The holidays are just around the corner. Parents will soon prepare for shopping trips to the mall, planning for holiday parties and organizing family trips- all on top of day-to-day activities! With the hectic holiday season, it's no surprise that many of us fall off the healthy diet plan we strictly followed during the summer.
As a father of two and full-time Geek Squad Agent, I also have experienced the added rush and lack of personal exercise time during the busy holiday season. As parents, we often forget to think of ourselves - especially during such a hectic time and that's when we often fall out of routine. However, with the help of today's technology, parents can kick-off post-holiday exercise before the stuffing, gravy and pies affect our waistlines.
With the help of a home wireless network, my family can take advantage of the gadgets we already have at home, to stay in shape. For example, my wife loves to use our MP3 player and computer to download exercise programs and calorie counters. With proper set up and instruction, it's easy for her to track how many calories she's burned just by pushing our daughter's stroller or playing with our kids!
Here are some tips on how we can all use technology to help prevent from gaining that "holiday 15," and still enjoy fun, festive celebrations with friends and family.
Plan Your Path
Downloading maps is not just for roadtrips anymore, you can use these programs to get a map for your morning run! With a few clicks of a mouse, you can now map out your route, calculate your stats, and either e-mail the chosen course to your PDA or download it onto your GPS device. Some even let you share your route with others. I recommend checking out the following mapping sites:
iPod For Your Bod
Did you know that Podcasting, the hot new thing in wireless technology, can improve your physical well-being? There are some new programs that will allow you to pick a work out tailored to your needs and download it to your MP3 player. All you have to do is purchase the program and it will automatically download onto your computer or laptop in an MP3 format. Once the file download is complete, open the software you normally use to manage your MP3 player and you can transfer the new workout program to your player. With this technology, there's no need to speed to the gym after work, as you can have the benefit of a personal trainer whenever and wherever you want. Here are some options for workouts via podcast:
PumpOne: Choose a workout to download at www.pumpone.com. You can choose your desired workout based on a variety of options, including strength, weight loss, endurance, flexibility and heart health. This digital trainer fits in the palm of your hand and allows you to customize the routines.
iTrain: Using MP3 technology, iTrain allows you to download a fitness program that includes both a famous Hollywood personal trainer and musical soundtrack to enhance your exercise. Some example workouts include climbing, stretching, cycling, and boxing. To download a program, visit www.itrain.com. A Geek Squad Agent can even help you get set up, but unfortunately can't do the work out for you.
Wireless Workouts
With the right technology and
the right help, our workouts can be just the way we want them easy! Here are some tips to help you plan your exercise routine:
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