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.