fit

Crave has seen some bizarre health and fitness equipment, but this may deserve a category all its own. The Korean-made "Photo Sauna Cauterizer" (cauterizer?) emits a laser with a "low level of radiation" for what its manufacturer claims are a variety of health benefits. An understandably skeptical Red Ferret says the claims involve "some kind of oxygen rejuvenation." Call us chicken, but anything that mentions cauterization and radiation in the same sentence isn't something we want strapped anywhere near our waistlines, or anyplace else on our bodies.

We almost couldn't bear to write this item because we're so sick of the image in the photo. We've spent more time staring down at the control panel of cardio machines like this than we can remember.

But Life Fitness, whose products we've become intimately familiar with, is taking a step that might lessen the agony at least slightly: It's adding touch screens that let you control your iPod without handling the device itself, according to I4U News. This may not sound like much but, if you're a regular at the gym, it could … Read more

In case you don't know yet, Wii workouts are the hottest fitness strategy since...Dance Dance Revolution. And, naturally, there are a whole host of entrepreneurs trying to capitalize on the possibility that Wii "athletes" might be willing to shell out some extra cash for Wii-centric fitness equipment.

One blogger even dreamed up a prototype for Wii Weights, a Wii-branded version of those strap-on wrist weights that you occasionally see people using at the gym. The thinking behind 'em is that it'll make your Wii Tennis workout a little more strenuous, and maybe help you lose … Read more

It's usually a sign that we need to visit the gym when we start noticing items about odd and over-the-top fitness equipment. And, in this case, both categories apply.

The "Kinesis Personal," according to Cool Hunting, is a "soft gymnastics" apparatus that touts a "tri-dimensional movement system" and claims to make 200 exercise positions possible. (That's about 196 more than we need.) But we're most amused by its description as "blending seamlessly into homes," as well as offices or hotel rooms. We'd love to meet their interior designers.… Read more

Plenty of people have been saying that while MySpace might be on top right now, the future of the social networking sector is in niche-oriented sites. We've looked at a few of these here on Webware--like BakeSpace, which is for cooking enthusiasts. Here's another one that just launched: Wellsphere, which is for people who want to live a healthier lifestyle.

There are a lot of health-and-fitness sites out there, and I thought that Wellsphere was a nice blend of being very goal-oriented (the personal goal is an integral part of the user profile) without looking too much like … Read more

I went to the gym yesterday and was initially surprised to see how packed it was. At first I attributed it to the fact that there are probably plenty of people who are still taking a day or two off from work after the holidays. Then I remembered, of course, it's the beginning of January, and people are still idealistic about keeping their New Year's resolutions. Even the ones who swear they're too good for resolutions are probably trying to do something about that holiday-party pudge.

Consequently, many a company is currently trying to capitalize on this … Read more

After having gotten suckered by more than a few infomercial exercise gadgets, we're hesitant to pay any attention to them. For one thing, we're convinced that many are marketed with planned obsolescence in mind, with a life cycle of only a few months each. But enough of our conspiracy theories (for now).

Even with all that skepticism and personal bile, we still can't resist pointing to the "Galileo Magnifico," if nothing else because of its impressive name. It also supposedly has a storied background, as described by Gadget Candy: "Developed in the Soviet Union … Read more

Gimme20 is a new site that pulls fitness routines and tips together with social networking features. Profiles combined with geolocations help you find and connect with people to work out with. Ideally, these features could help you share tips on the best spots to run, hike, or find an open treadmill on a Monday night. Gimme20's usefulness is only limited by its currently small user community.

Like other social networking sites, the bread and butter of Gimme20 is to make interactions with other people as easy as possible. When a member posts a workout, others can comment on how … Read more

Neither Apple or Nike has announced the slick-looking accessory pictured at right, but somehow it's managed to sneak its way onto several gadget blogs. Called the Amp+, this fitness-friendly accessory was outed a bit early in the 2007 Men's Health Tech Guide. Sounds like another incident that occurred several months back. In any case, I'm thankful for the slip-ups because they mean we get some dirt a little earlier than usual, and that's always welcome. There's not much info on the Amp+, but it will likely work with the same proprietary Bluetooth transmitter that makes … Read more