoring

The countdown to the Xbox One release is on, and we are receiving regular updates regarding what to expect, from game releases to entertainment options. Now Microsoft is adding another dimension to the platform, this time aiming to boost your physical fitness level.

Today, the console maker announces the latest device will come with Xbox Fitness -- providing you obtain an Xbox Live Gold membership, of course.

According to Xbox Live chief Larry Hryb, "the extensive library of videos [comes] from the world’s biggest fitness brands including Beachbody’s P90X (Tony Horton) and INSANITY (Shaun T), Jillian Michaels, Tracy Anderson and others".

This is not just a collection of fitness videos, a genre that has been around since the VCR days, but instead Microsoft is utilizing Kinect technology to take things a bit further. "Using Kinect technology, Xbox Fitness can read your heart rate without a monitor, see which muscles are most engaged by measuring the power, force and transfer of weight in your body, and track the quality of your performance by measuring your balance, tempo and form", states Hryb.

The Xbox Fitness program will be free (with that Xbox Live Gold membership) through December 2014, adding one more reason to welcome Microsoft's gaming console into your living room.