We’ve used gloves at the gym for years. And we’ve seen more and more gloves for yoga. Now there’s a pair of gloves that are as adept at weight training as a yoga class. G-Loves have padding and slip-proof spots where necessary to suit your fitness routines, and protect your hands. Continue reading G-Loves Keeps Hands Callus-Free
Tag: Gym
Weekend Reading List (02.09.2013): Oz Apps, Treadmill Fun, Armstrong Faces Jail, Anywhere Workout
Oz Apps
From USA Today: Dr. Oz likes apps that get you moving
Mehmet Oz, known as TV’s Dr. Oz, is a heart surgeon, writer, TV host and major gadget fan. We met him during a recent trip here to talk about using apps and devices to live a healthier life. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (02.09.2013): Oz Apps, Treadmill Fun, Armstrong Faces Jail, Anywhere Workout
Recline on the Elliptical
Schwinn Fitness is taking a backseat to the elliptical trainer. Well, that is they’ve created the Schwinn 520 Reclined Elliptical machine. This combines the recumbent-style seat with the fluid motions of an elliptical trainer. Continue reading Recline on the Elliptical
Treadmill on the Wall
This past summer we noted the Climblock Rotor Wall, a rotating climbing wall that was ideal for those with big bucks and bigger space. While the Climblock could see its way to gyms and fitness clubs it just won’t work in most homes.
But the Treadwall could be the answer. This machine offers a 4 foot wide climbing area and works much like a treadmill – except that it is vertical instead of horizontal obviously. It is still 10 feet tall, so probably not ideal for those with low ceilings. The M4 Base model comes as a vertical only unit that is affordable but can be used against a wall, while the M4 PRO even offers a +5 to -20 degree angle to up the challenge.
Kinetic(Mis)Shift: Fit Wet Seems All Wet to Us
httpv://youtu.be/Ae9Lihg6XMA
Maybe we’re missing something here with the Fit Wet? A bike jacuzzi is what this essentially is, and the makers claim that it “combines the effects of biking, water resistance, & jets to improve results 10 times faster than an average bike.” It also costs $18,000, which seems just a little high to use for such exercise equipment. It also essentially means that the water is dumped out after each ride, which seems like a huge waste as well. At least it is made in Florida!
We’ll see if we can get some answers as the company will reportedly be doing demos at the Health + Fitness Business Expo taking place in conjunction with next week’s Interbike trade show. Until then this one seems all wet!
Kinetic(Mis)Shift are products that we think deserve to be called out for missing the mark in health related products.
Outdoor Gym Generates People Powered Electricity
We’ve seen a few examples where health clubs and gyms are getting some juice from people power. So as users hit the machines they can help power the lights and actually supply power back to the grid. But now Great Outdoor Gym Company in the U.K. has taken this concept to outdoor gyms. There are more than 250 open air exercise areas across the country, but a pilot project in Hull could be the first to create a high-tech outdoor gym.
This features weather-proof gyms feature cross trainers and hand bikes, as well as fitness and recumbent bicycles, while the TGO Green Heart center allow users to check weight and determine BMI. All the equipment in these gyms is designed to comply with the European playground standard EN1176 to make the areas safe for the users. Video after the jump
Health Clubs Turn to Smart Towels to Cut Down on Theft
No health club is complete without complimentary towel service. Not only is it needed for sanitary reasons, but it’s also a nice amenity that keeps gym goers happy. But what happens when towel theft runs rampant at your local gym? For many health clubs, it means turning to technology for help.
And we can’t blame them. With prices that range from 50 cents to more than $2 (depending on the size and quality of the towel), a gym can lose as much as $50,000 per year if towel theft is left unchecked, as it did in one YMCA in northern New Jersey. Continue reading Health Clubs Turn to Smart Towels to Cut Down on Theft
Weekend Reading List (5.5.2012): Otter Tech, Daft Drafting, Gym Nourishment
Otter Tech
From BikeRadar: Sea Otter 2012: Tech news round-up
The Sea Otter Classic may no longer be the first event on the international mountain bike race calendar but it’s still the earliest opportunity for many manufacturers to show off their latest wares to the press and public, and this year’s outing didn’t disappoint. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (5.5.2012): Otter Tech, Daft Drafting, Gym Nourishment
For a Green Ride, Get EcoFit
We’ve seen more and more fitness machines actually supplying power back to the grid, and now with the EcoFit Networking System and Display from SportArt Fitness, users can see how much energy they are producing while working out and actually get rewarded for their efforts.
With these machines users are provided with data on the electricity they are producing on in-club digital media displays; allows for localized facility and environmental, “green” messaging on the display screen and includes a “points” accumulation system for energy created by the user. These points can then be redeemed at the club or a hotel, university or school with fitness facilities – building brand loyalty and user loyalty for the facility. Video after the jump
Gym Uses Power of the Pedal
We’ve seen a few gyms that are trying to turn the burn into juice to power the place. Now Energia had become the first private gym in Massachusetts to use energy from fitness as energy. The gym’s owners estimate that each person can create 70-130 watts of energy per hour, so a class in motion could generation about 50 florescent lights.
The studio estimates that spinning classes can create up to a third of the power for the building, and this is just one way that Energia is going green. The gym has bamboo flooring and uses 100 percent recycled material to make for a sustainable studio. And of course every class means more power to the gym!
Energia Studios Official Website
[Via WGGB: Spinning for Renewable Energy]
Underfuse Adds a Pocket to Workout Attire
In an effort to provide fit and performance, many workout clothiers forget one thing, we have devices we take along on our run. Kickstarter project Underfuse is a pocket you can attach to your workout gear with an iron.
Underfuse is a performance iron-on pocket sized to fit a typical iPhone or other smartphone, plus an ID or keys, so you can bring it along on your workout. The pocket attaches to any garment on three sides, making it stable and secure for your device. The maker suggests you attach it to tight-fitting clothing such as a form-fitting top or compression shorts that hug your body. If you iron this pocket on to a pair of loose gym shorts, your phone or other pocket contents will jiggle around when you move.
As this is a Kickstarter project, Underfuse is looking for people to pledge money. For an $8 pledge, you get one Underfuse, for $20 you get 3 Underfuse pockets. Other pledge packages apply.
Wave Your Hands in the Air for Bally
httpv://youtu.be/qE1uQdZ5l3M
The popularity of fitness games is influencing gym activities. Bally Total Fitness plans to install video walls with a multi-screen display with a motion-sensing camera. Similar to gesture-based console games on the Nintendo Wii or Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect, the video will incorporate user movements such as arm sweeps and jumps to control the activity on the screen. Continue reading Wave Your Hands in the Air for Bally
Moving the People that Move America
If it wasn’t for long haul truckers, you might not have many of the goods that you currently possess in your home, and if you did, chances are they’d cost a lot more. Those men and women spend just as many hours behind the wheel as you spend behind your desk; but for most they do not go home at the end of a long day, they eat at whatever restaurant is along the highway and typically sleep in their cabs. If you have driven across country, you know the restaurant choices can be very limited, and getting in a workout can be a little challenging.
When is the last time you have seen a gym next to one of these fast food restaurants or gas stations? However, Snap Fitness is looking to change this fact, and provide some fitness options for truckers. The company is partnering with Rolling Strong, a firm that specializes in health of truck drivers, to create Snap Fitness Rolling Strong clubs. Continue reading Moving the People that Move America