Recent years have seen the rise of a new rivalry. The matchup pits personal fitness against an intimidating 21st century foe: technology. Latelyâ€"at least since â€health†became more popularly known as the survivability of videogame charactersâ€"Americans have shifted away from thoughts of their own well-being in favor of simulations on the screen. After all, why venture outdoors when basic cable alone has over 10 channels dedicated to sports? But are TV personalities and million-dollar sports heroes the only people for whom fitness remains? Sometimes our personal fitness goals can seem daunting (and if you’re looking for a challenge, they should be!) but with a little research, technology can actually be our greatest ally. Some of our most formidable opponents include problems with motivation, and a lack of basic education on the subject. That’s where the Information Age comes in. Here are my top 5 Get-in-Shape gadgets that will give you the means to follow through: 1.Podcasts. Not just for the hip and savvy, podcasts are a newly popular way of broadcasting almost any kind of information. Several fitness-related podcasts are available for free, meaning that countless tips and tricks about everything from yoga instruction, to nutritional facts, and even advice on how to overcome issues with anxiety and mood, are just a download away. 2.Mapmyrun.com Essential to almost any healthy lifestyle is cardio training. But if you dread the treadmill, try this site for both new and advanced runners. Map My Run lets users share customized routes with other locals, and engage in running, walking, and weight loss challenges with people of similar goals. My favorite feature of the site is the ability to track my progress, which includes daily updates of mileage and morale. 3.Dynamic Spreadsheets. Creating a personal health report is one of the simplest ways to monitor lifestyle changes that affect your fitness. Use tabs and columns in a spreadsheet-style document to customize your report, and track your progress dynamically by editing it daily. Using your own method to chronicle calories, dietary supplements, weight, and workout logs can be a cheap and more personal alternative to other complicated tracking programs. 4.iFitness for iPhone. Attention iPhone users. iFitness is a handheld alternative to workout guide books that can refresh even seasoned professionals. Exercises are organized by body part or category and feature step-by-step pictures on how to perform each movement. This application also includes warm-up stretches and pre-set routines organized by ability. 5.Motivational Recordings. Several of us listen to music during exercise. Experiment with including a recording in your playlist that helps to reinforce your goals before or after a challenging workout. Use the voice record feature on your computer to personalize a message about what’s important to you. Include reminders about your ideal fitness level or goal weight. Remember, planning a full-body overhaul and actually doing it are two very different things. We can always use a little boost when the going gets tough! This is just a sample of the technology available to aspiring fitness geeks. Though we could certainly achieve the same personal maintenance without the help of computers, they do provide an ever-changing wealth of information and services for the modern user. What gets you geeked?
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