Gadgets & Gear: February 2008

The other day I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what I would write about for this month’s Gadgets and Gear article; when all of a sudden I was inundated with questions about elliptical trainers. I am, by no means, an expert on ellipticals but most of the people who know me, know that it is my favorite cardio machine. I like it so much and was so sick of waiting for available ones at my gym (I guess a lot of people like them), that I purchased my own gym quality elliptical last year.

I did a ton of research last year when picking my elliptical and have recently updated that information to help out my friends. So, I thought I would share with you the fruits of all this research. This article isn’t going to tell you the specific model of elliptical to buy (yeah, I know, I’m a ton of help) but is going to be more in line with my buying guide for cameras and will go over the factors you need to consider when purchasing an elliptical trainer for the home.

First off, why do I love ellipticals so much? Because they don’t make me hurt the way I do when I use a treadmill. Years of running in combat boots did a number on my knees and shins and if I can keep from pounding my feet on a treadmill or a track, I’m all for it. Ellipticals give the best sensation of running with the least amount of impact and I actually find it a bit fun to use. I can not say the same about most other exercise machines.

There are several things you need to check out and/or do prior to purchasing an elliptical machine. These factors are stride length, how much space you have available for the machine, how much you are going to use it, accessories/programs you would like available, and your price range.

Stride Length: The first is to figure out the stride length that you find most comfortable. This will help you rule out tons of machines right off the bat. Most machines have a range from 16 to 24 inches in stride length. The most common length you will find will typically be an 18-inch model and this will work well for many people. To find out if that is a good number for you, you are going to have to hop on an elliptical and give it a good test (not just one or two seconds, but actually a few minutes on there). Also, just because it ‘works’ for you, don’t assume that any particular stride length is the best for you just off of one test, try a few different ones. I actually prefer a 22 inch stride because it best simulates my stride when I run. My wife on the other hand being a petite 4’ 11” likes the 18” stride and could probably even use a shorter one. On any given person, the longer the stride length, the more it moves towards a sprinting action.

If you have several people who are going to be using the elliptical, you will want to look into a model with a variable stride length, unless you all agree that you prefer a specific set stride. The model I have has a range from 18 – 24 inches in two-inch increments.

A small subset of this consideration – and one that will also affect the next topic regarding available space – is whether you get a front wheel or rear wheel configuration. Many ‘experts’ believe that the rear wheel set-up gives the most natural stride. While my elliptical is a rear wheel elliptical, I have used many front wheel units that I felt were just fine. Again you are going to have to try it out. The space consideration comes from the fact that typically the rear wheel units take up a lot more room than the front wheel ones.

Space Availability: Do you live in an apartment, a house, or a mansion? This will greatly affect which model of elliptical you will want to buy. Unfortunately, almost all elliptical machines take up a lot of room. Some are smaller than others and some can even ‘fold up’ a bit, but any elliptical is going to take up some space in your house. I have seen a few models of ellipticals that are the size of a stair-master and I have seen others that can fold up. I have reservations on both of these types of machines because it seems difficult to really get up a decent running pace when you are all bunched up by the console on the stair-master sized units.

On the fold up units, I question how stable they can be when there is an obvious ‘break’ in the platform so that it can fold up and stability is a big issue when you are hauling at top speed on one of these things. If you don’t have a good space that is about 8 x 3 feet, you might want to consider another machine like a stationary bike.

Durability: How often and how long do you plan on using the elliptical? How many different people will use the machine? These are all huge considerations when buying an elliptical. The biggest difference between the $3000 elliptical and the $300 model is really how sturdy they are (there are other differences but the biggest one is the quality). The expensive gym quality machines are made for almost constant use by thousands of people, while the cheaper models are designed for one or two people to use them for an hour or two every other day. The expensive models will have lots of welded steel for stability, while the less expensive models will be held together by screws and bolts that will become loose over time.

If you want to know how well built a machine is, look at the warranty. The best units will have a lifetime frame warranty and a year or two on parts and labor. The lower quality units might have a lifetime frame warranty but the parts and labor will only be 90 days at most. You can’t go by price alone on this one; I have seen some pretty expensive units with really weak warranties and that should raise an alarm in your head. Now this isn’t to say that a unit with a weaker warranty won’t do well for you – especially, if you are using it for 30 minutes every other day. But, if you are going to have multiple users or longer workouts, you definitely need to shop for quality.

This is also another time you will want to go in person to test the model you are looking considering. If you get on the machine and it is wobbly and makes a lot of funny noises (not the funny noises you make, but the actual machine), it will do that very quickly after you get it home as well.

