Any Excuse to Get Moving

For those just starting out with fitness and weight loss, the prospect of going to the gym or exercising in public may not be appealing or practical. For some, merely walking any substantial distance may be quite a challenge. It's important to ease yourself into exercising; make sure you don't overdo it and cause injury or worse yet, de-motivate yourself.

No matter if you've been at it for years or are just starting out, finding an exercise you enjoy is very important. It's not supposed to be torture!

I'm all in favor of anything that will get and keep people moving and motivated so I was intrigued when I ran across an article about getting physical-digitally. There are a number of digital tools available that can help you get or stay fit, track your stats, and possibly have a little fun along the way.

Video games and programs like Dance Dance Revolution and Wii Fit
are gaining popularity. The article lists My Weight Loss Coach
which is an interactive program for NintendoDS that allows you to download data from your pedometer (included with the program), and receive fitness advice as well as play health-related trivia games.

One product they mention that I'm particularly interested in is the stationary bike that includes a video screen that displays different landscapes and includes a game where you chase a dragon. The bike will keep track of you workouts as well as help you set future goals. I've always wished that exercise bikes were interactive. The rowing machine that allows users to wirelessly race each other is an incredibly creative idea!

Weight Watchers has added daily tracking via your iPhone or Blackberry to their program, to help make tracking your points easier and more convenient.

I had no idea there were so many cool health and fitness gadgets and programs out there. Some of these really sound like fun. But then this kind of thing works for me, if you think using any of these might help motivate you or keep you on track, give them a try. If you are interested in tracking tools but don't necessarily want a game-type interface, read my review (soon to be updated) of the Calorie Counter at MyFoodDiary.com

Try the Calorie Counter at MyFoodDiary.com

2 comments

HorribleLicensePlates said...

DDR is the best! I played in college and when you get pretty good, it is SUCH a workout!

Rebecca said...

Thanks for the input!

I haven't actually tried DDR myself but I'm very interested in trying it, it sounds like a blast.

I heard about an overweight teenager that lost a bunch of weight this way.

I enjoy your blog as well, I will definitely be submitting some of the dumb plates that my fellow Montanan's think are so funny.

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