Keeping Your Heart Healthy With Fun Technology
Story by Cheri Woodsmall
From wearable technology to crazy, futuristic apps, fitness is taking a fun new turn in 2016!
It’s 5 am, cold, dark and those 1500 thread count Egyptian Cotton sheets have never felt more warm and cozy. The very last thing we want to do is get up before dawn and start a new workout regimen. But it IS the New Year and with it comes new promises to ourselves and our families for better health. Lucky for you with amazing technology, you can make logging miles on the trail or the treadmill, easier and more fun than ever!
Wear Your Heart On Your…Wrist
Fitbit Charge HR Wireless Heart Rate + Activity Wristband: This heart rate and activity tracking wristband is built to capture your movements and health patterns all day long. Easily monitor your heart rate so you can maximize your workouts, learn about your sleep quality and monitor progress on your goals.
Android Lovers – We Haven’t Forgot About You: The Moto 360 Sport Edition (pictured above) is the latest Android Wear watch, and it’s made for lovers of fitness. A few fun facts about this little guy.
- You Don’t Have to Run with Your SmartPhone to Use It. To get an accurate mileage count, you need to use smartwatches in conjunction with smartphones. Since the Moto 360 Sports Edition watch has built-in GPS capabilities, you are able to keep track of pace, distance, and location without having your phone with you. Before, you needed an Android phone to be able to use Android Wear. But we just got word that the LG Watch Urbane and all future Android watches –– including the Moto 360 Sport Edition – will work with iOS. Sweet!
- HELLO – Adele Can Run With You. The watch will be able to hold two to three gigs of music that you can listen to through a set of Bluetooth headphones.
- Hit The Trails. The silicone body (which comes in three colors: white, black, and flame orange) is sweat-proof. And you can see the AnyLight hybrid display clearly even in bright sunlight.
- Leave Your Keys at Home. If you’re willing to install a Kevo Smart Lock on your door, you can use the watch to unlock your house. Come on – how cool is that!
It’s All About Those Apps, About Those Apps
Your Smartphone is now your workout accountability partner. Whether strength training, HIIT, Yoga or running, there are thousands of choices out there to help people get fit and track their progress, but here are a few of our favorites that work for just about everyone.
She Who Hates the Gym: Nike+ Training Club allows you to work out with over 600 fitness experts (Serena Williams and Gabby Douglas) no matter what your level or goal may be. Choose from more than 100 workouts, get motivation from your crew and train better together, all in the palm of your hand. In a recent interview Kerri Hoyt-Pack, VP of Brand Marketing, Nike Women stated “Nike Master Trainers are motivational and approachable ambassadors in the global fitness community. Whether they’re leading a workout on stage at an NTC Tour event or connecting with women through social media, they inspire athletes and fuel the movement of sport in a personal and powerful way.” Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that! (Free; iOS and Android.)
She Who Will NEVER Run: Why on Earth would anyone put herself through the torture of running? As a few of our girlfriends say, “The only time I am running is if I run out of wine or I am being chased by zombies!” Well, the Couch to 5K app can help. By following an eight-week program with three workouts a week, you can become a runner. Doesn’t matter what shape you’re in –– the workouts progress through a combination of walking and running to build up your fitness level without overdoing it. (Free; iOS and Android.)
She Who is Social: Believe it or not, not all your friends want to hear about your workouts. But if you download BurnThis, there’s a group of fellow fitness chicks out there waiting with toned open arms. It’s The Pinterest of fitness. This social platform is the perfect place to post progress photos, find #fitspiration and healthy recipes, and motivate other like-minded people. (Free; iOS.)
Future Of High Tech Fitness
What will your work out look like in 5-10 years? All we can say is wow.
Swallow Your Way To Svelt: In the future, you’ll be able to swallow a pill-sized tracker and see your vitals in real-time on your computer (and we’re guessing on your phone, too). Researchers MIT just announced that they’ve created a tiny stethoscope that can run through your digestive track to measure heart and breathing rate. Although it is currently in the testing phase, the MIT researchers behind the device plan to expand their current technology to humans, including athletes, to help them get more from their training.
Treadmill Tech: Running on the treadmill is about to get a bit more like pounding the actual pavement. Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed a sonar-equipped treadmill that, instead of forcing you into running a certain pace, automatically changes speed to match your foot strikes. If you pick up the pace, moving closer to the front of the belt, the treadmill goes faster. If you move toward the back of the belt, it slows down. Best of all, the prototype is already complete, so this sassy little treadmill could hit the market in the next couple of years.
