Gadgets to help shape a new you TECHconnection
IT’S HALFWAY THROUGH the year, which is a
great time to review our January resolutions and see
what kind of progress (or lack thereof) we have made.
Vowing to lose weight, unfortunately, is the
resolution we most often break. Perhaps a little help
from technology can help us lose that spare tire
once and for all.
As the expression goes, there’s an app for that—
as well as games and gadgets that can help you shed
some pounds and strengthen your heart and other
muscles, too.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Apps to lose pounds
The free Lose It! app for Android and iPhone is
a handy tool to help you achieve your weight-loss
goals. Set a goal, such as “Lose 5 pounds in one
month,” and the program will calculate what should
be your daily caloric intake. Tap in what you’ve
eaten (by food, such as “one medium apple,” or even
by brand, such as “one bowl of Kraft Dinner”) and
the program will calculate the calories and provide
a breakdown listing fat, sodium, sugar and other
nutritional information.
Exercise is also factored in, which allows you to
consume more calories as a reward. You can track
your goals and progress on the app itself, and the
information can be synchronized to the LoseIt.com
website for access from anywhere. About 96 percent of users who use Lose It! for four weeks lose
weight, claims the company.
If you’re looking for something a little more visceral, Zombies, Run! ($7.99) is a clever role-playing
app that scares you into getting fit. While walking
or running with your smartphone, you’ll hear a terrifying tale in your headphones about a zombie-infested future. Available for Android, iPhone and
Windows Phone devices, the app casts you as a runner who must keep away from the flesh-eating
undead and collect ammo and medicine for other
human survivors. Sure, there are many other good
running apps (check out MapMyFitness.com), but
this creepy one features more than 30 missions, the
ability to run with your own music and optional
synchronization with a password-protected website
to track your progress on a map.
The Costco Connection
Costco features smartphones (warehouses only)
and tablets (warehouses and Costco.com) for
fitness apps. You’ll also find a wide variety of
exercise equipment and clothing at Costco
and Costco.com.
Games for fitness
The latest fitness-based
video games take advantage
of motion-sensing technology, building upon what
Nintendo popularized with
its Wii Fit (and new Wii Fit
U). For example, if you have
an Xbox 360 with Kinect—
which lets you play games
using your body instead of
holding a controller—you
might consider Ubisoft’s Your
Shape Fitness Evolved.
After you scan and project your
body onscreen, so that you see your
silhouette performing movements in
real time, a virtual coach will give you
words of encouragement and advice while
you choose among personal training (in a
number of areas), specific classes (yoga, martial
arts and cardio boxing) and a collection of gym
games for the entire family (Brick Breaker is great).
Also included are workouts from Men’s Health
magazine (e.g., “The Ultimate Men’s Health Fat-Loss Workout”) and Women’s Health magazine
(“The Perfect Legs and Butt Workout” or “The
Skinny Jeans Workout”).
Dancing games for all consoles, such as Just
Dance 4 and Dance Central, are also a fun and effective way to lose weight.
Other gear and gadgets
Finally, there’s no shortage of gadgets and gear
that can also help you work out. Varying in price,
these tech toys include wearable pedometers that
not only count your steps but also let you earn
rewards and trophies for exercising often; smart
running shoes with computer chips that wirelessly
send information to a nearby smartphone, wristband, armband, wristwatch or heart-rate monitor;
Wi-Fi-enabled bathroom scales to chart your
weight loss in graph form on your computer; noise-canceling headphones that make music, podcasts
or audiobooks more enjoyable while you’re jogging; and smart stationary bikes and treadmills
with integrated screens and sensors to better monitor, track and display your performance. C
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Questions about
electronics or computers
you purchased at
Costco? Email them to:
connection@costco.com.
Or mail to:
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The Costco Connection
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JOHN GOLDSTEIN
Marc Saltzman,
a leading high-tech
reporter, contributes
to more than three
dozen prominent
publications, appears
on radio and TV, and is
the author of 15 books.
He’s on Twitter at
@marc_saltzman
