Jonas Goes to the Gym!
In the last two months I have visited both Sydney and Miami, places where everyone seems to live an active lifestyle, care what they look like, wear very little clothing, and generally look amazing! This weekend’s Blizzard forced me to ask a couple questions: (1) why the hell do I live in New York? (2) how am I going to satisfy my New Year’s resolutions, get out of bed in freezing cold weather, and get in shape?
Is 10,000 steps enough??? Most everyone I know seems to be counting their steps. They even compare and compete for daily step count; I too am guilty. I have purchased and tried numerous devices to assist me in this quest, including Fitbit, Nike Fuel Band, Jawbone Up, and even my cell phone tracks steps. In less than one month, they have all been set aside (except my cell phone of course), never to be used again, and I continue to look the same.
Thankfully, I have broken this cycle and Found a few devices that actually get me out of bed…
Everyone (most everyone) finds it difficult to be motivated to both work out and eat healthy. There are amazing professionals committed to making you commit to a regimen. For me, the fear of wasting money is sufficient to get me to the gym!
As previously stated, there are a plethora of devices that keep track of what you are doing. Further, there are a plethora of apps that tell you what to do. However, I have Found only one device that not only tells you what to do, but it tells you how to do it and tracks what you do…Moov!
I have been testing this device and companion app and am Finding it addictive. It seamlessly tracks endeavors including running, walking, biking, swimming, and even boxing. Importantly, it walks you though workouts meant to improve your skills and requires that you pass various levels. It doesn’t just count your workout, it improves it by telling you to make changes, (i.e. take longer strides, shorter swim strokes, etc). Most importantly, it has been almost 2 months and I haven’t thrown it out yet! Use Promo Code HOLIDAY and get 15% off for a limited time.
Before I continue, my lawyers have compelled me to provide the following disclaimers:
1. I am not a medical professional and didn’t attend medical school (to the great disappointment of my parents!)
2. I did take AP Biology in High School.
Now that that is out of the way, I will reveal the truth about healthy living. You must burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. Therefore, quantity is important, but quality is critical. Particularly if you are time constrained like me you must get your heart rate into the aerobic zone to burn calories.
The Garmin Forerunner 225 is a multifunctional watch that not only tracks your steps, but also tracks your heart rate. The critical feature is that it tracks your heart rate without having to wear an uncomfortable and often misplaced heart strap while you work out! It also accurately tracks via GPS your distances, is waterproof for swimming, and syncs with most apps.
Next time your friends or loved ones try to compare notes about steps, tell them you kept your heart rate above 175 for 20 minutes, above 150 for 40 minutes, and then did a nice cool down for 10 minutes!
The last thing you need to do to get on track is cut the cord. This is not a new device or new technology, but there is no particularly good reason to be connected directly to your phone while you are working out. Have you ever run awkwardly on the treadmill in order to avoid your phone falling down? These will free you while you do your guided Moov workouts as well. These headphones, while expensive, will keep you unencumbered while you work out, will improve the enjoyment of the workout, and therefore increase your likelihood of doing it.
Consider step count irrelevant, and Moov, the Garmin Forerunner 225, and Powerbeats2 Wireless Found! See you on the beach this coming Summer (as I flex and show my six pack)!