Heart Monitors

To the uninitiated, a heart monitor sounds like a scary, medical device that you’d only find in a hospital emergency room, doesn’t it? Well guess again. This monitor is really an instrument used to measure the wearer’s heart rate in order to gather specific statistical information while exercising.

Who needs a heart rate monitor? Anyone who wants to analyze such things as breathing rate, optimal heart rate zone time period, calories burned, body temperature, distance, and speed while he or she exercises can benefit from one. Not every monitor measures all of these categories. Some models allow you to download the gathered information to a computer and some allow it to be accessed remotely. Obviously, heart monitors can be excellent weight-management tools and can take the guesswork out of the math behind losing weight or measuring athletic performance.

The monitors come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some are worn on your wrist, others on your hand, and there are even ones built into sports bras. Some are worn only during exercise, while others are worn and track your information around the clock. Some are on plastic straps and some are on fabric, both with their own advantages and disadvantages. Decide exactly what it is that you want from your monitor and research thoroughly what’s available in the market before choosing one that’s just right for you.

See available heart monitors here.

Discuss using a heart monitor during exercise with your doctor first to get his or her approval.

The role of Wii in retirement communities

Imagine going to visit your grandparents in their retirement community and finding them not in their room, the dining hall, or the garden area, but in the entertainment den playing video games! This scene isn’t far out of the realm of

possibility as Wii continues its marketing campaign to include everyone under the sun.

Recently, more and more health professionals have been touting the benefits of using Wii for fitness. Critics of the new philosophy don’t seem to understand how playing video games can possibly increase one’s activity. They obviously haven’t seen the Wii in action!

About this time last year, the Chicago Tribune did an article featuring a retirement home that hosted its first Wii Sports bowling tournament. When 20 people came out to attend the tournament that was hosted by the home, heated Wii competitions ensued. Grandparents took the time to teach their grandkids to play and everyone had a good time. This is part of why the Wii is getting so much coverage; it’s much more than just another gaming device.

In the Wii Sports pack, bowling is recreated by holding the wiimote in one hand, swinging it backwards (as you would a real ball,) swinging it forward, and releasing the “ball” by pulling on the trigger finger. The points are scored automatically right there on the screen as you play. The game is for individuals or teams and promotes very friendly competition as the characters and text on screen let you know when you’ve made a strike, spare, or other challenging shot. The elderly enjoy playing because they can still be active with the Wii while not taxing muscles and bones too much. The younger folks love, of course, to enjoy video games with their family. Executives at Nintendo love that everyone is involved and playing more games. It’s a win-win-win situation!

The trend towards using the Wii for fitness doesn’t start and end with the aged, but they are definitely a booming demographic that few expected. One thing’s for sure, with brain training games and games that can be played even with limited mobility, teens are not the only group interested in being entertained by the Wii. As one internet article put it so eloquently Wii + retirement just might equal Wiitirement!

Here is a study in the BMJ – British Medical Journal about the impact of new age video games and children’s fitness. Click the image below and give it a read.

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“Wii Sports bowling (190.6 (22.2) kJ/kg/min), tennis (202.5 (31.5) kJ/kg/min), and boxing (198.1 (33.9) kJ/kg/min)”

While the conclusion says not enough…to completely be the only source of fitness.. the reality is it’s a beginning, a start in the right direction.  Play it more.  Play new games.  Player harder and the calories burned will increase.