Turn on, Tune in, GET FIT!

Want to get fit and make your workout more fun? Along with will power, modern technology can also work wonders! Technology is fast becoming an essential aspect of everyday life. Whether it is the ubiquitious mobile phone, laptop or MP3 player that tend to make life a tad easier, technology has become user friendly and highly accessible. Just as technology has advanced to a grand extent, so has the health industry. When combined, the advancements in these two fields can offer a good deal of benefits to those looking for ways to monitor their own health with the aim of reaching a particular fitness level. We tend to get excited with devices that help us in the kitchen or gadgets that beautify us. So why not be equally enthusiastic about gadgets that can help you become a healthier and fit you?

Your Personal Trainer
The Nike + iPod kit is one of the best things to have happened to the world of fitness. Not only does it make exercising a blast, but it also gives you feedback that is vital to reach your fitness goals with ease just like a pedometer does. The kit comprises a pair of Nike + shoes and a sensor, both of which sync with an iPod nano, iPod touch or iPhone. All you need to do before starting your exercise regime is place the sensor in the shoe’s designated slot, then, wirelessly connect the receiver to your Apple device and select your mode of work out and music playlist. As you exercise, your iPod or iPhone will inform you of the time, distance, pace and calories burnt. You will also get a reminder at the halfway point and in the final lead-up to your goal. Later, when you sync your device to a computer, you can analyse your performance, break your last record and even see how near or far away you are from your goal!

WII Get Fit!
If you really want to work on your fitness levels or lose weight and have an exceedingly fun time while you’re at it, then the Wii console will be your best bet. Games like Wii Fit Plus offer you a number of ways to get a fit and toned body. You can choose from 15 balance- and aerobics-based games as well as from six strength training and yoga activities. Your motivation levels will run at an all-time high as you’ll be working out under the guidance of a virtual trainer. Plus, added features like a calorie-burning counter, the ability to create customised fitness regimens and to choose from specialised routines based on your objectives and time will help you achieve your goals with ease. Along with the Wii Fit Plus game, you will also get the pressure-sensitive Wii Balance Board that helps the user to improve their posture and balance. This board is used for an array of fun and interactive activities like aerobics, muscle stretches, yoga and other fitness games.

Hearty Workout
It’s quite a task to get a wholesome workout without a heart rate transmitter that keeps you in the loop with regards to how hard and far you take your workout. After all, the best measure of the depth of your exercise is your heart rate. The Nivia Heart Rate Monitor not only acts as a watch, calendar, alarm clock and timer but also as a gadget that monitors your heart rate, exercise time and calorie consumption.

Off the Couch!
Take gaming to a whole new level with the Kinect for Xbox 360. The Kinect is a webcam that uses impressive technology to turn your body into a controller for every video game that you play on the Microsoft Xbox 360 console. For instance, if you want your onscreen avatar to jump, then you’ll have to jump too! One of the fun video games to try out in sync with the Kinect is Zumba. For those who aren’t in the know, Zumba is actually a hugely popular fitness trend that combines Latin and other world music with a rigorous, calorie-burning workout. Now that Zumba is available as a video game, it’s won’t be so difficult to get off that couch and work up a sweat!

Wonder Weight Watcher
It works like every other weighing scale: You step on it and it displays your weight. The only difference is that it happens to be much more intelligent. The Wi-Fi Body Scale transmits data using your Internet connection to a computer, mobile phone, iPad or iPod Touch. The scale’s software then displays a graph of your weight over time and goes on to calculate your fat percentage and body-mass index (BMI). Perfect for those who are looking to shed a few kilos, the Wi-Fi Body Scale permits you to create profiles for eight people so that each person’s weight can be tracked on a dedicated graph.

Volume 1 Issue 8