3 Fitness Gadgets to Revamp Your Workout

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By Tamar Weinberg2013-08-07 19:09:03 UTC

Three months ago, a pioneer in tech blogging and a close friend, Allen Stern, passed away. In the last 15 months of his life, Allen lost more than 100 pounds and launched a motivational website called Let's Talk Fitness , complete with recipes, beautiful photos and strides he made in his personal life.

Exactly one month before Allen's passing, I mentioned to him that I wanted to follow a similar path. When you work in tech, it's easy to spend more time on the computer than being active outside, but Allen was going to help me kick my couch potato habit. We were supposed to start training the week he died.

Allen's legacy drives me spiritually, and for that reason, I've spent the months since his death dedicating myself to fitness and health. However, for those who are challenged by a mere "idea" of becoming healthy, tech can be a useful motivator.

See also: 8 Fantastic Fitness Apps to Keep You Motivated

There are hundreds of fitness-focused tech products — from the iPod that drowns out city noises when you're running, to the fitness tracker you wear every day. Here are a few that have helped me grow stronger and become more energized.

1. Striiv

Mashable composite. Images: Striiv

My biggest motivator thus far has been the Striiv Smart Pedometer. You can wear the pedometer via clip-on, keychain or just throw it in your pocket. It records your steps, stairs climbed, miles walked, minutes of overall activity and calories burned.

Unlike other fitness trackers on the market, the Striiv has a small display that lets you monitor your activity in real time. Striiv's live biofeedback is invaluable, and its two-inch color display makes the information easier to read.

The Striiv is more than just a pedometer, however. It features apps to drive you further in your quest to be fit. First, there is MyLand, a fantasy world of mythical creatures, animals, plants and buildings. Based on your interactivity with the device and your physical activity, you accumulate both gold and energy to build additional structures and to amass great fortune.

The Walkathon app translates your physical activity into real donations to three primary causes: immunizing children worldwide against polio, conserving the rain forest in Tanzania and providing a day's worth of clean water for one child in South America.

Finally, there's the Race app that lets you walk against one of three characters, each with varying speeds. If you win, you get an energy bonus.

See also: 10 Creative Ways to Use Your Favorite Running App

One of the Striiv's most impressive abilities, at least in my experience, is its capacity to be resuscitated. I accidentally soaked my Striiv with water, and it promptly stopped working. With patience, an airtight container, a packet of silica gel and direct sunlight, I restored its functionality.

The device isn't perfect, though. Unlike similar products on the market, it doesn't have sleep monitoring as it's mostly meant to be worn or carried. The Striiv also doesn't sync with MyFitnessPal or other online services, even though you can sync via cable every day (and even are incentivized via bonuses/donations to do so). The data resides on its online my.striiv.com database, but the company does not seem to want to port that synchronized data to MyFitnessPal for more accurate reporting. (A free Striiv iPhone app has this functionality, however.)

2. MyFitnessPal

Mashable composite. Images: MyFitnessPal

I stumbled upon MyFitnessPal when I was searching for a food diary, and my life hasn't been the same since. With more than 30 million members, its community is unparalleled. I hadn't expected to join a fitness-minded social network, but it's been a powerful motivator, as users tend to comment on other users' updates with compliments and words of encouragement.

What I love about MyFitnessPal is its user-generated/updated database, which is huge for just about every exercise and food imaginable. As someone who keeps kosher, I've found just about everything I need using the information other members have uploaded. MyFitnessPal also has a great support staff that responds quickly to issues with the site or the mobile apps.

The community is huge, and that's both good and bad. You can find a lot of people whose interests and goals are similar to yours. Assuming they're active, you'll always have a group of friends to motivate you. However, like all online communities, this means it also has its fair share of trolls.

There are usability inconsistencies between the web app and the mobile apps. It seems the company places developmental priority on its mobile apps. For those of us who like the web interface better, this means that we're using a version that feels like it's much farther behind.

MyFitnessPal is available via web app, Android and iOS apps. The service syncs with many physical fitness products.

3. Polar FT4

Mashable composite. Images: Flickr, Aaron, Polar

I go to the gym for strength training three times per week. In short, knowing my heart rate helps me ensure that I'm in the zone for the most effective weight loss. (Casually walking to the gym doesn't cut it.) It also lets me know when I am pushing myself too hard and need to cool down.

The Polar FT4 heart rate monitor communicates with a transmitter, so you can see your overall progress when you're working out. The FT4 is one of the lower-level models; if you want more aggressive training and detailed statistics, Polar has that, too.

I love that the watch has a backlight. I also adore the color (mine is a pink/purple). Unlike other watches that have somewhere between five and seven standard holes, the watch has what seems like a zillion holes and fits wrists of all sizes. Another pro of the Polar FT4 is that I can access old training files on my device, so I can see overall progress over time rather than for a single session.

See also: 10 Best Headphones for Your Workout

The heart rate monitor occasionally falls off, though, even if you think it's too tight. A secure fit may be tougher for women, since the bottom of your sports bra is usually competing with your heart transmitter. Worse, when the heart rate monitor loses its signal, it's sometimes tough to find it again. You may be forced to re-start your training session.

Experts say you shouldn't wear your heart transmitter or record your training all the time. These devices should be used only when working out. Otherwise, the data will be inconsistent. You may report a 3,000 calorie burn throughout the day, which folks on MyFitnessPal would tell you to eat back because you've earned it. (However, sitting idly and burning 3,000 calories isn't really "burning" anything.) It may be exciting to see yourself burning so much, but if you're weight-loss conscious, you don't want to eat back those calories or you'll never shed those pounds.

My fitness quest is nowhere near complete. I'm constantly trying new products and strategies to improve my workouts and results. But with Allen as my guide and tech accessories to help me get the most out of the journey, I'm moving full speed ahead toward a fitter and healthier lifestyle.

What fitness apps or gadgets do you use for your workout? Tell us in the comments below.

Image: Flickr, will ockenden

Topics: Apps and Software, fitness, fitness app, Fitness Apps, Gadgets, health, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, MyFitnessPal, striiv, Tech, workout