What health hardware/software have you discovered?

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CoderGal
CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm wondering what kind of software/hardware is out there that I don't know about. What do you have? What does it do? How does it work? Why do you like/dislike it?

I'm really curious if anyone knows of a watch that does anything similar to the mymio wach that actually records your heart rate and keeps highs and lows.

I discovered:
this site - via an android app
My Tracks - via an android app (it tracks where you are, where you've been, speed, elevation etc)
Instant Heart monitor - android app (uses a camera and the cameras light)
you can read your heart rate via webcam - http://medgadget.com/2010/10/mit_student_uses_webcam_to_measure_heart_rate_from_a_distance.html
my mio watch - Winners had a sale. It's a watch that doesn't require any chest strap to use and I've compared it to the chest strap and it's been identical. However the only feature is to tell you your current heart rate when you hit 2 buttons. So when you're exercising, you have to remember it yourself.
There are bracelets people wear to balance their sleep and activity level (I forget what the popular one is called, anyone? Something like this http://wakemate.com/).

Replies

  • sleepy184
    sleepy184 Posts: 109 Member
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    Sounds interesting. I was reading up on the fitbit that mfp has just linked up with but it appears to be USA based. I have a polar hrm at the mo but it keeps loosing my heart beat so I may be on the lookout for a new one, I'll keep an eye on this thread.

    Has anyone used the fitbit?
  • hybridscientist
    hybridscientist Posts: 93 Member
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    i've ordered a bluetooth heart rate monitor by zephyr... it links up with smart phone (not iphone) apps such as endomondo and sportstracker.

    next purchase will hopefully be some bluetooth ear plugs!
  • mouldiwarp
    mouldiwarp Posts: 2
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    The best bit of hardware I have bought recently is a TRX system, I personally find it excellent for on the go 30 minute high intensity circuit sessions to help keep my BMR up. I have several Garmin heart-rate / GPS systems from a few years back that I used to train for competitive events but ultimately toys like that tend to end up in a box at the bottom of a cupboard (or they do in my house).

    In truth, I have found over the years that I really don't need lots of gadgets its my will power and an educated approach to training that makes the difference. After all I don't need to see what I have done if I can feel what I have done.
  • 10kaday
    10kaday Posts: 177
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    I use the JEFIT PRO app for my droid. It's got just about any exercise you can think of with little cartoon gif examples you can view on your phone. In addition to this, it explains the exercise in detail if you want to read about it. And last, it allows you to download routines from the site and make your own. So when you do strength training you just plug in the numbers, or if you already have it predefined you just save and go. I just find it to be a little bit tedious. So here I am lifting weights, now I'm resting and reaching for my phone between sets. It kinda feels like allot of work doing that. But, it's a great app overall.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    ENDOMONDO: How do you find it? This doesn't seem any different then my mytracks application (I had to pick one when I was initially deciding and this was in the list). Does it come with any better features?

    sportstracker: Isn't this the same as endomondo? Except it keeps track of calories also?

    I'd also be interesting in knowing what you do with the data if you have something data based since my watch doesn't remember time. I'd like to do a bunch of graphs (for science! not for fitness reasons but sorta because it would help....)

    An engineering friend of mine decided to loose weight and has a fantastic watch where he can do programs for it and upload the data. He's figured out what his peak is (the point where if you try harder, it's not going to help anymore) by designing a few graphs that turned out to be log shaped so he didn't push himself any longer once he got past that initial high point.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    "Thinner" weight scale - It's thin and glass and calculates your percent fat, percent water, percent bone mass, and weight! Not assuming it's the most accurate, but it's pretty neat.

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