Ten... fitness gadgets

OK, so it's that time of year again, and every newspaper, website, daytime television show and franchised gymnasium is bombarding you with Xmas-excess guilt. But if you have decided to get fit in 2011, you might find some of these gadgets useful in your quest to attract the opposite sex... er, sorry... improve your health. …

[Erroneous Howard]

Amazed...

...that you did not include a GPS running device such as a Garmin or similar but did manage to include a foot massager and a puzzle. My Garmin has a heart rate monitor and a cadence sensor so is really useful for both running and cycling, a free website to upload all of my exercise as well as a standard export format which many other running and fitness websites accept.

The GPS is also accurate and there are a variety of options such as virtual training partner, courses (with route map), auto-lapping, auto-multisport, pace and heart rate zones and the 400 series have heartrate-based calorie calculation.

I have used one for a year now and wouldn't be without it for a long run or race.

[jayp]

totally agree...

I second this - my 310XT along with Garmin Connect is essential in keeping me motivated, esp in the past few weeks when I could see doing nothing over xmas has led to a serious drop in pace :-(

[Anthony Shortland]

so....

The most popular product by far is rated the lowest - not that the reg is out of touch with reality at all.

[Tom Wood]

Er...

It's popular therefore it must be good?!!

Since when did the masses know anything about anything?

[David Ward 1]

Wii fit is a GAME not a finess tool!

Why would the rating be based on popularity? I think you are looking for a purchase by most popular option not a review.

The Wii is shown in most studies to not improve fitness as the workout increases heart rate by about 40% above resting and only 10%-15% above more sedate games, it is a toy not a fitness gadget...

[Elmer Phud]

Kettler cycling machine - but can it do games

"For an extra £150, you can connect to your PC with the Ketter World Tours 1.0 software"

There was an exercise bike you could use to pedal your way round GTA instead of driving.

Sod bike race emulations (though headlines of 'Kettler user dies on virtual Mont Ventoux' would be interesting) lets go for the inner city reality of deals on two wheeels.

[Goat Jam]

If there was a reasonably priced

exercise bike that could hook up to PC/PS3/XBOX/Wii I would buy it in an instant.

The thing I hate most about exercising is the MIND NUMBING BOREDOM OF IT!

Here I am, sitting on a bike in a room pedalling like mad but going nowhere. What a rush.

Golly, I must do this more often. Not.

[PowerSurge]

Does it really?

...the GymGoal app - it runs on Android and iOS...

Does it really run on Android? Give us a clue where

[Code Monkey]

Revomaze

By crikey that looks fun. Cheers Reg!

[David Ward 1]

Sports-tracker for symbian..

sports-tracker (sports-tracker.com) is a free symbian app which is better than track my run and endemondo etc and has worked great for me for the past couple of years... Always use my old nokia for running instead of my iphone for this app...

[Bailey]

Runkeeper Pro...

... is a GPS running device. It was selected because of the ubiquity of iOS and Android devices, and its relative inexpense. Other competing technologies, such as GPS Motion X, were considered, but Runkeeper came out on top for simplicity and its excellent website social network.

[Anonymous Coward]

RunMeter vs RunKeeper

RunMeter is far superior to RunKeeper...

If I want to social network running, I can choose to upload specific activities to twitter/facebook/etc

I've used both, and prefer RunMeter, which happens to be cheaper. Check both out before deciding which to buy, if you are using an iOS device for your activities.

[Arthur Jackson]

Runmeter for me

Wot he said -- I too have used both and prefer RunMeter. Went for a long run this morning Garmin Forerunner 310xt on wrist, iPhone with Runmeter in backpack. Finished my run checked distances on both devices, pressed "Done" on Runmeter and within a minute received an email with a comprehensive breakdown of my run including google maps data.

I paid £2.99 an absolute bloody bargain.

[Lottie]

Kettler cycling machine and Revomaze

Now they look awesome. I really like the idea of being able to upload courses to an exercise bike, but it lacks a feature to really jar the fuck out of your arms and back with a pothole simulator.

You'd need one if you uploaded any UK road courses to it.

[DrunkJunkie]

Missing some?

No EA Sports Active 2?

[Mike Brown]

agreed

especially on the ps3. no silly kinnect cameras or balance boards. just sensors, a heart rate monitor and a very good workout programme. £50 for what is effectivly your own personal trainer. good stuff

[Anonymous Coward]

Fitness - I has it.

All the above products in this article are complete bollocks.

Nobody needs any of this crap and none of them will make it any easier to get to your desired fitness & weight levels.

They categorically won't make you fit, ESPECIALLY the Kinect and Wii fit crap, they should be removed under the trade descriptions act, because they are soooooooo misleading.

If you want to get fit and lose weight, you need to do PROPER exercise like jogging, swimming or using a good quality cross trainer (not some £50 job from Argos), combined with press-ups & situps. The only "device" you need is appropriate footwear for jogging and a clock to look at during your session so you know you've been doing exercise for at least 40 minutes, three times a week. Getting fit from a state of complete un-fitness is not easy, it's rewarding hard work!

Also, eat less food, don't snack after your evening meal and watch the weight drop off.

[Hedley Phillips]

Good post apart from the mention of Situps

Good post. The only way to lose weight and get fit is via my famous diet called "eat less and do more".

You don't need any fancy diets, toys, tech, gadgets, just eat less and do more.

A healthy balanced diet with reduced calorie intake and burning more calories than you ingest and you will lose weight.

