Tag: exercise

Activity Tracker Comparison: Fitbit vs. BodyMedia

If you’ve been reading me for awhile, you know I’m a big fan of the BodyBugg/BodyMedia device. It was the original, invented by Astro Teller, grandson of physicist Edward Teller. The BodyMedia armband uses galvanic skin response to monitor skin temperature, skin moisture, and emitted gases. Calorie expenditure was tested to be within 10% accuracy of clinical …

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A Critical Reason NOT to Read on the Treadmill

I saw a Facebook thread about what folks were reading on the treadmill. It’s pretty common that people will try to zone out while doing cardio. Their focus is just putting in the time. Maybe that works OK for them but for those of us who deal with serious weight, we need to realize other benefits …

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Cardio Workout Showdown: Multiple Daily Bouts Were Higher Calorie Burn!

Sure exercise is about health benefits but a major aspect is gaining awareness of how your body functions and developing a sense of connectedness to your physical body. Sometimes, folks jump into exercise (literally) assuming they have to work themselves to exhaustion or kill themselves at the gym. If they’re not losing weight, they might …

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Building the Exercise Habit

I committed myself to doing a kind of exercise “experiment” so since May 1 I’ve been doing a cardio workout session every day. I admit I don’t normally do structured exercise every day of the week. But to manage my weight for the rest of my life, I have to accept the reality that I will have …

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Workout Showdown: Surprising Results from Changed Cardio Strategy

The first day of changing my cardio strategy to two 15-minute cardio sessions instead of one 30-minute session has proven surprising!! What’s interesting here is that for the first seven days I was amazingly consistent. My total daily calorie burn ranged from 2150 to 2190 for days I walked and climbed around 10,000 steps and the …

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Workout Showdown Halfway Point: What Burns More Calories?

I’m halfway through my simple experiment to see what burns more calories: One 30 minute session of intense cardio or two 15-minute sessions, one first thing in the morning and one in the late afternoon/early evening. I’ve kept it very straightforward and basic. I don’t even know if I will see much of a difference …

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Logging METs Metabolic Equivalents with the BodyMedia Armband

A feature of the BodyMedia Armband is its ability to measure METs Metabolic Equivalents of Task. It’s a fairly simple measurement that indicates how hard you are working for your body size. It is expressed as a ratio so it can change as your body size changes and give you an idea of your level of …

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Stair Climber-Stepper and BodyBugg & BodyMedia Armband: My Cardio Equipment

I’ve received questions about the equipment I’m using for the #workoutshowdown comparison of doing a single cardio session in a day vs. doing two shorter sessions. I LOVE this stair climber, the Stamina Spacemate Folding Stepper. Get it from Amazon for $98 with free shipping. I’ve found it to be amazingly sturdy for daily use. …

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Which Burns More Calories? Steady State Cardio vs. Multiple Bouts

Starting today and over the next two weeks, I will stage a comparison of two approaches to a daily workout. From May 1 to May 7, each day I will do 30 minutes of steady state cardio using a stair stepper. I will wear a heart rate strap and will work toward my usual high rate …

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Fat Loss vs. Heart Conditioning: Choosing a Workout

A lot of exercise books and programs focus on how they promote “fat loss.” When they promise that you’ll be in great shape, they show ripped people happily doing the workout. Hmmm. Folks like that always look healthy but we really don’t know. They’re fitness models and as far as we know, they might use …

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