exercise
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Amazon's Echo speaker guides you through workouts
Amazon must want to help you fulfill your New Year's resolutions, since it just updated the Echo speaker with a handful of features meant to get your life in shape. To begin with, you can ask Alexa to start a 7-minute workout -- the voice-guided cylinder will coach you every step of the way. You can also get your investments on track thanks to a Fidelity feature that tells you how individual stocks are doing. And if you're more interested in how political leaders fare this year, you can ask the Echo when the next Democratic or Republican debate will take place. The additions won't change your life, but they're definitely cheaper than visiting the gym or a financial guru.[Image credit: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan]
The future of fitness might be a VR-friendly exercise bike
To the casual observer, my morning with VR startup VirZoom was spent peddling like a madman with an Oculus Rift strapped to my face. My experience was a little different; far as I was concerned, I was atop a majestic Pegasus snagging coins out of trees in a verdant valley. The folks at VirZoom believe virtual reality doesn't have to be experienced on foot or on a couch, so they've made a $249 stationary bike (now up for pre-order) to help make exercising less tedious and more awesome.
Fitbit Surge and Charge HR automatically detect and log exercises
Just in time to entice holiday shoppers, Fibit is updating its Surge and Charge HR fitness trackers with a handful of new features. First, a SmartTrack feature automatically recognizes exercises during your workouts and records them in the Fitbit app along with details on duration, calories burned and heart rate. SmartTrack can determine if you're on the elliptical, outdoor biking, running, walking or doing one of a few aerobic workouts (Zumba, cardio-kickboxing , dance, etc.). It can also detect if you're playing sports like tennis, basketball and soccer. You can personalize the activity recognition too, telling the tech which movements you want logged as exercise and how long you want to be moving before it starts to track them. By default, you'll need to be in motion at least 15 minutes before the recording starts. When it comes to heart-rate tracking, the two wearables are getting improved PurePulse performance for those more intense workout sessions. By using Exercise Mode on the Charge HR and multi-sport modes on the Surge, the gadgets will provide a better "experience" during and after those high-energy activities like Zumba.
Google Fit gets real-time stats and grabs data from more wearables
Just in time to outfit your holiday workout regimen, Google its updating its Fit app with a few new features. First, the activity-tracking software now provides real-time distance, steps, pace and calorie stats for your running, walking and riding workouts. When you come to a stop for some push-ups, sit-ups or squats, you can use your Android Wear device to keep a tally of your reps before adding the total to your daily activity log. Google Fit also pulls in sleep and nutrition info from other apps and fitness trackers. If you're using MyFitnessPal (and a host of others) to track meals or Sleep as Android, Xiaomi Mi Band, Mi Band 1S, Sony Smartband 2 or the Basis Peak to keep tabs on how well you're resting, you'll be able access those details for a more complete picture of your overall wellness. Looking to give it a shot? You can grab the latest version of the Android app from Google Play right here.
The best wired exercise headphones
By Lauren Dragan This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. After considering 145 sport-specific headphones and testing 82 of the best-reviewed and newest options, our panel of experts agreed that the Sony MDR-AS800AP is the best pair of wired exercise headphones for most people. The sweatproof MDR-AS800AP fit our panelists' ears more comfortably than the competition and sounded much better than many other models we tested. And their sealed design will allow you to focus, even in a crowded (and loud) gym.
There's now a smart kegel exerciser for men, too
Every International Women's Day, a chorus of snippy men ask where's their equivalent day of celebration. For the last few years, British comedian Richard Herring has led a one-man quest to get them to shut up and stop whining, because International Men's Day is November 19th. The reason we bring this up, of course, is when news broke of a smart kegel exerciser for women, you can imagine the sort of comments that followed. Now, thankfully, Minna Life, creators of the original kGoal, is back to shut up everyone who's ever wanted a smartphone-controlled kegel exerciser for men. Say hello to the kGoal Boost.
Scientists want an exercise pill that saves you from hitting the gym
Those '50s-era dreams of taking pills to solve all your problems? They're more realistic than you might think. Researchers have created a blueprint of the molecular-level muscle reactions to exercise that should lead to treatments which mimic workouts. Yes, that means that you could eventually take an exercise pill that produces the effects of hitting the gym without all that pesky time and effort. Any pill would be "at least a decade" away, the University of Sydney's Dr. Nolan Hoffman explains, but the scientists are "actively working on" that vision -- it's not just a daydream.
Fitbit Surge update delivers running alerts and improves battery life
During his time with the Fitbit Surge, our own Terrence O'Brien was quite pleased with the wearable's tracking abilities. Thanks to a software update, the device aims to get even better. Fitbit is giving Surge users running alerts that'll keep you informed of time and distance marks, helping with pacing and overall training goals. The company has also improved battery life, so you can go a bit longer between charges when keeping tabs on running, hiking, biking and more. There's also a new timer/stopwatch tool when workouts require carefully timed intervals. Even with the new features, the Surge is still a tough sell at $250, especially in a space that's crowded with GPS-packing entries from Garmin, TomTom and others.
