Cycflix lets you watch Netflix, but only if you keep up the pace

Netflix (and social media, and Seamless, and the convenience economy, and so on) has totally wrecked my fitness routine. But a new program from Dublin Institute of Technology student Ronan Byrne may save the day.

Cycflix is a project that lets you hook a stationary bike up with your Netflix account so that your favorite shows only play if you stick to your fitness routine.

It works by hooking up an Arduino to your stationary bike, which (with Byrne’s Python script) can control your Netflix based on how hard you’re pedaling.

Once you’ve hooked up the system based on these instructions, you simply set your workout routine, choose the movie or tv show you want to watch, and start pedaling.

As soon as you reach your intended speed, Netflix will start streaming the title you originally chose. If, for whatever reason, you drop below your pre-set speed for too long, the title will automatically pause until you pick up the pace.

Cycflix is also designed to let you choose the length of your workout, resting periods, sets, etc. Plus, you can set it up with other streaming services like Hulu, should you choose.

You can check out the project on Byrne’s GitHub.

[via TNW]