Smart Home Lifestyle

August 26, 2006

Hi-Tech Fitness Gadgets Make Exercising a Little Easier

Tired of treading on that treadmill? Don’t throw out those running shoes just yet. Daily workouts may have gotten you in a rut, but these three new gadgets will quickly get the “tech” back in your step.

Nike likes it

If running is your thing, Nike’s Sport Kit will get you back on track. Bringing sports and music together, Apple Computers and Nike change the way people run.

“We’re working with Nike to take music and sport to a new level,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “The result is like having a personal coach or training partner motivating you every step of your workout.”

Sport Kit is a wireless system that allows Nike+ footwear to talk with your iPod nano. A sensor is placed in your shoe, and the receiver plugs into you iPod. Sport Kit tracks time, distance, calories burned and pace, all while playing your favorite tunes. You can even hit “power song” for that extra energy boost.

Sport Kit saves data on your iPod, while giving real-time audio feedback, like distance ran, through your headphones. Once you’re done, simply download the info into your computer to compare and analyze all your latest workouts. Just remember, the Sport Kit costs $29, but requires an iPod nano, starting just under $150 and a pair of Nike+ enabled footwear costing from $85-$100.

Pump you up

Wish you could have a personal trainer in the palm of your hand? PumpOne (pumpone.com) let’s you download workout sessions, with simple-to-follow videos, to your iPod, PDA or other handheld video device. PumpOne Trainers give 4-6 week of visual training programs with 1-3 different workouts each. They range from $19-$29, a far cry from what personal trainers charge per hour.

Already got a personal trainer? PumpOne’s new youPump program works great as a supplement or for times when you’re traveling.

“youPump is a revolutionary training innovation for fitness professionals,” said Declan Condron, certified trainer and co-creator of PumpOne. “This state-of-the art tool will allow trainers to keep existing clients on track between sessions or during vacations, stretch out training packages for budget-conscious clients, and add new clients that they may not have time to train on a regular basis.”

Hour long routines range from yoga, to stretching, to strength training and cardio work. According to PumpOne, this fall their training packages will expand to include sports specific training for golf, skiing, triathlon, training, tennis, wakeboarding, pre/post natal and senior workouts.

Trackings from Above

Garmin’s Forerunner combines a personal trainer and a GPS receiver for sports off the beaten track. The Forerunner monitors heart rate, speed, distance, pace and calories burned. Plus, the GPS feature tracks and guides location, a perk for bikers and hikers.

Extras include the “Courses” feature, which lets you download recorded courses and compete against previous workouts. “Virtual Partner” lets you train against a digital person at specified time, distance or pace goals. And, “Auto Pause” pauses and resumes the times based on a specified speed, so you never have to press start or stop.

And the best part? Garmin’s new Foot Pad let’s you track and train indoors where a GPS signal is not available. An accessory to the Forerunner 305, the Foot Pad is a shoe-mounted device that wirelessly talks to the wrist-worn Forerunner 305 to provide accurate distance an speed while training on treadmills or indoor tracks.

The Forerunner 305 costs around $375 and the Foot Pad accessory comes in just under $100. Both can be purchased at www.garmin.com.

Author: Diana Kostigen, Marketing/Public Relations Director, Comtec