hermes-agent/optional-skills/health/fitness-nutrition/SKILL.md
haileymarshall f0b353bade feat(skills): add fitness-nutrition skill to optional-skills
Cherry-picked from PR #9177 by @haileymarshall.

Adds a fitness and nutrition skill for gym-goers and health-conscious users:
- Exercise search via wger API (690+ exercises, free, no auth)
- Nutrition lookup via USDA FoodData Central (380K+ foods, DEMO_KEY fallback)
- Offline body composition calculators (BMI, TDEE, 1RM, macros, body fat %)
- Pure stdlib Python, no pip dependencies

Changes from original PR:
- Moved from skills/ to optional-skills/health/ (correct location)
- Fixed BMR formula in FORMULAS.md (removed confusing -5+10, now just +5)
- Fixed author attribution to match PR submitter
- Marked USDA_API_KEY as optional (DEMO_KEY works without signup)

Also adds optional env var support to the skill readiness checker:
- New 'optional: true' field in required_environment_variables entries
- Optional vars are preserved in metadata but don't block skill readiness
- Optional vars skip the CLI capture prompt flow
- Skills with only optional missing vars show as 'available' not 'setup_needed'
2026-04-13 22:10:00 -07:00

9.8 KiB

name description version authors license metadata required_environment_variables
fitness-nutrition Gym workout planner and nutrition tracker. Search 690+ exercises by muscle, equipment, or category via wger. Look up macros and calories for 380,000+ foods via USDA FoodData Central. Compute BMI, TDEE, one-rep max, macro splits, and body fat — pure Python, no pip installs. Built for anyone chasing gains, cutting weight, or just trying to eat better. 1.0.0
haileymarshall
MIT
hermes
tags category prerequisites
health
fitness
nutrition
gym
workout
diet
exercise
health
commands
curl
python3
name prompt help required_for optional
USDA_API_KEY USDA FoodData Central API key (free) Get one free at https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/api-key-signup/ — or skip to use DEMO_KEY with lower rate limits higher rate limits on food/nutrition lookups (DEMO_KEY works without signup) true

Fitness & Nutrition

Expert fitness coach and sports nutritionist skill. Two data sources plus offline calculators — everything a gym-goer needs in one place.

Data sources (all free, no pip dependencies):

  • wger (https://wger.de/api/v2/) — open exercise database, 690+ exercises with muscles, equipment, images. Public endpoints need zero authentication.
  • USDA FoodData Central (https://api.nal.usda.gov/fdc/v1/) — US government nutrition database, 380,000+ foods. DEMO_KEY works instantly; free signup for higher limits.

Offline calculators (pure stdlib Python):

  • BMI, TDEE (Mifflin-St Jeor), one-rep max (Epley/Brzycki/Lombardi), macro splits, body fat % (US Navy method)

When to Use

Trigger this skill when the user asks about:

  • Exercises, workouts, gym routines, muscle groups, workout splits
  • Food macros, calories, protein content, meal planning, calorie counting
  • Body composition: BMI, body fat, TDEE, caloric surplus/deficit
  • One-rep max estimates, training percentages, progressive overload
  • Macro ratios for cutting, bulking, or maintenance

Procedure

Exercise Lookup (wger API)

All wger public endpoints return JSON and require no auth. Always add format=json and language=2 (English) to exercise queries.

Step 1 — Identify what the user wants:

  • By muscle → use /api/v2/exercise/?muscles={id}&language=2&status=2&format=json
  • By category → use /api/v2/exercise/?category={id}&language=2&status=2&format=json
  • By equipment → use /api/v2/exercise/?equipment={id}&language=2&status=2&format=json
  • By name → use /api/v2/exercise/search/?term={query}&language=english&format=json
  • Full details → use /api/v2/exerciseinfo/{exercise_id}/?format=json

Step 2 — Reference IDs (so you don't need extra API calls):

Exercise categories:

