Stretching Into Shape
Some devices can help maximize your workout routine
Now that you're back from vacation, it's time to shape up. Myles Astor, a personal trainer at Equinox Fitness in New York City, recommends the best gym gear to ease the way:
The bodybugg ( bodybugg.com ): This super-compact gadget (right) straps onto your upper arm with Velcro and measures the number of calories you burn each day, courtesy of a Web-based program accessed when you connect it to your computer at the end of the day. From there, you can calculate how much less to eat or how much more to exercise to lose weight. Packages that include the bugg, a Web-program subscription, and a telephone consultation session go for $500.
BalanceLog ( healthetech.com ): The best way to watch what you eat is to log what you eat. The BalanceLog software creates files that make it easy to track this info on your PDA ($30) or personal computer ($50).
Heart rate monitor : The model itself matters less than the fact that you use it in your cardio training, to help you reach the level that will allow you to burn enough calories to remain at the same weight or lose a few pounds.
Stretch Out Strap ( optp.com ): Wake up and feel the stretch--and help avoid injury--by working muscle groups, large and small, with this multilooped and multigrip strap. The accompanying booklet suggests pre- and post-workout routines ($19).
This story appears in the October 3, 2005 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
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