Most iPhone exercise apps don't give you the best workout
The next time you trust your smartphone as a fitness coach, you may want to be extra-picky about the apps you use. University of Florida researchers have tested 30 free iPhone workout apps to see how well they meet all of the American College of Sports Medicine's activity guidelines, and the results aren't exactly confidence-inspiring. Most of the apps met standards for aerobic and strength training, but most of them weren't up to snuff in flexibility exercise -- two thirds didn't meet the criteria at all. Only one, Sworkit Lite Personal Workout, hit every mark.
Runtastic's latest workout app puts more junk in your trunk
Runtastic already offers dedicated apps for ab and bun workouts, and now the company takes aim at your lower half. Leg Trainer delivers over 50 exercise videos that'll allow you to select activity based on goals and fitness level. There are pre-selected routines -- like the 7-Minute Workout or Junk in the Trunk (yes, seriously) -- or you can choose individual exercises to build your own. Get ready to squat, lunge and kick your way to toned legs. Similar to the Six Pack and Butt Trainer apps, a 3D avatar guides you through the process so you know exactly what you should be doing. The Leg Trainer app also works with the Apple Watch, so you can follow the virtual trainer there or keep tabs on progress and workout stats. It also leverages the wearable to let you know when to start/stop a set and when the rest time between sets is over on tops of tracking heart rate. Perhaps the real question is what you gon' do with all that junk? All that junk inside your trunk?
ASUS VivoWatch review: a fitness watch with style and shortcomings
My wife often says I'm fat, but that's hardly a motivation for me to resume my exercise routine. Then the ASUS VivoWatch landed on my desk, so I had no choice but to get back on the treadmill for your amusement. To keep things short, it turns out that this fitness-centric smartwatch does have a couple of compelling features that made me interested in getting fit again -- more so than the other basic (as in no heart rate monitoring) fitness trackers that I've long left in the drawer. Also, the VivoWatch can pair with both iOS plus Android, and costs just under $150 in Taiwan, meaning it'll be going head to head with the similarly priced Fitbit Charge HR around the world. So is ASUS' first fitness device worth trying? Or should you stick to some more mature offerings? Let's take a look.
'Zombies, Run!' marks latest update by going free-to-play
Zombies, Run! celebrated the release of version 4.0 earlier this week with some major modifications. The popular gamified exercise app, which used to retail for a flat $4 at the Google Play Store, has switched over to a free-to-play subscription model. The app and gameplay themselves haven't changed much. Users are challenged to run (literally) a series of 200-plus missions while avoiding the gnashing teeth of an Undead swarm, all within the context of a post-apocalyptic audio drama. Six to Start, the app's developer, has already released four "seasons" of added content since its debut and will likely continue to do so. However, users will now have to pay $3 per month (or $20 per year) to keep getting these regular updates.
Garmin's running watch finally tracks your heart rate by itself
Garmin is more than a little late to heart-tracking watches (even TomTom had one last year), but it's making up for that today. The company's new Forerunner 225 running watch has a built-in, Mio-developed heart monitor that saves you from buying a chest strap just to find out whether or not you're pumping blood at an ideal rate. You'll also get some of the perks of Garmin's nicer wristwear, such as step counting, an accelerometer for tracking indoor runs and data sharing with your smartphone. If you're eager to prep for a marathon with Garmin's help, you can pick up the 225 sometime this quarter (no later than June) for $300.
The best exercise headphones
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a list of the best technology to buy. Read the original full article below at TheWirecutter.com. If I were looking for a pair of headphones to use in my workout, I'd want the Relays by Sol Republic. They are hands down the most comfortable headphones to wear while being active. They sound good, stay put without chafing or tugging, are light and resistant to sweat, and come with a lifetime of free tips (because you know those lil' buggers love to get lost in a gym bag). I came to this conclusion after extensively testing 38 models. Our tests involved a professional listening panel, three stress tests, and real workout tests. After all that, I'm confident the Sol Republic are the best fit for your fitness routine.
Fitbit's Surge fitness watch will soon track your bike rides
The Fitbit Surge is now useful for tracking more than just your running when you're outside. An April update to the GPS fitness watch will let it track outdoor bike runs, so you'll know if you beat your previous best time or got your heart thumping on that uphill route. On the mobile app, you'll also have a history that shows whether or not that last ride was as intense as you thought it was. And Surge cycling isn't the only big Fitbit update in the works -- you can finally link multiple trackers to a Fitbit account as of this week, so you don't have to wear your exercise gear to the office just to maintain an accurate step count.
