THE MOTIVATION TO MOVE

THE MOTIVATION TO MOVE
Building Kinomap & the Human Side of Connected Fitness
Exclusive Interview with Philippe Moity
Featured in 'Innerviews'
Hosted by Allié McGuire

​Behind every innovation is a question someone dared to ask. For Philippe Moity, that question was simple: what if indoor training could feel like a real journey instead of a routine? In this conversation, Philippe shares the story behind Kinomap, the personal motivation that keeps him moving, and why he immediately stepped forward to support the Because I Can Virtual 5K, a global movement inspired by resilience and the power of taking the next step.

ALLIÉ: Let’s get right into this. Kinomap has changed the way people experience indoor training by turning a stationary workout into a journey across real landscapes around the world. But before it became a global platform, it began as an idea in someone’s mind, in your mind. So first question for you today, Philippe, is when you look back at the very beginning, what was the moment that made you think this could actually change the way people move? What problem were you trying to solve for yourself and for others?

PHILIPPE: In fact, Kinomap was launched in two steps, two parts. It looks like a long time ago, but it was in 2009, I think, something like that. Google launched Street View, and the co-founder lived in a small village, a small city in France, and he said, “Google will never come to my village, I will do it myself.” So he picked up his laptop with a webcam. Nobody knows what a webcam is anymore, but he started to record the village on his bike.

​The first idea was to create a kind of Google Street View based on video and also user-generated content to allow anybody to share content. The main difference between Street View and Kinomap is that Kinomap is based on video, while Street View is still images.

So we launched Kinomap as a platform in 2010, and we got the first videos from different countries. The most interesting videos were related to sports, like cycling and running. At the same time, probably in 2011 or 2012, on the market, a U.S. provider, WOW Fitness, introduced the first smart trainer for cyclists.

We had that content, fully geolocated video, crowdsourced. The localization of the video is important for us because it gives us a track, the speed of the recording, and also the elevation profile. When we were able to link the smart trainer, exercise bike, spinning bike, treadmill, and rowing machine to Kinomap, the idea was to give access to the content and also be able to speed up or slow down the video according to your own pace, and change resistance on the bike or incline on the treadmill.

The first app we launched was back in 2013, so a long time ago, 13 years ago. It has been a long way, a very long way. The idea is, I still have an exercise bike at home, but it’s so boring because you are in front of yourself. You can watch a movie, something like that, but it’s still boring.

The idea was, how can we fight against monotony? And the answer was to bring immersive content and interactive content. The fact that we can speed up or slow down the video, change resistance or incline. So far, we have something like 50,000 videos from 180 different countries. We collect 20 to 40 videos per day. So you can train every day, you can travel the world, and you will never do the same video twice, which is quite interesting.

ALLIÉ: It’s phenomenal. Actually, just the other day, I went on a run somewhere in Germany. It gives you, to your point, the opportunity to travel the world. But also, to your point, it is this immersive experience. It’s not just watching a video of someone running somewhere. It’s as if you are there. You are running there. You are biking there. You are rowing there.

There are three different modalities, and I experienced this firsthand, the incline. I said, “Oh wow, I don’t know if I was ready for this one.” But it is so immersive, and it’s phenomenal.

So let’s go here. You once said, “Training is as much about motivation as it is about movement.” It’s such a simple sentence, but it carries a lot of truth. So let’s get personal. For you personally, what is the motivation behind your own movement? What keeps you coming back to the bike, to the run, to the challenge when life gets busy or difficult?

PHILIPPE: It’s quite clear that to exercise, even if it’s not for performance, is very important. And I realized personally that I can easily find many excuses. I’m tired, I worked too hard, I have to get back home. Especially in wintertime in Europe, it’s dark in the evening or late afternoon. It’s too cold, too rainy.

So I was very good at finding excuses. Now I cannot find any more excuses because even if it’s just for 10 minutes or 15 minutes, I can do it.

The funny thing with Kinomap is, for example, if I pick a 30-minute video and there are 10 minutes left, and I’m a bit tired, if I slow down, the 10 minutes may take me 20 minutes. So if I’m tired, the first thing I do is speed up, because then the 10 minutes take maybe five minutes. It’s funny because the fact that we play with the speed of the video according to your own pace is a great incentive to speed up, not so much to search for performance, but just not to give up. Otherwise, I can stop and nobody cares.

The other thing is we realized a benefit with Kinomap that makes me really proud. We went to gyms, and the reason we are not very present in gyms is because people train too long on Kinomap. Which is good, because if you train more often and longer, for me, it’s the best success we can have.

But in a gym, it’s different because they don’t have many treadmills or exercise bikes. So if people train three times more often and longer, they would need more machines, and it’s expensive. They prefer activities like Zumba or CrossFit where they can put many people in the same room.

So the fact that people on Kinomap train more often and longer is actually a concern for gyms. But for us, it’s the best success we can have.

