There's no such thing as a miracle solution to get fit, but there are numerous healthy-savvy companies utilizing technology to make the average non-techie consumer a bit more health conscious.
Take Fitbit's Aria WiFi scale and Ultra pedometer, for instance.
Based in San Francisco and started by technologist Eric Friedman and entrepreneur James Park in 2007, Fitbit offers products that place existing tech into gadgets we thought were beginning to get outdated (such the pedometer) or devices that seem ho-hum (your average scale, for example). Then it turns these products into fitness tech must-haves.
Fitbit Ultra Wireless Activity Tracker
I've been testing the pedometer since early May. Immediately, I noticed how much easier it made tracking my steps compared to run-of-the-mill pedometers I've used in the past. The tiny device can be worn on your belt, in your pocket or — for ladies — on the middle of your bra. Adding to the convenience, I found it only needed to be charged once or twice a week.
Before a specific activity, such running on a treadmill, hold the one button on the Ultra for about two seconds to clock your event. When you're done, hold the button again to stop it. This is handy, because when you login to your account you can see exactly how many calories you burned during a specific workout, rather than just all day long. Using an MEMS 3-axis accelerometer, the Ultra can also tracks when you hike up a hill or do stairs.
A digital flower on the device gets larger or smaller based on your activity level that day. I found myself walking to a coffee shop a bit father away from my office or taking the longer route home from work just to see the flower grow. It really is motivating and reminded me to push myself harder every day.
But be sure to calibrate your pace, or the pedometer will be off. Even when calibrated, though, I think it may have overestimated my steps. My walk to work is about .74 miles according to MapQuest and .8 miles according to Google Maps. Using the Fitbit from door-to-door it was about 1.26 miles. Then again, stops and detours along the way could add up.
When I arrived at the office, I would login to my Fitbit account and see my distance and compare it to previous days. You can also see how many calories I burned and log my food into a diary on my profile to see how many you consumed on a given day. But the site could benefit from adding more foods to the food diary section; a number of times I had to manually type in the food, serving size, calories, fat, etc. for various items.
The Ultra also tracks your sleep. It detects when you were asleep and awake throughout the night and I found it to be very accurate. When you login to your account, the total sleep time of the previous night is viewable, as well as moments when you were awake.
The basic site is free once you purchase the Fitbit Ultra ($99.95), but you can upgrade to the premium version for about $50 per year. With the premium version you get a digital personal trainer, more advanced analytics and reports, plus unlimited exports from your profile. I found the free version comes with enough tools to manage your fitness as well as be an entertaining social tool.
Speaking of social tools — you can also connect with other Fitbit users and share workout ideas or simply offer mutual support. To add on the pressure, you can share your fitness goals and progress on Facebook (I chose not to). Make your profile as private or public as you'd like. However, I recommend joining some chat groups. User can also earn badges for extra motivation.
I enjoyed using the Fitbit Ultra until I lost it on my walk home from the grocery store about a month ago. A friend said she, too, had trouble keeping track of the tiny device — hopefully the next iteration of the Ultra will include a GPS tracker.
But people have been lucky with the longevity of their Fitbit Ultra. Wendy Beck of Antelope, Calif. said she's on just her second device since first purchasing one in 2009. Since then, she said, she's become more health conscious, more active and has lost weight. Beck takes an average of 25,000 steps per day and has nearly all the badges.
"It really makes me do more and the badges are very motivating," she said. "The other day we did a strenuous hike and I went home and did more floors just so I could get a new badge."
Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale
The scale is absolutely worth its $129.95 price tag. Step on it in the morning (or whenever you normally weigh yourself) and your weight and body fat percentage sync via a wireless network to your private account on the website. Keep track of your weight over time with graphs and other visual tools on the site.
A mild electric current (via ITO electrodes on the scale) is sent through your body from the scale to detect your body fat percentage. It sounds somewhat terrifying but is totally painless.
Sure, you can know your weight and figure out your BMI (body mass index) using a simple calculation (the scale also does BMI), but knowing the precise percent of body fat you carry is a hard measurement to come by. In this case, using an electrical current is cheaper and more accurate than water displacement tests and other methods that require a bunch of measurements and calculations.
The scale is also attractive enough to put on display. It comes in white or black, and is made of tempered glass with a backlit display. It's shiny black surface looks clean and not like a dingy bathroom scale. The scale can tolerate humidity, but don't submerge it or stand on it when your sopping wet. Also, keep in mind, you'll get the most accurate readings on a hard surface rather than carpet.
But maybe you don't want to fork over $130 for a scale. Try splitting it with your roommates — the scale can hold information for up to eight users. The info on the scale defaults to private, but you can also share it if you want, and if you're super bold, post its readings to Facebook and Twitter.
Do the Fitbit Ultra and Aria Wi-Fi Scale interest you? Tell us in the comments.
Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, skynesher
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