Summary: In the past we talked about the S2H products that you kids can wear and earn points to redeem for prizes. There is even a S2H Pedometer that gives you a code when you walk 10,000 steps. Earlier this week I discovered via the Biggest Loser their Slimcoach device (it's actually a MyTrak device). It has some great features like the ability to use a hear rate monitor in tandom with its pedometer features. You can also use it if you swim. It's got ONE button to make it super easy to use. It is $129 a year. You can read more details here. In looking at some articles about this device I found a new device that should excite those people who want it easy, and do NOT want to mess with a computer. It's called the Striiv Personal Trainer. I can see this as a great tool for both adults and children. In fact they just came out with a new feature where you can challenge another Stiiv user to a challenge (again without a computer). It seems really cool. It's super easy and every night at midnight it resets your stats. There are multiple ways to motivate you to move. 1. If you are a person who cares about the suffering in the world, when you walk you can donate your steps towards goals such a vaccines, water, and the rain forest. 2. If you are a competitive person, you can track your best efforts and try to better them. 3. There are challenges that you can do (again very game based) that make it fun as well as challenging. 4. There is a "myland" game where you walk to generate energy and then use the energy in the game to build things. If you've see "the SIMS" video game, this reminds me of that, or Farmville. Two words: very cool. I love this thinking outside the box. I have a niece who graduate high school with a year of college credits as she started learning very early when we bought her computer games. When you're having fun, it doesn't seem like work. It does track both your steps, stairs, calories burned, and distance. It can be carried on your hip, pockets, purses, or even clipped to a key chain (how cool). It has multiple sensors to detect your activity. The price is $99, and I could see this being something that parents could use to introduce fitness back into the family (assuming you don't have 5 kids). I'm going to contact the company about getting my hands on one for some real life experience with the unit. From the videos I've watched this could be a very cool product. Buy at AMAZON.com Rebounding From a Bad Week I'm bummed that after losing weight fora few weeks, in just a few days I seem to have gained a lot of it back. It reminds me of standing on a treadmill. When you walk on it, you don't seem to get anywhere but if you stop, you will go backwards. With me, I took my focus on my health for a few days and that weight came right back. Am I upset? Sure. But lets harness that frustration at the gym, and instead take a look at the week and analyze it. For me this coming week I will be traveling. I need to pack some food, and find something to do if I get bored (luckily a planet fitness is about 5 minutes from the hotel. Don't beat yourself up. Learn from your mistakes, and design future steps to avoid repeating your mistakes. many times this starts with getting some sleep.
