Harley Pasternak Blogs: How to Use Technology to Get You Fit






Celebrity Blog










11/28/2012 at 04:15 PM EST







Harley Pasternak


Courtesy Harley Pasternak


Celebrity trainer and PEOPLE.com blogger Harley Pasternak shares his favorite fitness trackers and video games for having fun while staying in shape.

In this day and age, we don't even have to get up from our computers to go to work, do our shopping, find entertainment or socialize with friends.

While these advancements may have made us more productive, they're also contributing to our national weight gain. Many of the daily tasks we used to do physically can now be done while sitting on our ever-widening butts.

Let's face it, there's no use in trying to pry the smartphones, tablets, and game controllers out of our hands now – so let's embrace it all and use it to get us back in to shape!

Here are a few examples of some tech savvy workout tools that will get you up off the couch while having fun and staying motivated! If your New Year's resolution is to get in better shape, what better way than to put some of these on your holiday gift list?

Fitness Trackers
Fitness trackers are super helpful – whether it be a basic pedometer or a full-feature gadget that can impress tech geeks and fitness enthusiasts alike.

• I recommend that all my clients get a good pedometer, like the New Balance Via Slim Pedometer. Studies show that just wearing a pedometer motivates you to take more steps. Aim for 10,000 a day.

• The FitBit is more than just a pedometer. It also tracks your distance, calories burned, and even monitors how long and well you sleep. And as we all know, good sleep is essential to good health. It also syncs automatically to your computer or mobile device.

Exer-Games
Chances are you're in one of the millions of homes with a video game system that supports motion-based play – consoles like Kinect for Xbox360 and Nintendo's Wii. Long gone are the days when video games were limited to couch-potato gamers! There are some fantastic games available to get you off the couch and get you in shape and they are a lot of fun!

• My video game, Hollywood Workout, gives you access to the 5-Factor fitness workouts that I use with my clients from the comfort of your living room (or basement, or wherever you have space to move).

You can follow the actual workout programs I've used to get my clients, whether you want to get a superhero bod or shed new mom weight. You can train with me 25 minutes a day, five days a week and get into the best shape of your life. Check out HarleyPasternakGame.com for more details.

• Prefer to dance your way into shape? The Zumba Fitness video game series is a fun and effective way to get moving without leaving the house. These interactive games offer contagious music, a huge range of dance styles and multiplayer support that let you work out with friends and family. It's available on Kinect for Xbox 360 and Wii.

• The Wii Fit Plus offers a ton of personalized which range from strength training to yoga. It's hard to get bored with so many options!

Wearable Tech
• I know the Nike + SportWatch is on many of my clients' wish lists this year. Using an accelerometer, it tracks your daily activity including running, walking, basketball and dancing, as well as counting steps taken and calories burned. The major plus here is that it was designed in collaboration with TomTom, whose built-in GPS technology tracks run data.

• Jawbone Up tracks physical movement, sleep duration and quality, what you eat and even claims to monitor your mood. This one wins on style points, too.

• For all you swimmers out there, The FINIS Swimsense uses accelerometers, magnetometers to track your swim stats – time, pace, distance, stroke rate, calories – and can even detect what stroke you're using! Upload your info to the online training log and analyze your performance!

Have a favorite fitness gadget that didn't make my list? Tweet me @harleypasternak.

You're reading an article about
Harley Pasternak Blogs: How to Use Technology to Get You Fit
This article
Harley Pasternak Blogs: How to Use Technology to Get You Fit
can be opened in url
http://newscryesthesia.blogspot.com/2012/11/harley-pasternak-blogs-how-to-use.html
Harley Pasternak Blogs: How to Use Technology to Get You Fit