Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

If you find those heart rate monitoring chest straps to be less than comfortable when exercising you’re not alone. Claudia Shultze felt the same way but she decided to use her skills as a chemical engineer and her work with textile electronics to produce a line of clothing that not only keeps track of your heart rate but is also comfortable to wear.

The NuMetrex clothing uses special sensors that are actually knit into the fabric allowing them to remain in contact with the body at all times even during extreme physical activity. The heart rate data from these sensors is relayed to a small transmitter that’s carried in a pocket which in turn wirelessly transmits the info to a special watch that allows the wearer to see their heart rate in real time. It’s a pretty good idea whether you’re an athlete training for a real marathon or a non-athlete like me training for a ‘Star Trek’ marathon on TV.

The Men’s Cardio Shirt pictured above is available directly from the NuMetrex online store for $58.95 by itself. But you’ll also need the transmitter and watch for it be actually useful which adds another $130 to the price tag.

[ NuMetrex Heart Rate Monitor Clothing ] VIA [ Popular Science ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Next week the first Wearable Technologies Congress will be held in Munich Germany and some of the innovative technologies that will be exhibited have already been made public. From German company Beurer GmbH comes this beltless heart rate monitor that’s based on a technique called Plethysmography. I’ve never heard of it either but apparently it uses a sensor to measure light that is reflected by the bloodstream in the finger artery. Not only can this be used to measure your pulse but it can also be used to keep track of your blood pressure.

The LCD screen provides constantly updated information on your physical condition while the glove design is made to feel like a second skin rather than a large bulky watch. That makes it ideal for athletes who won’t have to worry about it falling off or bouncing around during physical activities.

There’s no word on when the glove might see production but if you’re interested in the whole ‘wearable technologies’ scene you might want to check out their website here.

Update: Thanks to ManToy who pointed out in the comments that the glove is officially called the ‘Beurer PM 100 Pulsuhr’ and is actually available from Amazon.de for about $226.

[ I4U News - Preview of Wearable Technologies at ispo SPORT & STYLE 2007 ] VIA [ Gear Live ]

By Andrew Liszewski

This new low-impact exercise machine from Panasonic called the Raku Raku Walk (or Easy Walk) is designed for older people who would otherwise have trouble using a standard stair climbing or step machine. Basically it recreates the motions of walking and climbing stairs while allowing you to sit and hold onto a set of handlebars so it strengthens your legs but doesn’t put as much strain on your knees.

While the machine is probably effective I would think that just going out and taking a short walk would be just as beneficial if not more since you would end up exercising more muscles in the process. But then again I’m not exactly a senior citizen yet and maybe this is actually a great idea.

The Raku Raku Walk should be available in Japan sometime in September but pricing info has not been released.

[ Raku Raku Walk (Panasonic Japan) ] VIA [ TOKYOMANGO ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While the debate over how influential video games are on a child’s behavior wages on there’s no denying that spending hours sitting on a couch is not great for their health. Let’s face it these kids aren’t big boned and all that excess weight can’t be shrugged off as just baby fat. So a UK company called Intelligent Designs has come up with a way to trick kids into getting active and in shape through a video game/jungle gym hybrid.

Called the i.play it can be installed anywhere like a school yard or playground and it has a series of interactive buttons and switches mounted all over it. When the game starts a particular one will light up and you have to push, pull, spin or stomp on it in order to progress. You keep running from switch to switch as they light up and when the game ends you’ll be given a score that you can post on the company’s website to see how you stack up against other kids. And besides helping to combat a growing health concern the i.play is also solar powered winning it points on the environmental side too.

[ i.play ] VIA [ SlashGear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

We all know that people who swim on a regular basis are usually unfit and dangerously overweight. Sadly the goverment won’t do anything about it and I doubt Mr. Spurlock will answer my emails and produce a ‘Super Swim Me’ documentary anytime soon. But, there is hope. It seems one company has actually found a way to use a swimming pool to improve your fitness and burn calories! Now I know you’re probably ready to move on to the next story thinking this is just another company selling snake oil but bear with me a moment.

The ExerSwim is a portable device that when placed on the edge of a pool will generate a constant current in the water. This current then allows anyone in the pool to swim for as long as they want getting both a great workout and burning calories at the same time. I think we can all agree that trying to swim in a normal pool without an ExerSwim is an act of futility. After about 40 feet or so you hit the edge of the pool and there’s no where else to go. But with the ExerSwim running it’s like having a 40 foot pool that you can actually swim back and forth in. It almost makes you wonder why these aren’t installed standard with every pool.

And I think what makes this device a must have for any pool is the price. The ExerSwim ProTrainer 36 model pictured above is available for a quite reasonable $3,995 on the company’s website. It might seem expensive to some people but when you see those pounds just melt away you’ll know it was worth it.

[ ExerSwim ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’ve seen plenty of sport watches capable of tracking and displaying your heart rate but this is the first time I’ve seen the technology shrunken down to the size of a ring. (Albeit a fairly large one.) The Heart Monitor Ring pretty much does the same thing as its larger counterparts and will track your heart rate and continuously display it on the small LCD display. (It has a range of 30-250 beats per minute.) The ring also has a user-definable max/min heart rate target as well as timer and stopwatch functions making it ideal for fitness buffs.

And even though the Heart Monitor Ring might look like a novelty item it’s apparently FDA approved. Get your own from Taylor Gifts for $39.98 and find out just how out of shape you really are.

[ Heart Monitor Ring ] VIA [ bookofjoe ]

By Andrew Liszewski

In the same way that ‘Schoolhouse Rock‘ tried (and failed) to make learning fun this new elliptical trainer from ProForm also tries to make exercising fun. It includes a ‘GameFit’ feature which is basically just a couple of simple, old-school video games you can play while working out. But it is interesting how the gameplay has been tied in to your physical activity.

By combining an amazing elliptical workout with 2 GameFit interactive video games built into the console, you’ll literally play your way to a better body. Not only do the games entertain you as you workout, but they help you get better results. Each interactive game is designed to become easier to play based on how hard you exercise - motivating you to get more out of your workout.

As you can see the handles of the trainer each have a small 4-way control pad for playing the games and while I was going to bring up the issue of them getting sweaty I realized a lot of standard game controllers probably face the same conditions, if not worse.

The ProForm CrossTrainer with ‘GameFit’ is available on the company’s website for $799.

[ ProForm 20.0 Elliptical CrossTrainer ] VIA [ Newlaunches ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’re in denial about how fit you really are then just strap the Body Watch to your wrist for a dose of harsh reality. Using ‘Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis’ or BIA and ‘Strain Gauge Precision Technology’ the watch will provide an instant readout of your body’s condition. This includes your level of body fat, body water as well as your Body Mass Index or BMI. Using this data it can even recommend a daily goal for water and calorie consumption to help you stay fit or get in shape.

As for other functions the Body Watch includes a sports timer, a standard alarm and can even track fitness data for 2 different users. It also seems to be only recommended for people aged 10-99. I guess once you turn 100 you’re free to let loose and eat whatever you want.

The Body Watch is available from Hollywood Gadgets for $49.95.

[ Body Watch ]