If you’re really into the whole fitness thing, you can also pick up a $299 version which comes with a “footpod” which lets you accurately track your performance by uploading information to your computer, like the Nike+ system.

The watch also works with cyclists wanting to track their bike riding skills, which is something the Nike+ can’t offer you. It has a user-replaceable battery that will last about a year, and weighs 44 grams. It’ll also play nice with other ANT+ fitness devices, which probably means something to gadget fans who actually exercise. To me, not so much.

[Garmin]

Using a Vuzix headset, a laptop, Arduino and a bike sensor, Aki Mimoto was able to rig up his wife’s stationary bike to transport himself through a virtual Google Street View environment.

Of course, that means you wouldn’t have to sit staring at a wall or a TV while exercising — you could virtually travel down roads anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, the design needs some tinkering to be really usable — but it’s a fantastic concept that’s really worth pursuing. If there was a commercial product that got this right, I would probably be all over it. Hit the following link to learn how to do something like this at home. [Bako via Make]

Let me just preface this by saying that I worked as a personal trainer for years and, for the most part, I steered my clients towards cardio programs that did not involve a lot of high-impact running. The bottom line is this—an effective cardio workout is all about getting your heart rate into the appropriate training zones—and you don’t need to run in order to achieve this. That’s where Nautilus is coming from with the Mobia.

Mobia Gallery

Mobia strengthens the core, builds endurance and improves balance by combining the movements of the most popular and effective gym equipment: the forward motion of a treadmill, the stepping motion of a stair stepper and the low-impact benefits of an elliptical. This three-in-one motion is possible because Mobia operates with two separate “treadles” that rise to meet the users` feet as they walk. The action of pushing down the gently resistant treadles provides an intense workout with maximum efficiency, while reducing stress on knees and ankles.

So you are walking here — not running. But the stair-stepping and elliptical motion should provide enough of a challenge that even fit users can get a real workout. Of course, it is up to you to decide whether or not walking vs running will keep you motivated — but the $US2000 price tag might decide for you. [Mobia and Reuters]

Using Philips’ software, you preload your fitness goals (the amount of daily activity you’re aiming for) onto the device. Then, as you go about your day with the monitor in your pocket, its series of opaque dots will begin to glow green.

With each 15 per cent you finish of your daily quota, this makeshift status bar fills that much more.

If you’re as addicted to watching status bars complete while doing mundane tasks like downloading or copying files as I am, the device could lead to straight-up dangerous levels of exercise — especially since the meter leaves space for overflow should you give, say, 115 per cent.

The Activity Monitor currently sells for $80, plus you’ll need to pay a $12.50 fee every month, which also gets you personalised advice from a real person. And Philips tells us that they have a lot of custom algorithms to detect movement much better than a regular accelerometer, like the difference between running and jogging and doing housework and so on. If only Philips also sold a Wallet Monitor that could track their petty nickle and diming that turns us off to an otherwise promising device. [Philips via ubergizmo]

That having been said, the Cyberbike is being developed by European publisher Bigben Interactive and comes bundled with some sort of lame treehugger game that requires you clean up the planet with the power of your eco-calves (don’t worry, it also works with Mario Kart). The bike is slated for a January release in Europe, but pricing details have not been announced. Granted, it will most likely be cheaper than purchasing an actual exercise bike, but I can’t imagine that some plastic, boxed Wii accessory will be able to handle the beating. Even professional stationary bikes break down on a fairly regular basis. [Kotaku]

Or to put it more succinctly, do you use gadgets when running? Or are you old school Tarahumara style? If you do use gadgets, let us know what you run with in comments.

Playing with balls is Gizmodo AU’s week-long look at the technology behind the sports we love, from the jerseys to the balls and everything in between. Go the Swifts!

But I always wore joggers for sprinting and cross-country races. They were just cheap things, but I didn’t run as well without them. I was frightened of bindies, and without the shock absorption the shoes provided, my feet got sore very quickly. But according to Chris McDougall, author of Born to Run and Dr Daniel Lieberman of Harvard University, this is false logic.

McDougall and Lieberman believe that running shoes can do more harm than good, and say that the human body was designed to run barefooted. Lieberman reckons that the foot and knee injuries we see today were virtually non-existent before Nike came along and invented the modern running shoe in the 1970s. He says that the thick-soled ones, in particular, are making our feet weak and forcing our ankles to rotate too much. And with more injuries, we’re running less and becoming unhealthier, suggesting that preventable diseases like obesity and diabetes would be less of a problem for the Western world if it weren’t for the modern running shoe.

A study by Switzerland’s University of Bern found that shoes costing over $95 were more than twice as likely to cause injury compared to shoes costing less than $40. Double the price for double the pain. Mind you, this research was done 20 years ago, but it supports McDougall and Lieberman’s core argument. Similarly, Dr Craig Richards of the University of Newcastle revealed last year in the British Journal Of Sports Medicine that there is no evidence running shoes make you less prone to injury. He then contacted shoe manufacturers and offered them an opportunity to prove the validity of their products:

Is any running-shoe company prepared to claim that wearing their distance running shoes will decrease your risk of suffering musculoskeletal running injuries? Is any shoe manufacturer prepared to claim that wearing their running shoes will improve your distance running performance? If you are prepared to make these claims, where is your peer-reviewed data to back it up?