Accessories/Programs: This one is pretty easy. Are you looking for all kinds of programs so that you can switch up your workout every day or do you only care about a timer or distance meter? Some people like to have a built-in heart monitor and time their exercises by their heart rate while others go by time and distance and vary their exercises by themselves. Be careful here since a lot of the cheaper companies throw in tons of ‘features’ that really don’t add any real value to the machine but disguise the fact that the important parts are pretty cheap. All the bells and whistles just make it so they feel they can charge more. Pay for quality and not for the cool graphical interface or iPod dock.

Price: This is probably what you are most concerned with but it should be last on your list. Think of it this way, you go out and buy yourself a cool looking elliptical for $700 and after a month or two of use, it creaks and wobbles and it just isn’t that comfortable or fun to use so you stop using it. Guess what, you just threw away $700. Let’s say you go out and spend $1400 on a mid-level unit, you really enjoy it and get years of use out of it. Just with all the health benefits you’ve reaped, you have made a really good investment.

I would stay away from a lot of the ‘big box’ athletic stores and especially stay away from the department stores where they sell a ‘so-called’ $1200 unit for $500 (guess how much it’s really worth?) Go to a specialty fitness store. Not only are you going to be able to try out several different models but they will have a decent price range as well. They may not be as low as the department store, but their low end is above the department stores’ high end. Also, the fitness store will be able to work with you to find the best unit for your needs. Most stores will come and set the machine up for you and many have their own financing (many times interest free) to help ease the sticker shock.

Finally, my biggest warning to you would be to make sure you try out any elliptical first (this actually goes for any exercise machine). Don’t just buy some unit off the internet because it looks cool or is really cheap. Finally, try to find some reviews of the model you are thinking of buying. One good source of reviews for a lot of different models is www.ellipticaltrainers.com. Don’t be shocked by some of the prices they quote in their reviews. You can often find many of the models for less in the store where you are going to physically test the machine out, right?

That’s it for this month! As always, feel free to write to me if you have any questions at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

Gadgets & Gear: Personal Trainer in Your Pocket

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve been having fun playing with all the cool toys you received for the holidays (which if your loved ones were reading this magazine last month you should have gotten some very cool gear)!

January not only ushers in a whole new year, but for many of us it also brings several New Year’s resolutions. If one of your resolutions is to get in shape, and if you happen to have gotten a new iPod (or even have an old one for that matter), this article is about how you can use your iPod to get better results with your resolution.

iPods and MP3 players in general are a great tool to help you stay motivated to do that extra mile on the treadmill or that extra rep on the weight bench. At the very least they provide music to help take your mind off of just how much your muscles hurt or how much you really don’t want to be there. Perhaps you didn’t know this, but that little iPod can be more than just a distraction. It can be a tool to help take your workout to the next level and help you see some serious gains, or losses, depending on your goal.

There are two things for your iPod that I would like to highlight in this article that I really think can turn that fun little gadget into a virtual trainer. The first item is the iPod + Nike system and the second is a whole group of websites that provide workout Podcasts for you to download.

iPod + Nike

Now this system has been around for some time but with the new generation of iPod Nanos and some new Nike shoes that support the system, I think it has finally hit the tipping point and the system is starting to take off. Unfortunately, this system is designed to be used with the Nano and not the iPod Classic, Touch, or Shuffle, but it does work with all generations of Nanos. The latest generation of Nanos with its phenomenal screen and diminutive size is what really made me stand up and take notice of the iPod + Nike system.

So what is involved with the iPod + Nike system you ask? As I stated earlier, you need an iPod Nano. You then need to go to the Apple store or to a local sporting goods store to pick up the iPod + Nike Sport Kit which has the transmitter and receiver set you need. This costs about $29.00. Finally, you need to go to your favorite shoe store and look for a set of Nike + shoes. These shoes are just like any other set of Nikes but these have a small space under the arch of your left insole where the transmitter goes. You then plug the receiver into the dock connector of your Nano, and you now have a state-of-the-art training tool.

Now, what does the whole system do? Well that transmitter in your shoe is a very cool little pedometer that transmits all its data to your iPod, which then can display all kinds of information about your workout such as your pace, how many calories you have burned, how far you have run, and how long you have been going. Don’t feel like fidgeting with an iPod while you are running? Don’t worry, the iPod not only displays all this information on the screen but will also talk to you through the headphones (adjusting the volume of your music when it does). It will even congratulate you when you have achieved a personal best time or pace.

The thing I think is one of its coolest features though is the PowerSong feature. What this lets you do is select one song that really gets you pumped, and when you press and hold the center button on the Nano, it will interrupt your playlist with this song. When the song is finished, the Nano will go back to your previous music. This is great when you need that last little kick to really pour it on and finish hard.

