Hand’s up if you’re freaking out about getting into your bikini this season?
Being a new age kinda kid, you’ve got to love the variety of tech-enhanced things our generation gets to enjoy.
Everything is digital, and while we still have to work our asses off (literally) if we want them to disappear, there are still a number of cool ways to get you motivated and ready to hit the gym!
I played around with some, and found 3 Cool Gadgets that boost your fitness motivation …
1. Fitbit
Fitbit Flex
The Fitbit Flex is arm candy that tracks your steps, distance and how many calories your burn. It also has the ability to track your sleep and gives you a way to monitor and track your goals online.
The Fitbit device pops into a funky wristband that comes in five different colours, and you get both a small and large option – so you can decide which one fits more comfortably. It also includes a USB charger and USB wireless syncing dongle that, when plugged in, automatically updates your stats to your Fitbit Dashboard.
There are different types of Fitbit devices, but personally, I like the Fitbit Flex.
Some have said that the downside to the Fitbit Flex, when compared with other similar step-tracking-devices, is that you can’t see the data on the wristband itself. For me, I quite honestly prefer it that way.
If it had that option, I’d be checking my stats every ten seconds. Obsessive much?
I prefer getting a surprise at the end of the day. And if I want to know how I’m doing, I can just tap my Fitbit Flex and it will show me one of five blinking lights. Five being the closest to reaching your step goal.
My best is when you unexpectedly reach your goal (of over 10 000 steps) by 4pm and you have nothing but a shopping spree at The Pav to thank! Who said shopping isn’t exercise?!
The only problem when I reached that goal, was that I was totally not expecting it. So while I was calmly checking on my hydrangeas, my wrist started buzzing and I got the friggin fright of my life! Thankfully no hydrangeas were hurt in the process.
Get your Fitbit Flex from the iStore Nationwide
Price: R1299
Fitbit Zip
If yo
u don’t like the idea of wearing a wrist tracker, but like the idea of having a device that measures your activity, then try the Fitbit Zip.
This is a small device that clips onto your clothing and comes in a variety of fun colours.
It’s not quite as “advanced” as the Fitbit Flex, in that it can’t track your sleep. It can however track your steps, distance, and calories burned – and like the Flex, has the ability to sync those stats to your computer.
Both devices encourage you to set goals and you can even challenge your friends.
Get your Fitbit Zip from the iStore Nationwide
Price: R899
2. iHealth Blood Pressure Dock
Now you can check your blood pressure using your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.
The iHealth Blood Pressure Dock comes with a cuff that plugs into the dock and then, using your iDevice as the “monitor” you can quickly and easily check your blood pressure.
You’ll need to download the free iHealth app for it to work first.
The nifty thing about this gadget is that you can register for an account, or log in as a guest, to keep track of your blood pressure results and history. You can also check out your results history in graphs, and share your stats across multiple social channels.
The other cool feature, is that the dock doubles as a charging dock too. So, you can keep it on your desk (plugged into your computers USB port) and use it as a charging station for your iDevice, and when you want to check your BP, just plug in the cuff and you’re good to!
Get your iHealth Blood Pressure Dock from the iStore Nationwide
Price: R1299
3. Coloud POP Earphones
I’m always looking for better earphones for the gym. Sure, I love my Marshall Major headphones, but they are a bit dorky for the gym!
My current fave earphones for the gym are the POP Earphones from Coloud.
These durable earphones come in a variety of fun colour options. Ergonomically designed, they come standard with three replacement caps (small, medium and large) to ensure a perfect fit.
What I really love about these earphones, is the patent-pending Zound Lasso and flat cable, which makes them tangle free! The Pliable plug, which bends 180 degrees, gives you a great way to store your earphones when not in use. Just wrap your cable around the Zound Lasso and secure it with the flexi pliable plug.
The connection point also sits nicely against your device, rather than sticking out of it, which makes it less likey to break at the connection point.
The sound quality is perfect, especially for gym as you get powerful bass (great for those high paced energy sessions).
Keeping up with ear phone technology, they’ve also built a microphone and remote onto the flat cable. So you can answer calls and skip through tracks quickly and easily.
Get your Coloud POP Earphones from the iStore Nationwide
Price: R249
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