ID Category
8 Arms
9 Legs
10 Abs
11 Chest
12 Back
13 Shoulders
14 Calves
15 Cardio

Muscles:

ID Muscle ID Muscle
1 Biceps brachii 2 Anterior deltoid
3 Serratus anterior 4 Pectoralis major
5 Obliquus externus 6 Gastrocnemius
7 Rectus abdominis 8 Gluteus maximus
9 Trapezius 10 Quadriceps femoris
11 Biceps femoris 12 Latissimus dorsi
13 Brachialis 14 Triceps brachii
15 Soleus

Equipment:

ID Equipment
1 Barbell
3 Dumbbell
4 Gym mat
5 Swiss Ball
6 Pull-up bar
7 none (bodyweight)
8 Bench
9 Incline bench
10 Kettlebell

Step 3 — Fetch and present results:

# Search exercises by name
QUERY="$1"
ENCODED=$(python3 -c "import urllib.parse,sys; print(urllib.parse.quote(sys.argv[1]))" "$QUERY")
curl -s "https://wger.de/api/v2/exercise/search/?term=${ENCODED}&language=english&format=json" \
  | python3 -c "
import json,sys
data=json.load(sys.stdin)
for s in data.get('suggestions',[])[:10]:
    d=s.get('data',{})
    print(f\"  ID {d.get('id','?'):>4} | {d.get('name','N/A'):<35} | Category: {d.get('category','N/A')}\")
"
# Get full details for a specific exercise
EXERCISE_ID="$1"
curl -s "https://wger.de/api/v2/exerciseinfo/${EXERCISE_ID}/?format=json" \
  | python3 -c "
import json,sys,html,re
data=json.load(sys.stdin)
trans=[t for t in data.get('translations',[]) if t.get('language')==2]
t=trans[0] if trans else data.get('translations',[{}])[0]
desc=re.sub('<[^>]+>','',html.unescape(t.get('description','N/A')))
print(f\"Exercise  : {t.get('name','N/A')}\")
print(f\"Category  : {data.get('category',{}).get('name','N/A')}\")
print(f\"Primary   : {', '.join(m.get('name_en','') for m in data.get('muscles',[])) or 'N/A'}\")
print(f\"Secondary : {', '.join(m.get('name_en','') for m in data.get('muscles_secondary',[])) or 'none'}\")
print(f\"Equipment : {', '.join(e.get('name','') for e in data.get('equipment',[])) or 'bodyweight'}\")
print(f\"How to    : {desc[:500]}\")
imgs=data.get('images',[])
if imgs: print(f\"Image     : {imgs[0].get('image','')}\")
"
# List exercises filtering by muscle, category, or equipment
# Combine filters as needed: ?muscles=4&equipment=1&language=2&status=2
FILTER="$1"  # e.g. "muscles=4" or "category=11" or "equipment=3"
curl -s "https://wger.de/api/v2/exercise/?${FILTER}&language=2&status=2&limit=20&format=json" \
  | python3 -c "
import json,sys
data=json.load(sys.stdin)
print(f'Found {data.get(\"count\",0)} exercises.')
for ex in data.get('results',[]):
    print(f\"  ID {ex['id']:>4} | muscles: {ex.get('muscles',[])} | equipment: {ex.get('equipment',[])}\")
"

Nutrition Lookup (USDA FoodData Central)

Uses USDA_API_KEY env var if set, otherwise falls back to DEMO_KEY. DEMO_KEY = 30 requests/hour. Free signup key = 1,000 requests/hour.

