fitness

If you're still afraid that the Wii might send you to the emergency room, perhaps the "JumpSnap" is right for you. At least there's no rope to strangle yourself with.

That's right, this is jump sans rope. The JumpSnap is basically a set of two electronic handles that are programmed to lead you through workouts, with sensors to gauge how well you're doing along the way. However, as SCI FI Tech points out, the coordination aspects of analog rope-jumping seem to get lost in the translation to the virtual version.

A kids-size alternative could … Read more

Almost exactly one year ago, LL International--parent company of Dada footwear--quietly announced the Code M system, a "proprietary, patent-pending wireless technology application for footwear that delivers both audio and data." Today, I'm refreshing my original Alpha Blog here to remind us all of the original design of these--how shall we say? Awesome shoes. You may be rightly wondering why, and the reason is twofold. First, we've just recently managed to get our hands on a preproduction pair of said footwear, and the final sale model is due for review any day now. Second, I once again … Read more

We generally try very hard not to think about exercise equipment when not at the gym (or even when we are at the gym, actually). But this is one fitness item that may be impossible for us to ignore.

If you've ever wondered what, exactly, your workout routine was doing for specific parts of your body, this intelligent scale from Tanita might interest you too. Far more than just indicate poundage, the new BC-545 model delivers "individual body composition readings for five body segments (each arm, each leg and the trunk area)," according to Gizmag. To get … Read more

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