​ALLIÉ: You know, when we recently partnered to re-release the Because I Can virtual 5K for MS Awareness Month, something quite meaningful happened. Before most people even knew about our partnership, you signed up. You yourself. That meant a lot to me, so I wanted to personally say thank you for that. Merci beaucoup, I should say.

So my question is, what made you decide to join right away? And what about the story of Because I Can resonated with you? Why did you want to do this with me?


PHILIPPE: We have a few experiences here in Europe with hospitals or retirement homes. Retirement homes are very interesting. For example, some people with Parkinson’s disease cannot go outside anymore, but they really like when we show a video where they were born, where they grew up, where they got married. It resonates in their mind, which is exactly what they need.

We also have experiences in hospitals where we put a bike in a room. It’s not performance-driven. It’s just to give people the opportunity to travel the world for a moment. Some people cannot travel because it’s too expensive or they don’t have the opportunity. When I heard about your initiative, my first reaction was, “How can we bring our community to your cause?”

Running is important, but if I can run for a good reason, it’s even better. People like that because it makes sense. We need meaning in our lives, especially now when there is so much trouble in the world.

So to give meaning to what we do is very important. My first reaction was that we should tell our community about your initiative because it’s a great one.

ALLIÉ: Well, thank you. And I also have to thank you for creating this incredible platform, because now it has allowed me to share my journey more fully with other people.

The Because I Can 5K on Kinomap is the very first course, the very first route I ran after my MS diagnosis. I thought I was done with running. When I got diagnosed, I stopped. It wasn’t until several years later that I was inspired by a good friend to ask myself, “What can I do?”

That route on Kinomap is my very first run after my diagnosis, and it led to this whole journey. So thank you for that. It means a lot.

PHILIPPE: I also had a personal experience. I went to a cardiologist, and he found something not great, not critical, but not great. My first reaction was that even if I cannot change it, I wanted to react.

So I started to run myself just three or four years ago. I did a marathon in 2024 for the first time ever. It was my first race, and probably my last one. The performance was not there, for sure, but I really liked the challenge.

A 5K is such a good start. It builds confidence.

We have testimonials from users. Some people are afraid to do difficult climbs, like those from the Tour de France. They try it on Kinomap, and it’s hard, but they enjoy the landscape. Then the next summer, they go there in real life, and it’s even harder, but they do it.

We believe in real-life video. Some competitors use 3D, which is more like gaming, and that’s good too. But we want people to eventually go outside, to travel the world if they can. Kinomap helps them realize they can do it.

It’s not indoor versus outdoor. It’s about exercising whenever you can. If it’s not boring, people train more often and longer, and that’s what we want.

ALLIÉ: You have taken all the excuses away. And because of Kinomap, I’ve been able to virtually go to places that I now want to travel to in real life. I want my husband Jack and I to go there and say, “Look at this course, let’s go.” You’ve created something very special.

PHILIPPE: When you train on Kinomap, you can train alone, against the video maker, against yourself, or with others. We have multiplayer mode, private races, public races, and live chat.

The social aspect is very important. Physical and mental health are key, and being able to train with friends, even remotely, is powerful.

ALLIÉ: It really is a full package. At the end of the day, it’s about people. When you think about someone living with a challenge like MS or Parkinson’s, who may not be able to train the way they once did, what does it mean to you that technology can help them still feel connected to movement?

PHILIPPE: I like technology, but I like it even more when it is invisible. There is a lot of technology behind Kinomap, but it should feel like entertainment.

I believe TV should become interactive. Instead of just sitting and watching, you can interact, exercise, and engage.

Confidence is also very important. Some people are afraid to go outside because of how they feel about their body. But when they train on Kinomap and complete a 5K, they gain confidence. They realize they can do it, and then they register for real races. Self-confidence is crucial.

​ALLIÉ: Looking ahead, where do you think this space is going next? And how do you hope Kinomap will continue helping people feel more motivated, more connected, and more alive?

PHILIPPE: It’s hard to say because things are moving quickly, especially with AI. But we need to continue fighting monotony.

People should have variety. One day a scenic ride, another day a structured workout, another day just watching a movie while exercising.

Technology should not be only for top performers. On Kinomap, 50% of users are sport-driven, but 50% just want to exercise. It’s not about performance. It’s about building habits, moving more, and enjoying the process.

We want people to have a good time and a good life, if we can contribute even a little.

ALLIÉ: The way it’s designed really honors each person’s journey. Whether you want to perform, explore, or just have fun, it meets you where you are. It’s a gateway to experience and connection.

Thank you so much for everything.

PHILIPPE: I have one story. I put an exercise bike in front of the TV for my kids. I set a rule that if they pedaled below 50 RPM, there was no sound on the TV. They had to keep pedaling to hear the movie.

It was not a success, they were very upset. But I liked the idea. It made it a game.

ALLIÉ: I love that. You have to earn it.

PHILIPPE: Exactly. And have fun. It shouldn’t feel like a constraint. As long as you have fun, everything gets easier. ∎

Learn more about Kinomap:
www.kinomap.com
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Follow Philippe on LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/philippe-moity-263496