# Search foods by name
FOOD="$1"
API_KEY="${USDA_API_KEY:-DEMO_KEY}"
ENCODED=$(python3 -c "import urllib.parse,sys; print(urllib.parse.quote(sys.argv[1]))" "$FOOD")
curl -s "https://api.nal.usda.gov/fdc/v1/foods/search?api_key=${API_KEY}&query=${ENCODED}&pageSize=5&dataType=Foundation,SR%20Legacy" \
  | python3 -c "
import json,sys
data=json.load(sys.stdin)
foods=data.get('foods',[])
if not foods: print('No foods found.'); sys.exit()
for f in foods:
    n={x['nutrientName']:x.get('value','?') for x in f.get('foodNutrients',[])}
    cal=n.get('Energy','?'); prot=n.get('Protein','?')
    fat=n.get('Total lipid (fat)','?'); carb=n.get('Carbohydrate, by difference','?')
    print(f\"{f.get('description','N/A')}\")
    print(f\"  Per 100g: {cal} kcal | {prot}g protein | {fat}g fat | {carb}g carbs\")
    print(f\"  FDC ID: {f.get('fdcId','N/A')}\")
    print()
"
# Detailed nutrient profile by FDC ID
FDC_ID="$1"
API_KEY="${USDA_API_KEY:-DEMO_KEY}"
curl -s "https://api.nal.usda.gov/fdc/v1/food/${FDC_ID}?api_key=${API_KEY}" \
  | python3 -c "
import json,sys
d=json.load(sys.stdin)
print(f\"Food: {d.get('description','N/A')}\")
print(f\"{'Nutrient':<40} {'Amount':>8} {'Unit'}\")
print('-'*56)
for x in sorted(d.get('foodNutrients',[]),key=lambda x:x.get('nutrient',{}).get('rank',9999)):
    nut=x.get('nutrient',{}); amt=x.get('amount',0)
    if amt and float(amt)>0:
        print(f\"  {nut.get('name',''):<38} {amt:>8} {nut.get('unitName','')}\")
"

Offline Calculators

Use the helper scripts in scripts/ for batch operations, or run inline for single calculations:

  • python3 scripts/body_calc.py bmi <weight_kg> <height_cm>
  • python3 scripts/body_calc.py tdee <weight_kg> <height_cm> <age> <M|F> <activity 1-5>
  • python3 scripts/body_calc.py 1rm <weight> <reps>
  • python3 scripts/body_calc.py macros <tdee_kcal> <cut|maintain|bulk>
  • python3 scripts/body_calc.py bodyfat <M|F> <neck_cm> <waist_cm> [hip_cm] <height_cm>

See references/FORMULAS.md for the science behind each formula.


Pitfalls

  • wger exercise endpoint returns all languages by default — always add language=2 for English
  • wger includes unverified user submissions — add status=2 to only get approved exercises
  • USDA DEMO_KEY has 30 req/hour — add sleep 2 between batch requests or get a free key
  • USDA data is per 100g — remind users to scale to their actual portion size
  • BMI does not distinguish muscle from fat — high BMI in muscular people is not necessarily unhealthy
  • Body fat formulas are estimates (±3-5%) — recommend DEXA scans for precision
  • 1RM formulas lose accuracy above 10 reps — use sets of 3-5 for best estimates
  • wger's exercise/search endpoint uses term not query as the parameter name

Verification

After running exercise search: confirm results include exercise names, muscle groups, and equipment. After nutrition lookup: confirm per-100g macros are returned with kcal, protein, fat, carbs. After calculators: sanity-check outputs (e.g. TDEE should be 1500-3500 for most adults).


Quick Reference

Task Source Endpoint
Search exercises by name wger GET /api/v2/exercise/search/?term=&language=english
Exercise details wger GET /api/v2/exerciseinfo/{id}/
Filter by muscle wger GET /api/v2/exercise/?muscles={id}&language=2&status=2
Filter by equipment wger GET /api/v2/exercise/?equipment={id}&language=2&status=2
List categories wger GET /api/v2/exercisecategory/
List muscles wger GET /api/v2/muscle/
Search foods USDA GET /fdc/v1/foods/search?query=&dataType=Foundation,SR Legacy
Food details USDA GET /fdc/v1/food/{fdcId}
BMI / TDEE / 1RM / macros offline python3 scripts/body_calc.py