Bicycles are traditionally a good workout for your legs. But what if you want to give your back, arms, and abs some exercise? Well, you get a Rowbike, of course. I first saw the Rowbike on the same show that featured the Aquaskipper, and I’ve since seen someone using it out on the Burke Gilman Trail here in Seattle. It looks pretty fun, and it’s a good way to get a rowing workout without signing up for a crew team or buying a rowing machine for your basement gym. Hey, it’s always more fun working out in the fresh air (as long as it isn’t raining) than in the gym, right?
If you’re a track coach, or you’re just helping someone train for a race, you need a stopwatch. You need to be able to keep track of the time, so you can see if your protégé is getting better. Now, you can get all sorts of fancy timing gadgets today, but there’s something neat about this old school-style stopwatch from Ultrak. It’s just the sort of thing gym coaches all had back in the day, so it can bring back some memories. Whether you were actually around back then (or you just remember enjoying the Wonder Years), you can get that old school feel for less than $50 from Online Sports:
You know what’s boring? Lap swimming. Oh, I liked it well enough when I was on swim team, and there was a coach giving workouts, and there were other people to chat with between sets, but just lap swimming by yourself… you definitely need some tunes to keep things interesting. I was out of luck when I was a young swimmer, but now you can get a waterproof shell so that you can listen to your iPod while you swim. This one is called the “Lilipod.” And apparently it actually works well. I found a review over at PC World where someone used it with success (read down to the end; it’s the last part of the article). So, grab a Lilipod and take your iPod swimming.
Are you one of those people who likes to workout in front of the television? Maybe you’ve got a treadmill or stationary bicycle parked in front of the tube. The idea is to get a good workout, while you’re entertained, right? But do you ever catch yourself “gliding” when you get caught up in the show? If so, the “EnterTRAINER” might be for you. It’s a little fitness gadget that monitors your heart rate while you work out and watch TV. If your heart rate falls below your target zone, it turns the television down. If you don’t get back on track, the little tyrant device turns the TV off until you do. The cost for this potentially annoying, bitchy product brilliant fitness motivator? $140.
If part of your evening exercise routine is to take your dog for a walk, you might want to look into reflective clothing for yourself (after all, motorists have a hard time seeing walkers after dark) and maybe a little something for Fido. How about a reflective dog leash? Put out by GlowDog, these leashes glow-in-the-dark, so motorists will have a better chance of seeing you and your dog when you cross the street or walk places without sidewalks. Prices range from $12.95 to $15.95, depending on the width of the leash you want, and they’re available in numerous colors.
There you are… running along, on track to make a personal training best, and suddenly you feel the flopping of an untied shoelace smacking you in the shin. You’ll wait and deal with it when you’re done, you decide. But soon the shoe starts loosening, the flopping becomes really aggravating, and you can’t take it any more. You drop in your tracks to tie your recalcitrant shoe laces.
What you need is some laces that won’t come untied. In fact, how about some shoe laces that you’ll never have to tie again? That’s what the Yankz system is all about. You secure the laces with a toe hook and pull on the cord loop near the tongue, and your laces are nice and tight until you release them. The lace lock system will cost you $7.50, and when your current running shoes wear out, you can simply move it to the next pair.
If you bike at night, you know how important it is for motorists to see you. Bicycle lights are more effective than reflectors, but most of them are battery operated, and it can be a pain keeping charged batteries in them. That’s where the Pedalite comes in. These pedal-based, flashing LED bicycle lights are powered with each rotation of the pedals. They hold a charge for up to 12 minutes, so it’s no problem if you reach a downhill stretch.