Keep Fit Club - ALL exercise types!

[fuse]

Feel just a touch inadequate coming in after you guys talking about marathon training, but over the past few weeks I've finally been getting back into the gym and am looking at ways to get me better engaged into it - and knowing how my mind works, this is best done through gadgetry.

I think I'm pretty settled on the idea of some Withings wifi body scales, which I can just stand on each morning and have send stats through to an iPad / iPhone, but I'm also thinking about either a FitBit or a Nike+ Fuelband. Anyone have any recommendations one way or the other? I quite like with the scales that everything is minimal effort - just stand on them and go - whereas the idea of having to take out my phone and start an app to glumly tell it that I've just tucked into a Mars bars is hugely off-putting. I understand they all have their own iOS apps, but are some notably better than others (and do they all require me to talk about my calorie intake)?

[Taka]

I was thinking about getting a Nike Fueldband for my other half, fuse. Like you, she needs some sort of visible goal to work towards and the whole concept of the more you do showing more green lights was attractive.

I've not used one personally, but it does seem to have limited appeal, especially depending on what sort of workouts you tend to favour. I can't remember the site (might have been Gizmodo or Engagdget) but there was an alternative review posted where they took the Fueldband on a night out and managed to rack up more points than their most intense gym workout. If I recall, they also pleasured themselves whilst wearing it and this too racked up the points...

[charlesr]

whereas the idea of having to take out my phone and start an app to glumly tell it that I've just tucked into a Mars bars is hugely off-putting

If you had to open an app BEFORE putting anything in your mouth, that would probably be genius.

Also, no need to feel inadquate. If you are in the thread, you are IN Like fight club. But with less fighting.

[ETC]

Feel just a touch inadequate coming in after you guys talking about marathon training, but over the past few weeks I've finally been getting back into the gym and am looking at ways to get me better engaged into it - and knowing how my mind works, this is best done through gadgetry.

I think I'm pretty settled on the idea of some Withings wifi body scales, which I can just stand on each morning and have send stats through to an iPad / iPhone, but I'm also thinking about either a FitBit or a Nike+ Fuelband. Anyone have any recommendations one way or the other? I quite like with the scales that everything is minimal effort - just stand on them and go - whereas the idea of having to take out my phone and start an app to glumly tell it that I've just tucked into a Mars bars is hugely off-putting. I understand they all have their own iOS apps, but are some notably better than others (and do they all require me to talk about my calorie intake)?

Fitbits are good, the customer support is excellent and you can get an Ultra for about ?50 on Amazon. I use that with a Polar FT4 heart rate monitor at the gym which I would say would be better for gym stuff and the fitbit for walking around / work shopping and the like.


No Nowt for me at the min still have Plantar Fisciitis running on bastard cobbles I think caused it 3-6 months apparently if I'm lucky although I did just get a new pair of orthotic trainers so might get away with it

[charlesr]

Can I just mention that I got the Polar FT4 as well. It has one major flaw. You cannot see the elapsed time and HR on the same screen. Bit of a pain switching between the two. You can see the time by holding the watch next to your chest though.

[zeroboo]

Feel just a touch inadequate coming in after you guys talking about marathon training, but over the past few weeks I've finally been getting back into the gym and am looking at ways to get me better engaged into it - and knowing how my mind works, this is best done through gadgetry.

I think I'm pretty settled on the idea of some Withings wifi body scales, which I can just stand on each morning and have send stats through to an iPad / iPhone, but I'm also thinking about either a FitBit or a Nike+ Fuelband. Anyone have any recommendations one way or the other? I quite like with the scales that everything is minimal effort - just stand on them and go - whereas the idea of having to take out my phone and start an app to glumly tell it that I've just tucked into a Mars bars is hugely off-putting. I understand they all have their own iOS apps, but are some notably better than others (and do they all require me to talk about my calorie intake)?

I recently got a motoactv which is really good... when it works.

I've had my fair share of login problems and gps lock on issues but one day it miraculously decided to do all as advertised- gps tracking, foot step monitoring, heart rate monitor support, mp3 playback, automatically sync workouts when in range of known wifi etc.

It's 150gbp, may want to give it a go. You can also export your workouts to other apps like endomono etc.

[charlesr]

Hmm. My Nokia 5800 that I got off ebay for ?50 does good GPS tracking, foot step monitoring, bluetooth heart rate monitor support, mp3, wifi. It has apps for sports-tracker.com and endomondo. And does phone calls and texts and has nokia maps (free europe offline/online maps with spoken navigation).

[fuse]

In the FitBit's favour, I'm hearing that their scales ("Aria") are meant to trump the Withings ones with their ability to also measure body fat via some fancy electronic pulses. Plus they're cheaper? I also quite like the idea of the FitBit measuring/advising on your sleep patterns, and having the two devices (pedometer + scales) working together in the same app - think this is what's putting me off some of the other solutions.

[charlesr]

Fat measuring scales are great, but unless you get an expensive one - don't trust the exact %. Just use it as a stake in the ground and see how your % changes over time. The measurement needs to be done at the same time each day, e.g. straight after you wake up. Doing it straight after exercise will give you a completely different number for example (resistivity of the flesh changes).

[charlesr]

Tried a 5k today. Never run this before. Got a nasty stitch half way round though so couldn't pick up the pace much in the second half. 20m00s, so a bit disappointing, but legs are still battered from sunday's race. I have a 10k later in the year, so I'm going to have to get used to running faster - spent so long doing long distance. Funny thing was it felt like it was over so quick.

[Taka]

Curse you Charles and your natural speed! I'm furiously trying to get to sub 20 minutes for 5k and am getting closer, but shaving another 40 seconds off at the moment when I'm already near capacity is a tall order.

[charlesr]

I don't know how you manage to fit these park runs in with your marathon training!

[Taka]

It's part routine now and a chance to catch up with the other regulars out there. When you complete 50, you get a Parkrun branded Adidas t-shirt as a badge of honour, with a jacket at 100, and something else at 250 runs.

Had a good tempo run tonight. Wore my heart rate monitor to more closely hit the effort levels needed.

[Taka]

The race to recovery begins because I think I've done something to my left foot over the last few days. It's quite sore on the left outer edge and it could be anything from tendinitis, plantar fasciitis to a stress fracture. A running buddy reckons it could just be over tightening my shoes. The last 12 months had gone so well too, injury-wise...

[charlesr]

Bummer

However, this is the time where your real willpower and common sense will be tested to the max. You may have to take a week or 2 weeks off. You might try and kid yourself that it's ok to try again after a few days. You go for a run and you can still feel it, but it's ok so you carry on running. Then after 5 miles you are in pain and hobble home and recovery takes even longer. Alternatively you can be really strong and just relax for a week and do some core exercises and press-ups and bicep curls instead (keeping your arms in running position at race pace for 3-4 hours is quite taxing).

When you return to running training, you will have a week or more off training, so rushing back to the same mileage will be dangerous, so the first week back just hack everything in half and see if it works. If it does, then go back up to normal (or near normal) the following week.

Good luck - you'll breeze it I'm sure. Make a plan and stick to it. Running is addictive - ignore the cravings!