I just got back from rib fest and totally ate my body weight in pulled pork and mesquite ribs. Drool! However, I was invited to a pool party this weekend, and when I looked down at my tummy it resembled pulled pork more than it did washboard abs. I realize I’m in desperate need of a little tummy tightening before I appear pool side in my tankini.
Four fitness gizmos to whip you into serious shape!
Luckily, I know a few innovative pieces of fitness technology that can help me drop pounds, tone, and manage your diet so I can lose my spare floatation device. Here are my favorite pieces of fitness technology of 2012…
1. FitBit Ultra ($99.95)
Introducing the FitBit—even the name is cool—but what it does for your level of fitness is even cooler. The FitBit is a small plastic device that clips easily onto whatever you’re wearing (such as yoga pants or a fitness tank strap) and tracks your physical activity. You can track steps walked, stairs climbed, miles run or biked, calories burned, and even hours slept (yes, you can even sleep with your FitBit). The device has a well lit LCD screen so you can see progress, but I recommend syncing it to your wireless network or plugging it into your 14 inch laptop to view all of your fitness activity in fitness charts and graphs. Log into your FitBit account to set your weekly or monthly fitness goals, and track your diet progress by inputting your weight and recording all food consumed. FitBit offers a great way to stay motivated and accountable for your health.
2. Nike+ SportWatch GPS Powered by TomTom ($169)
This fitness device has been around for a few years now—but in my opinion—nothing quite compares to this handy GPS watch and shoe-based Nike+ Sensor. I use it to track my progress on runs with data like—route information, distance, pace, calories burned, and heart rate. All info is stored on the device until you plug it into a USB port on your computer and transfer it to the master site on www.nikeplus.com, a vibrant community of fitness enthusiasts who like to share fitness and diet tips and motivate each other on fitness efforts.
3. Speedo Aquabeat 2.0 ($119.99)
I love to swim—it hardly feels like exercise at all! So when I found out that I could jump in the pool and swim along to your favorite songs thanks to the Speedo Aquabeat 2.0 …I swooned a little bit. This underwater MP3 player is available in both 4GB (storing approximately 2,000 songs) and 8GB models (storing about 4,000 MP3 songs). It clips easily to any swim suit or trunks, and it floats too! Use this tool to create workout playlists and record your best lap using the stopwatch function at the same time.
4. Withings WiFi-Connected Body Scale ($159)
If you are always promising to start your diet tomorrow, then Withings WiFi-Connected Body Scale is the tool for you. Not only does it do what a scale is supposed to—weigh you—it also keeps electronic record of your weight, body mass index (BMI), and total body fat in pounds and sends this data wirelessly to your computer, smart phone, or laptop so you can always access your fitness progress. And if you are trying to lose weight with your spouse or your entire family, the good news is that this scale can track up to eight people at a time! How’s that for motivation?
Author bio: Melanie Gray is a writer for BBGeeks, a popular site that provides BlackBerry news, commentary, reviews and beginner cell phone tips for BB newbies.