Gadgets to Get You Moving

How Technology Can Help You Reach Your Goals

By Lindsay Welch, Student Fitness Coordinator, UVA Intramural-Recreation Sports

Do you need a little jumpstart to help achieve your training goals? Fitness technologies can help you get the most out of your training and are a fun addition to any workout.

New technologies are being introduced to fitness on a regular basis. Why try them? They can record your progress and enable you to personalize your workout.

Gadgets such as Wii Fit, pedometers, accelerometers, heart rate monitors and phone applications are just a few examples of fitness technologies now available.

Wii Fit

This popular home video fitness game features yoga, strength training, aerobics and balance games. It has revolutionized the world of fitness by getting children, teens and adults off the couch and active.

Pedometers & Accelerometers

These two objective measures of physical activity can assess the duration, frequency and intensity of your workout. Pedometers are lightweight devices that count the number of steps you take in a day. Accelerometers are also small devices that measure and record the type of workout. This device provides minute-by-minute reports of movement, based on duration, frequency and intensity.

Heart Rate Monitors

This device will track your heart rate throughout a workout. By recording your heart rate during exercise, you can gauge the intensity of the workout and your own personal fitness level. Most heart rate monitors can collect data for up to 16 hours.

Phone Applications (Apps)

Smartphones have numerous fitness apps available that can record your calories, give you workout ideas and provide nutrition tips. Many fitness apps are free and download easily to your phone. For example, you can download the “RunKeeper” app and it will record your distance, time, heart rate and can “coach” you through a workout.

Fitness technologies are tools to help monitor your fitness levels and can add more enjoyment to exercise. And by actively viewing your improvement over time with these devices, chances are you’ll be motivated to become more fit. Try one today!

Have a favorite fitness technology? Share it on Club Red’s Facebook site.