Technology is evolving to help you reach your goals. For example, fitness monitors used to just measure your heart rate and miles run. Now your scale can do that and recommend new goals.
The latest innovation in fitness tech is connection. It's not enough to have a product that can keep track of your daily fitness activity. Now it can be measured, recorded and viewed on an app as well. Plus, the social sharing capabilities.
Keep an eye on these connected devices rolling out this year that give you the feedback and progress tracking to help you meet your fitness goals, and tools to be healthier and happier.
HAPIfork
This Bluetooth-enabled fork vibrates to let you know when you are eating too fast. Based on the idea that eating to quickly is bad for digestion and weight control, the HAPIfork will keep you on track to eating at an optimal speed. It does this through tracking when you start and end your meal, as well as the number of fork servings taken per minute.
This may sound a little extreme, as if someone is watching over your shoulder, but the makers of the product are hoping that a little positive feedback is all it takes for you to form new healthy eating habits.
All the information the fork collects can be viewed online and, if you wish, shared. Your progress can be tracked and you can take advantage of the online coaching program for balanced meal suggestions.
The HAPIfork is due out later this year pricing out at $99.
Withings Smart Body Analyzer
A few years ago, Withings made a big splash with their smart scale that not only measured your weight and body fat levels, but then transmitted the information to the internet for you to share or just track. This year, they are expanding on these features with the Smart Body Analyzer that does that plus measures your heart rate, as well as the air quality around you.
Designed to be used in the bedroom, this smart scale measures both temperature and CO2 build up to make sure you are sleeping in a healthy environment. The resting heart rate measurement is an important medical diagnostic tool and results can be shown to your doctor through the app that comes with the scale.
The Smart Body Analyzer is due in early 2013 at around $150.
BodyMedia CORE 2 and LINK Bluetooth Armband
BodyMedia has been on the forefront of activity and health trackers (including being used on The Biggest Loser) and this summer they are releasing an even more powerful and lighter version, the CORE 2. This device can be worn on an armstrap and monitor your calorie burn, exercise intensity and sleep patterns atover 5,000 data points per minute.
All this information is transmitted to an app (via Bluetooth embedded in the LINK). Enter your food intake and the app can make recommendations of food intake and calories burned to reach your goals. And for those fashion conscious people, BodyMedia is introducing interchangeable faceplates, straps and cuffs.
The BodyMedia CORE 2 is due in August 2013 at an expected retail price of $120 and $150 for the Bluetooth-enabled LINK armband.