Even if that is all the iPod + Nike system did, it would still be a great tool for your cardio workout, but it gets even better with its synch capability. Once you get home from your run or walk, you can plug your Nano into your computer and synch it with iTunes and the www.nikeplus.com website to keep track of your progress. It can track everything from your total time out, total miles ran, and total calories burned, and can even break it down by day, week, month, or year. It uses a very straight forward graphical system that readily shows you where you stand and how far you have to reach your goals. If you are the really competitive type, you can even challenge your friend on the other side of the country to a virtual race and upload your data to see who wins!

So if you have an iPod Nano, and you are in the market for a new pair of running shoes, pick up a set of the Nike + shoes and the Sport Kit and start putting that Nano to really good use!

Podcasts

Now this “tool” is very straight forward. There are several websites out there that provide instructional video or audio Podcasts that you can use to help make your workouts either more productive, fun, or hopefully both. This truly is like having a personal trainer in your pocket except you don’t have to worry about running into him on the street with that disapproving look when he sees you with that triple scoop of Baskin-Robbins in your hand. Here is a list of several sites that you may want to check out. Two of these sites charge per Podcast, and the other is subscription-based. There are a few other sites that provide some free audio podcasts though their quality is commensurate with what they charge.

www.fitwisetraining.com

This site has video Podcasts on everything from strength training to yoga. Each video is $1.99 for a certain exercise/posture or they have packages that provide a complete workout for $9.99. It is very easy and straight forward and the only one on this list that is video-based.

www.podfitness.com

Now this really is having a personal trainer on your iPod or MP3 player because once you sign up with this subscription-based service, you put together a plan with a real life trainer who then develops a program for you. This program is downloaded either through the free iTunes or Zune software and then uses the music that you pick to create a whole workout session. The subscription rate for podfitness.com is $59.85 every thirteen weeks. It may sound like a lot, but you can’t even get one session with a personal trainer for that in most gyms.

www.itrain.com

Here they offer a bunch of different audio Podcasts with music for a variety of different workouts. The trainers can offer some pretty cheesy “motivation” at times, and the music is from their own collection of generic high energy music, but I really could imagine that I was in a studio with a trainer with their Podcasts. Prices vary, but each Podcast is a full 15 minutes to one hour workout for anything from $4 to $10.

Well, that’s it for this month. I hope this article has helped give you some ideas on putting that iPod to good use and that it helps you reach your fitness goals this year. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

Gadgets & Gear: November 2007

In honor of National Diabetes Month I thought I’d review some of the blood glucose monitors out on the market. Fortunately, I don’t have diabetes and have never had to use one of these increasingly sophisticated devices, but many people in the US (about 20 million at last count) do need one – though about a third of those don’t know it yet.

Now, I will do a lot for our readers but I was not about to turn myself into a human pincushion to test the whole gamut of monitors on the market. It really wouldn’t accomplish much anyway since we are all aware that it gets easier, especially with alternate site testing – more on that later. So why do this article at all? Well, even though using these blood glucose meters (BGM) may be pretty straight forward, there is a dizzying amount of meters on the market (over 25). Each has different features and it may be hard to decide which is best for you. So what I hope to do with this article is to explain what all those features are and highlight some of the most popular meters on the market.

Now many people with diabetes didn’t even get to pick out the meter. For most, the doctor or nurse came into the room and handed you one. The doctors are supplied these meters from the manufacturers to give out to the patients for free. Before you get thinking that these meter manufacturers are so nice for giving out free meters to people; it’s really business. It is not unlike how inkjet printers are sold well below their actual cost, since the manufacturers know they will more then make up for the loss on the front end when you go to buy the ink (which for some systems can cost more than said printer).

With blood glucose meters you are going to have to buy their testing strips and that is where they make their money (2-3 strips per day for the rest of your life adds up to a lot). Even if your doctor doesn’t hand you one, virtually all insurances will cover one, and if you really don’t like the one you are given, you can actually pick one up at a pharmacy without a prescription (though you do need a prescription for the strips).

So what are some factors to consider when choosing a blood glucose meter? Here is a quick list of some different items to compare and what they mean to you.

Size: This one is easy. Is the meter (and its test strips and the lancet to draw the blood) easy to carry around? Virtually all of these meters have a case to carry all of these items together or you just may want to stash items where you most commonly test (i.e. home and the office).

Battery: Important but most likely not a deal-breaker. Some units use easily replaceable AAA batteries while others use a watch type battery. The only issue is if you really need to do a test and it conks out on you and there is not a pharmacy around.

Testing Time: This is an easy one. How long do you like to wait for your results? Most meters run anywhere from 5-60 seconds. A shorter time is probably better if you test a lot in public and don’t want to draw a lot of attention to yourself, but it has no bearing on the quality of the results.

Sample Size: How much blood do you want to give up each time you test? Me? I like keeping as much of my blood as I can. In the past, meters required quite a large drop of blood but now you can get away with as little as 0.3uL (microliters) and with very few meters requiring over 1.5uL. The advent of these smaller sample volumes helps prevent a lot of extra pokes due to unproductive pricks.