HTC takes aim at Fitbit and Jawbone with the Grip exercise tracker
Remember that weird day at CES when HTC announced that it was partnering up with Under Armour, the fitness gear brand that would later buy popular health apps MyFitnessPal and Endomondo? Well, now we know what they've been working on together: Meet the HTC Grip, a black-and-green fitness tracker you wear on your wrist.
Study says phones are just as good as wearables at tracking fitness
Think you have to wear a dedicated fitness tracker to get accurate data? Don't worry -- you may have a good excuse to skip the wristband. The University of Pennsylvania has published a study showing that smartphone apps' step counts are reasonably on the mark, at less than a 7 percent variance between their data and what observers saw first-hand. With wearables, it's all over the map. Some are very accurate, like Fitbit's One and Zip; others don't give you much of an advantage over a phone, and Nike's Fuelband was sometimes off by a wide margin.
RunKeeper powers training sessions with Spotify playlists
Most of us like to blast a collection of inspirational tunes during a workout, and with its latest iOS update, RunKeeper is making that a bit easier. Runners who also have a Spotify premium subscription can now access saved playlists inside the fitness app. You'll need to connect the two services first, but once you do, swiping over to your fine-tuned collections and suggested workout playlists is pretty straightforward. Unfortunately, there's no mention of Android users getting the integration as part of future updates. However, RunKeeper says this is the beginning of its foray into music, so perhaps those upcoming tools will cross over.
Rock your workout with RockMyRun
Almost everyone uses a favorite playlist when they workout. The music helps the time pass more quickly and should help produce more energy. Now with RockMyRun you can listen to music lists prepared scientifically to improve your workouts by up to 30%. The free universal app requires iOS 7.0 or later. Users need to set up an account before you can use all the features in the app. This requires your name, email, and a password. Users can also use their Facebook ID to login. Once you have registered and logged in, you can set up your own list of music playlists and sort the list by length, genre, and beats per minute. Users can select a variety of playlists from more than a dozen different types of music including pop, rock, country, hip hop, R&B, reggae, and more. Each of these list were compiled with the goal of keeping a consistent level of energy and tempo throughout your exercise session. That is just what they do according to Dr. Jeanne NIchols, the lead exercise physiologist for EPARC, a top exercise research laboratory. In her findings, Dr. Nichols concludes that, "music that has been mixed together to maintain and optimize beat encourages the listener to experience and internalize more positive feelings about the experience and the outcomes. Once you have selected the type of music you want to listen to for your workout, you add it to your list of music. Then you can choose from a huge number of individual lists of music that vary in the beats per minutes and length. In the Rock listing you will find around two hundred different lists from which to choose, so no problem locating a good mix. The music varies in beats per minute from under 120 to more than 160. The more beats the higher the energy level and the faster the tempo so you can choose slower music to warm up or cool down and a really fast list for listening during the most strenuous part of your exercise program. Lengths in RockMyRun can be as short as ten or eleven minutes for warm ups and cool down sessions or to a maximum length of forty-five minutes. If you want your playlists to run longer than that you will need to upgrade to a premium membership either on a monthly basis for US$4.99 a month or an annual subscription of US$35.99. These subscriptions will be charged to your iTunes account and will automatically renew at the end unless you go into your account and turn that feature off at least 24 hours before the original subscription ends. RockMyRun operates seamlessly with most other running programs that count your steps, plot your path on a run or cycling trip, or tracks your calories burned. So you can use both at the same time. Overall RockMyRun provides users with a huge number of mixes to choose from when working out. No one should have any issues with finding just what you want. Based on the scientific data, the concept of using music consistent in tempo and energy should make the workouts end with users receiving better results. The only drawback is the maximum length of forty-five minutes. If you do long runs or cycling trips that won't be enough. However users do have the option of subscribing and deciding if they want to pay for scientifically prepared music or just listen to their own mixes.
Epson's first fitness trackers reach the US
After a brief wait, Epson's first batch of fitness trackers is reaching the US. To get things started, it's launching a new golf swing analyzer (the not so elegantly titled M-Tracer MT500GTII, below) that attaches to your club's grip and sends real-time feedback to your phone, ranging from the swing path to the ball impact. It'll arrive in stores in March for $299. The company's Runsense GPS watches are coming along for the ride, although you won't have the option of the basic SF-310 that launched in the UK. Instead, you'll have to consider the stride-tracking SF-510, altitude-aware SF-710 and heart rate monitor-equipped SF-810 (above) when the lineup ships sometime in the second quarter of the year. With prices between $250 and $350, they're squarely in competition with watches from the likes of Garmin and TomTom -- you'll want to comparison shop before you commit to buying sport-minded wristwear.
