-
science vs. marketing
Researchers Conclude Wii Fit Produces 'Underwhelming Results'
Nintendo's flapjack-like selling Wii Fit isn't much of an exercise program, according to researchers from the American Council on Exercise, who researched the calorie-burning video game along with the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, Gamasutra reports. More » -
how to
Make Your Own Sports Drink
Why waste money on Gatorade when you can brew an equally effective sports drink from sugar, lemon juice, salt and orange juice? Hit the jump for the simple, inexpensive recipe. More » -
wet
iPod Shuffle And Your Sweat Don't Mix
Reader Michael writes to let us know that the latest iPod shuffle, an mp3 player whose small size makes it an attractive exercise companion, tends to break when used as an exercise companion. More » -
motivation
The One Question To Ask Before Buying Fitness Equipment
Are you motivated? Because if you're not, don't bother. Put down your credit card, walk away from the pretty advertisements, you're just going to waste money. Seem overly simplistic? Maybe it is, but it's a reality most of us don't have the courage to face. Paul Michael over at Wise Bread offers up his own story as proof... More » -
nothing to see here
-
success stories
How I Lost 100.4 Pounds In 6 Months
Reader Tyler started 344pounds.com to document his weight loss journey. We've checked in with him before when he lost 32 and then 54.6 pounds. Now that he's hit the hundred-pound-loss mark, Tyler wrote this feature for us to share his methods.
On January 15th, I weighed 344.2 pounds. As of July 8th, I weigh 243.8 pounds. I've lost 100.4 pounds in the last 6 months by eating moderately (portion control) and exercising. I've gone from a 4XLT shirt and size 48 pants to wearing XL and size 38 pants. I no longer have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, or back problems. Here's how I did it. More »
-
Save Money With A Home Gym "By simply buying a few key pieces of equipment, you can get a gym-worthy workout at home and for less than $100. " [Consumer Reports Health]
MORE » -
-
health
Losing 32lbs In 6 Weeks. Just 68 To Go
Consumerist reader Tyler weighed 344 pounds and is trying to lose 100 of them. So far he's lost 32 in 6 weeks. Here are some of his secrets: More » -
Big Disappointments
Exercise Science Shocker: Regular Exercise And Diet Are The Best Ways To Lose Weight
Are you sitting down? Of course you are, that's why you were interested in a lose-weight-quick scheme to begin with. Well, bad news. Exercise physiologists took at look at several six-week weight loss programs and determined that no, those products don't work, and that if you want to stop looking like a "dumpling," it's going to take at least six months of actual effort. More » -
happy new year
No Better Time To Get Fit: Gyms Are Slashing Prices
One of the first things to get the ax when people cut back is the monthly gym membership fee — which means that gyms all over the country are slashing prices in order to attract new members to replace the ones who are sloughing off. More » -
exercise
10 Secrets About Personal Trainers
It's that time of year to pretend to care about your body for a few weeks before you give up in despair and realize it's your parents' fault for not having better genes. SmartMoney has published another one of their "10 Things" articles, this time about the common workout hobo, or as they prefer to be called, "personal trainers." More » -
obesity epidemic
Exercise Doesn't (Necessarily) Make You Lose Weight
Good news if you hate the gym, bad news if you've invested your time, money, and faith in the body-shaping power of daily workouts: despite what most people think, there still isn't overwhelming evidence that exercise will reduce weight. Over the past several decades, research continues to show that exercise will definitely increase your body's energy needs but not always reduce fat, and that a sedentary lifestyle and obesity are linked but not in a proven cause-and-effect relationship. Meanwhile, the popular press has promoted and mythologized a sort of "faith-based" concept of exercise as a key requirement for weight loss. More » -
better side effects
Exercise Helps Depression As Well As Meds, Says New Study
If you're blue, but not into treatments that require a prescription, hit the gym. In a recent study of 202 depressed adults, researchers found that those who participated in "group-based exercise therapy" showed the same results as those treated with antidepressants, while those who exercised at home showed slightly less improvement, and those who were given a placebo pill remained depressed. More » -
health
How I Lost 14.6 Pounds Sitting In Front Of A Computer
After a year-and-a-half of blogging out of the comfort of my apartment, I was out of shape and overweight. I'm 5'11" and I weighed 220 lbs. Pants weren't fitting. I learned that buttons popping off pants didn't just happen in the cartoons. My family noticed my doublechins, my dad worried I had diabetes.
Something had to be done, and I was going to use what made me fat, computers and the internet, to help me do it. More »
-
health
5 Pedometers That'll Knock Your Socks Off
Whether you're looking to start a serious exercise plan or simply want to keep track of how much walking you're doing, a good pedometer can be one solution for tracking your progress. And today's models are up to the task — having come a long way from the "shake and count" versions of just a decade or so ago. To find out which pedometer should be named King of the Walkers, Money magazine tested the five top units.
The winner was the Omron Pocket HJ-720ITC. For $50, it is over 99% accurate, stores 42 days of data, and allows you to upload results to your computer. Alas... More »
-
it's not the shoes
Reebok Says It's Ok To Be Slow
Reebok is the brand of diminished expectations, or so their recent "Run Easy" campaign would have us believe. More »


