Surprisingly (at least to me), the shoe manufacturers didn’t jump at the chance to get some publicity. Richards got no response to his challenge. In this case, no news was not good news. In their vow of silence, running-shoe manufacturers were basically admitting their $20 billion industry is based on nothing more than false promises.

It’s a compelling argument, but so long as they continue dangling shoes with built-in computers and built-in headlights in our faces, the running-shoe manufacturers have us bedazzled.

[Daily Mail via Lifehacker, top image credit]

Playing With Balls is Gizmodo AU’s week-long look at the technology behind the sports we love, from the jerseys to the balls and everything in between. Go the runners up!

Breathe more efficiently while running
Think you know how to breathe? THINK AGAIN. For some people, simply breathing in and out isn’t good enough. There’s a technique to getting the most out of your lungs and it’s known as the 3:2 inhale-exhale ratio:

Many experts will say that to fully oxygenate the muscles and clear the body of carbon dioxide you should breathe a 3:2 inhale-to-exhale ratio; full inhales and full exhales. This means you INHALE on the LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT foot strikes and EXHALE fully on the RIGHT, LEFT foot strikes. This pattern is not that hard to turn into a habit, but it may require you to slow your pace down for a few runs to master the technique. You will notice a lower heart rate as you are able to get more oxygen in and more importantly push all the carbon dioxide out of your body. You may notice that you naturally drop to a 2:1 ratio when you are really pushing it to the finish. That is OK. But realize it is difficult to maintain a pace that requires you to breathe at a 2:1 ratio.

The extremely fit-looking dude in the video above has more tips on how to breathe. [Complete Running Network via Lifehacker]

Boost your performance with coffee
Caffeine is a stimulant that offsets fatigue, increases stamina and elevates blood pressure, which in turn, can enhance performance. And it’s perfectly legal. You don’t even need to drink a lot of it. If you’re already a coffee drinker, why not time your daily fix so that you reap the benefits during your workout schedule? Just don’t overdo it. [Lifehacker]

Lack of space is not an excuse
The “burpee” is an oldie, but a goodie. See? You don’t need to spend money to get a decent workout.

Video podcasts are the new exercise DVDs
If you’re the type who needs visual cues when exercising, and you want to watch Z-list celebrities pumping it on your computer screen rather than on your TV, jump onto iTunes. For a listing of all fitness-related video podcasts, go to “Power Search” on the right-hand side of the home page, select “Podcasts” from the drop-down menu, tick the box that says “Search only for Video Podcasts”, and use “fitness” as your search term. There’s a good variety of instructional podcasts for your fitness pleasure. [Unclutterer]

Less is more
It’s OK if the thought of doing a marathon or any endurance-based sports makes you nervous. You can turn your weakness into a benefit with interval training, according to Lucy Danziger of Yahoo! Health:

Study subjects who spent just 20 minutes mixing sprints with jogging lost three times the fat off their legs and butt in 15 weeks, compared to those who jogged steadily for 40 minutes, research from the University of New South Wales in Sydney finds. Intervals may spark fat-mobilizing hormones, and they amp your cardio capacity so your future runs will actually feel easier.

This is also great news for people with crappy time-management skills.

It’s in the tempo
Dr Costas Karageorghis, an associate professor of sport psychology at Brunel University in England, has studied the effects of music on physical performance for 20 years. So I believe him when he says the right music can improve results, both as a motivator and as a distraction from fatigue. The most effective music, according to Dr Karageorghis, has a tempo of between 120 and 140 beats per minute (which most dance and rock songs beat to). You can calculate the BPM of your tracks using a free program like MixMeister (Windows and Mac). [NYT]

Track your (poor) progress
Measuring your success—or lack thereof—is a fundamental part of any exercise routine, whether it be through a measuring tape, scales or free tools like these. If instant gratification is your motivation, Garmin’s got a range of gadgets that will tell you what you want to know: heart rate, calories burnt, time, distance, pace and a whole heap of features to help you compare and improve on your results. It doesn’t come cheap though. [Link]

Multitask while exercising
Exercising for your internet The Biggest Loser-style might be a bit extreme, but combining your workout with another task may improve your odds of staying on that treadmill for longer than five minutes, especially if you find exercising on machines extremely boring. With the PC-Sport, you can do a step workout while you play that game — in fact, if you stop stepping, you won’t be able to type or use your mouse. How’s that for motivation! For a DIY solution, try making your own handlebar book stand so that you can read while you pedal away on your stationary bike. [Link to review]

And if all else fails and you want to simply look the part, you could always get yourself one of these. If you’ve got anything to add, please do so in the comments.

Playing with balls is Gizmodo AU’s week-long look at the technology behind the sports we love, from the jerseys to the balls and everything in between. Go the ‘boks!

Our question today is this: What gadgets do you use to make your regular exercise more enjoyable? Let us know in comments.

Playing with balls is Gizmodo AU’s week-long look at the technology behind the sports we love, from the jerseys to the balls and everything in between. Go the Woodies!

The Life Time Fitness just restricted the Nano from not just locker rooms, but from workout areas too. You can listen to music on your Nano, of course, it’s just that you can’t use it as a recording device. Hold and stare at your player too long and the woman on the elliptical might give you a hard time about what you’re staring at.

All perfectly natural, but it’s something we’ll see more of once we get gadgets that play music as well as take video. [Twin Cities via Apple Insider]