Though I’ve snowboarded a couple of seasons, I remain a skier at heart. It’s not really about the way a board moves compared to skis… it’s about how lazy I am. With snowboarding you have to stop at the top and stick your boot in the binding (for me, this involves sitting down), and then you have to take it out again at the bottom and do that half-sliding, half-skating thing to get to the front of the line. With skis, you just ski off the lift and don’t stop until you’re at the front of the line on the bottom.
Still, one disadvantage we skiers have is all the stuff we have to carry. At the end of the day, boarders just throw their snowboards over their shoulders and tromp off to the parking lot. Skiers have four things (2 poles and 2 skis) to tote out. It can be a little awkward.
That’s why I thought this little ski- and pole-carrying gadget looked nice. Called the Graspen, it secures all your equipment so you can just tote everything out to the car like a piece of luggage. It’s cheap too. For $12, you can get the Graspen from the Vacation Gadget Man.
Sledding may not be what you automatically think of as something done for exercise, but any kid who has spent a day sliding down the slopes on his or her belly will tell you there’s a lot of effort involved (mostly in dragging the sled back up the hill again). So, I figure it’s appropriate to write about a sled on a fitness site. Besides this one is cool.
The Air Board is a big improvement over granny’s wooden sled or those round plastic things from Target. You blow it up, so it’s got some cushioning, and this lets you really cruise down the hills and get some air off those bumps. And the best part is there’s a model for adults too. That’s right, sledding isn’t just for kids any more. You can skim down the hill next to your kids (or by yourself if you don’t have kids yet). The price for the Air Board is $150 for a children-sized one and $300 for the adult version.
Got a couple little kids you can’t leave at home alone while you go out for your bicycling work out? Well, the TrioBike might be the answer. This bicycle has a seat built right into the front that’s roomy enough to hold two kids. Sure, you could just get one of those wheeled carriers that goes on the back of your regular bike, but I’ve seen kids trying to escape from those when you’re not looking. With the TrioBike, they’re right up front so you can keep an eye on them. There are also three wheels on the bicycle itself, which offers added stability when you’re carting around your most precious possessions.
Have you ever done that football exercise where someone throws a tether around you, then holds you back as you try to run forward? Of course, you have. Well, now you can do it even when there’s nobody else around to fight against your efforts and make you work hard. The power chute flows out behind you and slows your progress, much as a parachute slows down a descending jumper. You have to work harder to run forward, which gives your legs a good work out. Designed to increase “speed, explosiveness, acceleration, and stamina while improving running technique,” the power chute costs $75 from American Football. If you’re an advanced athlete, you may want to get two to use at the same time.
I’m going to be hunting around for some football gadgets to write about, but in the meantime you can check out Fantasy Football online. It’s hard to get a workout from fantasy sports (although sometimes the old blood pressure can rise when you’re urging the losing team to get its act into gear), but the fact that you can win cash and prizes makes them appealing to many. The 2006 Fantasy Football Draft Schedule is online, so you can start making plans now. Just promise yourself to go out and throw the football around with your kids afterwards. Your body will thank you.
Are those stationary bikes at the gym just too much work? All that effort you have to expend sitting up, on top of pedaling? Well, the Luxury Hypoxi aims to make your workout more, uhm, comfortable. With this “bicycle,” you can lie flat on your back and read a book while you pump your legs. But it’s more than just an exercise machine. It’s specifically designed for weight loss: “At the heart of the L250 is Hypoxi’s unique vacuum chamber. Through a combination of alternating vacuum therapy, an integrated lounger for the client to relax on and a bicycle ergometer so that gentle exercise can be undertaken, the L250 promotes targeted inch loss and increased lymphatic drainage from the lower body.”
Sounds kind of hokey to me, but hey, it’s weird and it’s fitness-y, so I gotta write about it. Maybe the company would like to send me a free one to try… 
A home gym can be a great way to sneak your workout in without having to spend valuable time commuting to the local 24 Hour Fitness. Now if you’re limited on space and funds, something like the Bowflex might do, but if you would rather have multiple pieces of quality equipment, rather than some all-in-one machine that doesn’t do anything particularly well (yes, I’ve owned a Bowflex, so I know of what I speak), check out Keiser.
They have gym-quality exercise equipment, such as their Infinity Series cable machine, squat racks, and power racks (these let you do bench, incline bench, shoulder presses, etc. without a spotter). If weights aren’t your thing, they also have some nice looking cardio equipment, such as treadmills, elliptical trainers, recumbent bicycles, and ergometers (if you haven’t tried one of these, they’re a bit like a stationary bike for your arms… good idea for someone with lower body mobility issues). You can get more information at the company’s web site:
