Boomer Voice: Fitness and Fitness Gadgets for Boomers
When you exercise do you want to make every step count? I sure do. I want to be certain I get credit for burning every calorie possible. From my vantage point, what’s the point of working out if I can’t indulge in my carb vices—bread, cake and chocolate?
When you exercise do you want to make every step count? I sure do. I want to be certain I get credit for burning every calorie possible. From my vantage point, what’s the point of working out if I can’t indulge in my carb vices—bread, cake and chocolate?
So I’ve become a bit of a gadget slave. If there’s an app or device out there that can help me account for my food and exercise during the day– I want it and I use it. They are wardrobe staples.
How it Starts
First thing out of bed, I attach my Fitbit to my bra to count my steps, striving to meet the magic 10,000 steps per day recommendation. When I’m at the gym or power walking, I put my Scoche heart rate monitor on my arm, and sync to my Digifit app on my smartphone. I insert my headphones in the phone, crank up the music and I’m off to the races.
So what’s a Digift app you ask?
- It’s a free app works that on the Android and iPhone and tracks workouts, record times, and analyzes results. I upgraded to the $7.99 version to connect and sync all of my gadgets and weight loss apps together.
- Within seconds, through Digifit I see my heart rate, my workout zone, my calories burned, my time, distance, and lots of other great stats. I can listen to my phone’s music playlist through the app, receive phone calls and texts, and never miss an exercise beat.
- When my workout concludes, Digifit shares my stats with my calorie counting app LoseIt.
The Big Dilemma: Where do I put my smartphone while exercising?
- On the stationary bike my smartphone fits nicely into a phone holder on the side of the handlebars.
- On the elliptical, the treadmill and outdoor walking…not so much.
- I bought a phone pouch that straps on to my upper arm to hold the phone, which works well, but I can’t see my Digifit stats even though the pouch is clear. It’s too hard to crank my neck back to make eye contact.
- Was I in the right zone? How many calories was I burning, what was the elevation? Suddenly I was missing half my workout fun.
- Two weeks ago, I was trolling the Digifit website to see if they had any new products. I saw a banner that said “Introducing the All New Saddle” with a photo of a smartphone cradle on a wrist.
The promo claimed that The Saddle comfortably contoured to the lower forearm for hassle-free viewing and access to an iPhone 4 / 4s or 5 and Digifit workout.
I contacted the marketing manager who I’ve come to know through my love affair with the app and blogging and told him I wanted to try The Saddle. He asked me to test it out.
About a week later I received one. I was a little skeptical of this plain black rubbery case. It didn’t seem like much.
Then I tried it. Put my phone in it, strapped to my arm, hooked up my headphones and began walking. It felt weird at first, but within five minutes I was loving it. It is lightweight, it fit really nicely around my arm, is comfortable, and I can view my phone and Digifit stats at a glance.
Currently, it’s only available for iPhones, but I bet it won’t be long until it’s sized for other smartphones. The Saddle has returned me to the bondage of my data.
While it’s highly doubtful I’ll ever have a Sandra Bullock body, I know how much cake or candy I can eat later in the day without doing too much damage.
