Fitness Goes High Tech

Health Magazine Shows The Latest Electronic Aides

(CBS)  Looking for high-tech motivation for your fitness program? People who make an effort to set and monitor goals are more likely to continue working out, says Petra Kolber of Health magazine, and she's visiting The Saturday Early Show to show some products that might help.

"The first thing that you will probably do in most of these programs or products will be to answer simple questions Like: What are your goals? What is your current fitness level? How many days can you work out? What is your current weight, height etc? Just by sitting for a moment and having to enter in this data is already a great step for moving your workout program forward," she explains.

Two things to remember: the newer and cooler the technology, the more expensive the item, and you don't have to be a tech savvy to use these products. Kolber, who has tested them all, was surprised by how simple they are to operate.

NIKE & NANO
The "Nike+iPod" is brand new, available to consumers in July. The product involves several components: a special brand of Nike running shoes ($100), a Nano (from $149) and a sensor ($29).

The sensor slips into your shoe and communicates directly with your Nano; the sensor tracks how far you've run, how long, how fast, and how many calories you've burned. You can plug the Nano into your computer and it automatically logs all of your workout data onto a Web site, enabling you to analyze your performance for that day, check your progress against goals for that day or that week, and other things.

Also, your Nano will talk to you as you run, telling you things like, you're on track to run a nine-minute mile and how far you have gone.

GARMIN FORERUNNER 305
Like the Nike+iPod, the Forerunner gives you real-time feedback on your activities. You can receive 40 different pieces of information, from calories burned to oxygen consumed.

The Forerunner includes a GPS feature that lets you recall previous courses you've walked or biked in the past so you can compare your performances. The Forerunner looks like an oversized watch; you can also clip it onto a bike. The "305" is the top-of-the-line model; it also comes with a heart-rate monitor. (Less expensive versions are available.)

NUMETREX HEART SENSING SPORTS BRA
This is a seamless sports bra with highly advanced electronic sensing technology that picks up your heartbeat and relays it wirelessly to a watch that displays the information for you. It doesn't slip and move around as you work out.

The bra and watch cost between $115 and $145, depending on your choice of watch. Additional bras can be purchased for $45 and the sensor moved from bra to bra. Kolber says she believes anyone who is serious about becoming more fit or losing weight should wear a heart monitor when exercising. The biggest mistake most people make is they work out too hard, or don't push themselves enough. You then become frustrated because you don't see the progress or changes you were hoping for. A heart-rate monitor ensures that you are making the most of every workout session.

OMRON HEALTH CARE PEDOMETER HJ-112 (around $33)
This was rated the No. 1 pedometer rated by Consumer Reports and has received other fitness/health awards as well. Technology again is allowing this product to be more accurate than any other pedometer in the past. It measures "aerobic" steps as well as regular steps. It also counts calories and stores up to seven days worth of activity so you can review your progress.

SHARPER IMAGE TALKING PEDOMETER ($19.99)
Hit a button and this pedometer tells you how many steps you've taken and how far you've gone. (What do 2,000 steps really mean?)

SOFTWARE/DOWNLOADS
Fitness Web sites and software abound; to find the one that serves you best, try to find one that focuses on your greatest area of need. (Are you eating right? Is exercise a bigger issue for you?) Many of these programs can be downloaded directly into a BlackBerry or Pocket PC so you can have your workouts with you at all times. One example is FitDay, which sells software at a cost of about $30 but also offers a free Web-based version.