GO>ID Review Posted by Steve on June 4, 2013 No Responses » Jun 042013 Staying fit is one thing, staying safe is a whole different game. As we’ve mentioned before, staying safe while out for a run, hike, walk, ride, climb, or swim is an extremely important factor to consider when participating in these activities. For the most part, this can be achieved through simple means: going out with a friend, keeping yourself well-lit or wearing reflective clothing, running with a cell phone for emergencies, knowing your surroundings, and paying attention to the time of day (if trail-running, mornings can be hazardous because of animals; if road running, nights can be bad due to crime or traffic). Unfortunately, even if you take the aforementioned precautions, I would be lying to you if I told you that they make you magically immune to accidents. For those times that something does goes wrong, it is best to be prepared. Enter GO>ID, with which, as they so elegantly put it: You’ll have the peace of mind to do everything you want to with the confidence to go anywhere. As far as big ideas go, the simple ones are always the best. Continue reading “GO>ID Review” » Technorati Tags: exercise, fitness, GO>ID, hiking, identification, racing, running, running tips, training tips
Amiigo: A New Generation of Wearable Sensors Posted by Meagan on January 18, 2013 1 Response » Jan 182013 When it comes to activity trackers, it is getting a little difficult to get excited about the release of yet another one. As Steve pointed out in his post on the 2013 CES, the market is starting to get a liiiiiittle crowded. Add to that the fact that so many companies are focusing on wrist-based sensors (e.g., the new Fitbit Flex, the Basis Band, the very popular Nike Fuelband), which, after our negative experience with the Jawbone Up, Steve and I remain very skeptical of (Hundreds of “steps” counted for moving my arms while driving? I don’t think so.), and you can understand why, when we got an email from Dave Scott, one of the founders of Amiigo, I was not immediately pumped to hear another activity tracker pitch. Boy, was I in for one heck of a surprise and boy, am I excited to share the Amiigo fitness sensor with you today. You think you’ve seen it all when it comes to activity trackers, and then something truly innovative like the Amiigo comes along and blows you away again! Continue reading “Amiigo: A New Generation of Wearable Sensors” » Technorati Tags: activity tracker, Amiigo, Amiigo Fitness Sensor, exercise, fitness, fitness sensor, running
CES 2013 – Activity Tracker Bonanza Posted by Steve on January 15, 2013 No Responses » Jan 152013 If you are unfamiliar with CES (Consumer Electronics Show), I’ll start by saying that it is the world’s largest consumer technology trade-show featuring over 3000 exhibitors (and if any reader out there wants to hook us up with an invite for 2014, we would be very interested in going)(and yes, this is basically the same opening paragraph as last year’s CES article, so sue me!). The 2013 event wrapped up on January 12th and this year’s hot topic was, apparently, activity trackers! While there were 15+ total trackers featured at CES, I picked out a few of my favorites to share with you and/or ones that I feel will make the biggest impact. So, without further ado, let’s get to the activity tracker parade! Continue reading “CES 2013 – Activity Tracker Bonanza” » Technorati Tags: activity trackers, CES, CES 2013, Consumer Electronics Show, fitbit, Fitbit Flex, fitness, fitness gadgets, gadgets, GeoPalz, Heart Rate Monitor, MioAlpha, running, SpreeSports, Withings, Withings Smart Activity Tracker, Withings WiFi scales
Fitbit One Review Posted by Meagan on December 18, 2012 No Responses » Dec 182012 In November of last year, after a failed trial with the Jawbone Up, Steve and I became Fitbit converts, and for the next 12 months, I diligently used my Fitbit Ultra to record essentially every step I had taken (over 2 million!), every staircase I had climbed (over 4000!), every minute I slept*, and, through their online interface (and LoseIt!), every meal I ate**. Of course, as you might imagine, a device that is on your person during every waking hour, can start to show some wear and tear, especially when it belongs to someone like me who has a propensity to bump into things (sometimes hard enough to knock the device off of myself). So, with a Fitbit Ultra that was cracking at the hinge, and starting to act a little weird, I was pretty excited to find out that two new Fitbits were being introduced in October/November, and, as I noted in my earlier post about their release, I set my sights on the Fitbit One. I’ve now spent a month with the device, and, although the Ultra and One are, at their cores, very similar devices in terms of how they work and the data they collect, the One boasts several new and improved features that are worth considering if you are in the market for an upgrade. *At least, I did, for about the first 3 months, until my armband fell apart, and I got tired of seeing the same data night after night. **You say I skipped entering that pint of ice cream because I felt guilty about eating it? I admit to nothing… Continue reading “Fitbit One Review” » Technorati Tags: activity tracker, fitbit, Fitbit One, Fitbit Ultra, fitness, gadgets, pedometer, silent alarm, sleep tracker
Election 2012: Fitness MVPs Posted by Steve on November 7, 2012 No Responses » Nov 072012 During an election cycle, it is normal to hear some chatter about the fitness and health of potential Presidential candidates. For example, concern was expressed in 2008 over the age and health problems of John McCain, who has had trouble with skin cancer in the past. Of course, in 2012, while some expressed concern over things like Obama’s smoking habit, both candidates seem to be relatively fit men. Interestingly enough, in a story from Huffington Post, it was reported that both President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney have a BMI of 23.9, which is within the range of what is considered “normal”. However, it wasn’t just general health that got some attention this time around. Regardless of your political views, you might have noticed that physical fitness and associated health-related issues played an important, or at least more-talked about, role on both sides during this election cycle. This was lead not by the Presidential candidates, but by First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice Presidential-hopeful (and now Senator) Paul Ryan. Continue reading “Election 2012: Fitness MVPs” » Technorati Tags: barack obama, election 2012, fitness, health, michelle obama, mitt romney, p90x, paul ryan, president, president fitness
Nutrition Experiment Week 2: Fats Posted by John on August 17, 2012 No Responses » Aug 172012 OK, so now that we’ve established a baseline, it’s time to have some fun, and do some research. This week is all about fats. Fats are used by the body to maintain the cell membrane, aid in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, and provide fuel and body cushioning, among other things. This being said, as a running fuel, fats are not ideal. Fats take many more steps for the body to breakdown into the magic stuff ATP, and then carbs, which reduces metabolic efficiency. Not ideal, but good in a pinch. Continue reading “Nutrition Experiment Week 2: Fats” » Technorati Tags: diet, exercise, experiment, fats, fitness, nutrition, running diet, running experiment, running nutrition, running tips
Nutrition Experiment Week1 – Part 2 Posted by John on August 10, 2012 No Responses » Aug 102012 Week 1 Control Average nutrient breakdown per day: Fat: 69g Carbs: 198g Protein: 95g I am at the end of week 1 and it has been both interesting, and tough, to track my normal eating habits. I never fully realized all the crap I ate until I started tracking things. Not that I indulge in a lot of fast food, but I’m not one to go after salads, either. I recommend tracking your intake to everyone at least for a few days just to get a real sense of how you eat. You could even try a tool like the FitBit to help provide you with an easier place/system to track your diet and activity. The results may surprise you. I tend to eat three straight meals a day, and then snack at night or on days off. Unfortunately, this sometimes forces me to go long periods of time without eating before I would go running, or, on the other hand, to go running fairly close to breakfast before the temperature begins to rise. Continue reading “Nutrition Experiment Week1 – Part 2” » Technorati Tags: diet, experiment, fitness, food pyramid, my plate, nutrition, running, running diet, running nutrition, running science, running tips
