Designed by Clifford Couvillon, the Playnetix Tumbler 1.0 is a modern take on playground equipment, with some pretty lofty goals. You see, getting the younger set (like kids 6 and under) to go outside and play usually doesn’t take much more than a swingset and a slide. But those pesky tweens are a different story. Tearing them away from their video games and cellular phones for a little physical activity isn’t so easy. But Clifford is hoping the Tumbler 1.0 will do just that.
It’s a 3D triangular structure that constantly moves and pivots thanks to a special ball joint that’s anchored to the ground with a strong coil spring. As someone climbs on the Tumbler their added weight causes it to tip and sway which in theory encourages them to keep moving around and exploring the structure. At the least, it does look like a lot more fun than a set of monkey bars.
Well this seems like a pretty obvious bit of synergy. The Woodway EcoMill is billed as an “all green” treadmill because it uses no external sources of electricity. Instead, the display and the elevation system are actually powered by a battery that’s recharged while the EcoMill is being used.
And even though it isn’t a motorized treadmill (that would involve breaking some of those annoying laws of the universe) it still features a 900 watt eddy-current braking system to regulate the walking or running speed, as well as a near frictionless drive system.
Surprisingly it can support a user up to 800 lbs in weight as long as they limit their activities to just walking (probably not a problem) or 500 lbs if they intend to run. It’s also available in either green or black since it’s important to provide options when you’re charging $8,500.
If your jogging or running pedometer was a cereal premium, or came as part of a happy meal, there’s a good chance it may not be as accurate as the Radar Tacho RDS II. In fact, there’s a good chance that even the high-end models available at your local sporting goods store aren’t as accurate as the RDS II which uses radar just like your local meteorologists, cops and major league baseball scouts.
Made by Siemens and originally developed at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, the Radar Tacho emits microwaves and measures the echos bouncing back from every surface around you to gauge your current, maximum and average speeds as well as your daily mileage. And because it does rely on radar, the Pro-Idee website recommends against using it on mirrored or reflecting surfaces, like jogging across a lake. And I have to assume that running on top of an SR-71 or F-117 would also produce inaccurate results, which is unfortunate because with a price tag of about $205 you’d expect to be getting a pedometer that couldn’t be foiled by 30-40 year old stealth technologies.
While Wii Fit is probably a more affordable way to simulate some skiing or snowboarding action in the off-season, I’m pretty sure it’s not the most effective way to train for a real competition. But the Olymp most definitely is. You’re not going to be squeezing one of these in your living room, since the platform is almost 23 feet wide, but it’s capable of simulating different slope characteristics and really gives you the feeling of carving your way down a mountain, whether on skis or a snowboard. In fact the pictures don’t really do the Olymp justice, so you’ll want to check out the video included below to see this thing in action. It definitely looks like a real workout.
There are already plenty of watches that will monitor your heart rate and can keep track of the calories you’ve burned while exercising, but the T4C from Suunto is the first I’ve seen that uses that data to create a custom workout regime. You simply select a date that you’d like to train for, like an upcoming marathon, and the watch’s Coach software let’s you know how long and how intense you should train each day to reach your goal. And if you decide to slack off or even over do it one day, the T4C will automatically adjust your ten-day workout cycle accordingly to compensate. You can order one from Amazon for $219, since the Suunto website seems to have mysteriously vanished.
Stationary exercise bikes have definitely improved over the years, but a company called RealRyder is hoping to take things one step further with the ABF8. In addition to pedaling, which is where most exercise bikes draw the line, the ABF8 allows the rider to steer, lean and most importantly, balance, thanks to its unique articulating frame. So if you use a stationary bike for training purposes, not only will your legs, upper body and core muscle groups get a workout, but you’ll actually be improving your balance all from the comfort of your exercise room. The downside? The ABF8’s $1,995 price tag.
Looking for a home exercise solution that’s a bit more affordable than Wii Fit, and a lot more affordable than one of those Bowflex contraptions? Takara Tomy brings you the Minutes Gym Digital Video Trainer which is a simple looking device that can be plugged into any TV or display with a composite video input.
Once you’ve provided it with some personal info and used the integrated body fat sensor to measure your current state of physical fitness (or lack thereof), a small collection of animated avatars will guide you through various fitness routines, which apparently includes over 100,000,000 guided three-minute workouts. And because it’s able to measure your body fat, the Minutes Gym trainer can also keep track of your physical progress over a three month period. It’s available from the Japan Trend Shop for $73, and even though it only includes a Japanese manual, the screenshots seem to indicate you don’t actually need to know how to speak Japanese in order to use it.
Tired of being completely destroyed by 15-year-olds everytime you try and play a little Halo or Counterstrike online? (The kids still play that right?) Well the reason you suck may not be because you’re too old, but because your hands are not properly conditioned for maximum controller efficiency. And that’s exactly what the Xtensor hand exerciser promises to fix. But if you’re not convinced by those product shots, I’m sure this blurb of medical mumbo-jumbo will sell you on the idea:
The Xtensor is the only product on the market to perform with true biomechanical correctness, able to stimulate muscles and tendons in the hands, wrists and elbows that have been virtually off limits to all other devices. Repetitive gripping and squeezing of your game-controller or mouse forces extended isometric contractions of the flexor muscles of the hands and fingers producing an unnatural imbalance over time as the hands operate in a mostly closed position. For this reason, patients with hand, wrist and elbow disorders experience unnecessarily long healing times and high reoccurrence rates.
And besides making you a better gamer (supposedly) the Xtensor also serves as an effective treatment for tennis elbow and even arthritis pain. All for just $39.99 from ThinkGeek.
Unless you own one of those little spazz dogs that never stops running around and yapping, your four legged friend needs as much exercise as you do to stay in shape. And to make sure they’re getting that exercise, Takara Tomy has come out with a pedometer created specifically for dogs. It was designed under the supervision and advisement of vets and dog trainers and is able to monitor movement in four legs instead of just two. It’s also got a small sensor that can differentiate between walking, and when the animal is just shaking or moving its head.
The small LCD display provides feedback on your dog’s physical activities via a set of thirty-two different icons like sleeping, running or eating, and since they’re designed to wear the pedometer all day, it also doubles as a digital dog tag. Now I’m not sure where online you can buy one, but if you find a place you can expect it to run about $55.
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By Andrew Liszewski
