Are you one of the many who still exercises in their living room, wearing old sweats and ratty trainers? While your comfortable, well-worn loungewear may make a great workout wardrobe, you might want to consider stepping into the 21st century with some of the latest high tech workout gear.
From useful devices that track your progress to exciting video games that you can use as an exercise program, the digital age has come to the physical exercise arena.
Great Workout Gadgets
No matter what type of exercise program you use, there are dozens of gadgets on the market that can be helpful. Of course, there are the basic pedometers for walkers and runners, but recent technology has developed a slew of new exercise gadgets for fitness-minded individuals to try.
Calorie Counters - Many types of exercise equipment now come with calorie counters built in. Other gadgets detect your heart rate and sweat output to help determine the amount of calories you are burning.
Body Fat Testers - For those who are working out and trying to decrease their body fat, hand-held body fat testers are available. These use a mild electrical current that cannot be felt to read a person’s body fat percentage.
Heart Rate Monitors - There are a variety of heart rate monitors on the market that can be used to detect your goal heart rate when exercising. They can also alert you if you go into a danger zone during your workout. Some are paired with other devices, such as GPS, while others are worn as standalone accessories.
High Tech Scales - While tracking your weight is important when dieting and exercising, today’s scales have many additional functions. These scales can check body fat percentage and monitor body mass index to allow better control and customising of diet and exercise programs.
Fitness Clothes with Function
In order to cut down on the amount of gadgets and gizmos that you need to wear to monitor your workout routine, many companies have started to integrate gadgets and equipment into their clothing.
iPod Trainers - Nike, with the help of Apple, has developed a line of trainers that are compatible with certain iPod models. These trainers have sensors that can communicate distance and heart rate from the shoes into the music device, allowing the athlete to track their progress or monitor their heart rate to help them achieve the perfect workout. In some gyms or health clubs, stationary bicycles are being brought in that also can receive the information from the trainers and relay it to the user through an on screen display or through the iPod itself.
Heart Rate Monitor Clothing - Companies are beginning to release fitness clothing lines that have built in sensors that will track the heart rate throughout a workout. Information will be sent from the clothing to a display that is worn on the wrist, giving athletes or exercisers a better chance of reaching their target heart rate through constant monitoring.
Exercise Video Games - When most people think of video games, they immediately picture a couch potato who is out-of-shape and overweight. Many companies are starting to take this issue seriously and are developing video games that will allow users to exercise, while still enjoying their favourite game platform.
- Nintendo DS
There have been several titles released for the Nintendo DS that are designed to teach different exercise programs to users. Pilates and Yoga games are the most popular choices, although the small size of the screen can make following some exercise routines difficult. These games also come with results tracking features and allow you to program reminders to be sure that you take the time to exercise each day.
- Wii Fit
Nintendo’s latest game platform was created to be more interactive with users, increasing their physical activity, but the Wii Fit takes this concept to a completely new level. The Wii Fit includes several workouts for those at different levels of fitness and allows users to weigh themselves, calculate their body age and track their exercise progress, all within the video game system.
- Dance Games
Dance games that require a large floor pad that records the steps taken are another option for using a video game system as a fitness tool. These games give players a wonderful cardiovascular workout, while they enjoy the competitiveness of playing a scored video game.
Technology is constantly developing and more high-tech fitness products hit the market every day. Though they are certainly not a requirement for physical fitness, they can be a fun and effective way to inspire yourself to get in shape or to enhance your workout routine. If your own workout needs a little spicing up, why not give one of these technologically advanced products a go.
Recommended Products
Take a look at the following high-tech workout gadgets:
Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer
Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor
Accu-Measure Fitness 3000 Personal Body Fat Tester
CalorieSmart - Handheld Calorie Counter
EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale w/ Extra Large Backlit 3.5” Display and Oversize Platform
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