My only criticism of your post is you mention situps. They are dreadful for you and only really exercise the main trunk flexor, the iliopsoas muscle and don't work on the abs. Crunches are better but a lot of people now say that full body workouts are better, ie squats, lunges and deadlifts as they all use core stabilisation and work the whole body therefore reducing fat and this is the only way to get your abs to show.

[Lottie]

re: not some £50 job from Argos

That should apply to most fitness Items.

If you've ever compared a cheap assed bike or set of rollerblades from Argos to a decent quality ones, it'd really amaze you.

I get the feeling that crap fitness products need to be battled with, whereas the more thoughtfully made ones feel like they're working *with* you to help you get fitter.

[Danny 14]

actually

I find a good rowing machine is a decent workout. I changed my eating habits marginally (dropped the over carbs, no choc or crisps) and went from a portly 40" waist 16 stone (6 foot) to a 36" 14 stone in 9 months. I alternate 10km then 6km weekdays and rest at weekends. Granted it cost me a grand for a concept 2 but its worth every penny. Plus you can watch DVDs whilst you exercise (with headphones as it is damn noisy)

[JEDIDIAH]

Get off my lawn!

> If you want to get fit and lose weight, you need to do

> PROPER exercise like jogging, swimming or using

> a good quality cross trainer

...which any Kettler qualifies as.

So does some silly video game that encourages to move.

Really all you need is that callesthenics guide from 1904 but most people just aren't that motivated or disciplined. A toy/gadget helps get people moving that otherwise wouldn't.

Yeah, most people aren't nearly motivated enough. That's kind of the point.

You don't need to spend $5000 on your exercise gadgets.

[Bailey]

GymGoal

Thanks for pointing out that GymGoal ISN'T available for Android yet, PowerSurge. That was a mistake in my article. It is only available on iOS at present.

Here's hoping SmalTek do an Android version soon, as I really can't recommend it enough.

[moonface]

Garmin Forerunner 405CX

I have a love/hate relationship with my Garmin Forerunner 405CX Sports Watch. It's strange but there is nothing like looking at a database of past achievements\failures to motivate me and get my arse up and around the block!

I couldn't find GymGoal app for Android either. I use 'JEFIT' which is free and pretty good.

Most pointless app I have come across so far is 'Drop and Give Me Twenty'! It's bad enough with finger smudges on my phone, let alone nose ones!

[Anonymous Coward]

Never heard about SportsTracker?

SportsTracker busts Runkeeper Pro even without trying it.

http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/download

[Annihilator]

"Proper" cycling

No reference of cycling tools? My current favourite and suggestion is Bike Hub, allowing you to plan routes and sat-nav on the UK Cycle Network.

Unfortunately on available for iOS at the moment - but free.

[Some Beggar]

Buying gadgets to get fit is just procrastination.

"Excellent. I've spent some money on 'fitness'. Now for a couple of donuts and four hours hermetically bonding my massive arse to the sofa while I pretend to be a buxom elf in never never land ..."

Worried about fitness? Chuck the gadgets in the draw and go outside.

[clanger9]

Fitbit?

Anybody tried one of these?

http://www.fitbit.com/

Only available in the US at the moment, but looks very neat...

[mulder]

missed chance

These subjects are the ideal "exuses" to plaster the pages with babes in tight outfits "demonstrating" the gadgets.

i expected more from the register ;~)

[sandriderman]

Garmin 205

I have logged 3112 miles since 2008 in my garmin 205 (available for £105).

It has been through all weather and never failed me (although had to reset it a couple of times). Just a simple watch with a GPS receiver in it. No chest straps or things to put on / in my running shoes.

It has helped me get to the stage where I can run at 6 minute mike pace in 10 mile races.

There is no way I would run with my (fantastic) android phone.

[Anonymous Coward]

Apps and gadgets dont replace a good trainer

If you think an app can prescribe exercise effectively, assess and consider biomechanical and other physical limitations or periodise a programme properly your living in never never land.

A good trainer will use Apps to further motivate clients and aid retention, I use cardiotrainer with a lot of mine as its cross platform and provides good feedback on pace during workouts.

@Hedley Phillips

"My only criticism of your post is you mention situps. They are dreadful for you and only really exercise the main trunk flexor, the iliopsoas muscle and don't work on the abs"

And you go on to recommend crunches which is laughable. When your pensioner and you need to get out of bed your going to need all the strength you can get from a functional movement like a full range roll up, all a crunch does is isolate one small part of the anterior movement chain and leave you with bad posture and the inability to sit up properly.

If you want a good example look at the early work of Joseph Pilates before his method got hijacked by the dancers, no useless crunches in that mans repertoire.

[Jon H]

Run GPS

What about Run GPS http://www.rungps.net/ for Android and Windows Mobile?

Does all the others do and more (for starters it's also on WinMo!). Allows live tracking so someone can follow you on Google Earth in real time. Plus it has profiles for all sorts of sports... cycling, hiking, canoeing etc etc, and works out calories and all sorts of things.

[f1rest0rm]

Another Garmin fan ....

Had a 405 for a couple of years now. Not sure why I'd want to swap it for carrying a phone with me ....

[cre@mstick360]

I lost 4 stone playing Dance Central on the Kinect...

...and I'm now a hit with the ladies down my local club.

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft Kinect

Thanks, but no thanks. I don't purchase from companies that discriminate against the mentally handicapped.

[Goat Jam]

The mentally handicapped?

You mean their target market?