Get Techy With Your Fitness

These days there is something for everyone when it comes to bringing your workouts to the next level. Gone are the days of the Walkman and Discman to help amp up our workouts with some cool tunes. Now, not only do we have the less cumbersome ipods and mp3 players, but we have awesome new technological accessories like smart phones with apps that help dictate, challenge and track our workouts.

Over the weekend my mother-in-law was showing me her new high-tech workout tool. It’s called a fit bit. It’s a small wireless device that you clip on to your clothing while keeping track of your daily physical activity. It’s meant to be an easy to use motivational tool, which, as an avid golfer, she uses to track her steps throughout the day. She loves it.

Like my mother-in-law, many of us like having a bit of technology to make working out fun and challenging. Whatever the case, there is some new device, or a cool app for you.

For example, downloading an app that syncs your music to intervals is a great tool for runners and cyclists. It requires little thought and effort in terms of planning and concentrating on timing yourself, while allowing you to truly focus your mind on your physical activity.

For those who want more guidance when it comes to nutrition, there’s an app (or several) for that too! Some of us don’t want to try and decipher how much to eat and when to eat it. For many of us it’s easier to just punch in what we ate for lunch into our phones while riding the train or taking a quick coffee break. I for one love the Livestrong app. It’s quick, easy and reminds me to track my progress via text message. I have clients that rave about the Sparkpeople app. They love having the nutrition, fitness and community component all in the tap of a screen icon.

Aside from tracking their progress or being given a workout, a lot of people like the accountability that comes with certain high-tech tools. For example, with the Nike+ you can track your workout and then share your progress on sites such as Facebook and other social media. Not only are you motivating yourself, but you are also motivating others who get to see updates on your progress.

Finally, for those that want to keep track of their physical effort with a slightly more ‘traditional’ tool, a heart rate monitor is a great way to go. It’s an excellent device for those that want to be pushed by monitoring their heart rate. It’s also a great tool for those with health issues who may have to keep their heart rate at a specific level.

Technology has evolved to the point where there is no lack of tracking or motivational devices at our disposal. But, remember, technology can’t do everything. In order to stay fit, healthy or lose weight you need to mix in some good, old-fashioned hard work!