Alternate Site Testing: Again, due to the reduced amount of blood required, people are now able to poke themselves in places other than their fingertips. These other locations (like further up the arm) tend to be less sensitive and will hurt a lot less. There is still some question as to whether the blood drawn from alternate sites will accurately reflect sudden changes in blood glucose levels. Either way, you should only use alternate sites if the device has been approved for it and your doctor agrees.

Meter Calibration: Every new batch of test strips you use will be minutely different than the previous batch and so to insure continuity of results, the new batch will have to be ‘coded’ into the meter. Many meters do not require any input from the user, while others will need you to input a code from the bottle, while others will require you to first use a test strip to calibrate the machine.

Download Capability/Memory: Virtually all meters have some memory; anywhere from 50 to 3000 of your tests. This allows you to track over time how well you are controlling your diabetes and combined with other information such as what you ate and did each day, can help you further control your diabetes. Many meters will also allow you to download all your test data to a computer to better help you manage the information.

Other Features: Some meters have easy to read screens, while others hold all the testing strips in a disk or drum in the machine. Others have strips that may be more comfortable/easier to use. These vary radically between meters so you will have to see which features matter to you the most.

Please see the chart below for some detailed information on a few of the most popular meters.

As always, feel free to write to me about any questions you might have or if there is something you would like to see me write about. You can email me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

Gadgets & Gear: September 2007

Photography. All of us fancy ourselves as a photographer at some time or another. There is something about photography that calls out to just about everyone. People much smarter than me have debated what it is about photographs that draw us in so much. Some say that it is our way of freezing time in our inescapable march towards death (that depressed me just typing it). Some say that it ties into our human need to document what we have done in our lives (cave paintings were just early versions of photo albums). Either way you look at it, virtually everyone loves photos, except maybe when sitting through Aunt Millie’s slideshow of her 15 cats… “Here they are licking themselves, here they are sleeping, here they are coughing up a hairball, isn’t that just the cutest thing?”

This is the first in a two-part series on photography, digital imaging to be specific since hardly anyone uses film anymore. This article is on how to buy a digital camera and next month’s will be about the software to use with your digital images. You might have noticed that I said HOW to buy a digital camera and not WHICH digital cameras to buy. Normally, I would give recommendations on products but I am going to refrain this time. Photography is a very subjective field, and people are very picky about what they like and some people are VERY territorial about their cameras. On some of the online photography forums you can get away with disparaging their mother, but never their camera. (Insult: “Your mother was a witch and you shoot with a Nikon!” Response: “How dare you, I have NEVER used a Nikon!”).

All cameras take photographs differently, even different models from the same manufacturer. Some take photos with super-saturated colors, some take very softly focused shots, some take very sharp, almost 3D photos. The thing about it is, some people will love the effect, others would think their camera is broken. My very first digital camera was from Sony, and it took very good pictures, but it was one of those that produced super-saturated colors, which I thought looked quite nice. Other people hated it because it wasn’t true to life. You are going to have to decide on your own personal tastes. What follows are the two questions I ask everyone who asks me for advice on which digital camera to buy (which is second only to which MP3 player to buy).

How big are you going to make the prints?

A camera that has a ten megapixel sensor has got to be better than one with a measly six megapixels right? Wrong! The camera companies have trained everyone to think this way so that you will run right out and sell your old camera on eBay as soon as the new model comes out with one more megapixel and not much else different.

The truth is, some very high megapixel cameras turn out far worse photos in a very objective sense than those with far less megapixels. Granted, some of these problems are due to other factors such as the quality of the lens and the software in the camera and not the sensor. The problem is, as you pack more and more sensors onto a chip, you have to make them smaller and smaller to fit or you have to increase the size of the chip, which is expensive and can change the form factor of the camera.

As you pack more and more of those sensors closer together, they can create all kinds of problems, not the least of which is “noise”. This is the thing that can make a digital image look “grainy,” like you would get with the old high-speed film. Now graininess may be something you like in an artistic way, but digital noise oftentimes doesn’t just introduce graininess. It can also produce other image problems that can destroy a picture. That just proves my point, that it’s not the size of your sensor, it’s how you use it. Actually, it is the whole package that really matters.

So how many megapixels do you need? That depends on how big of a picture you are going to produce. Ninety-five percent of the people on the planet would never need a camera over three megapixels, let alone six. Who are those 10 and 12 megapixel monsters made for? Pros typically (at least in the digital SLR arena). And, suckers (for those getting a point-and-shoot camera).

If you are never going to print a picture bigger than the typical 4 x 6” print, you don’t need any more than three megapixels! If I take a picture with a ten megapixel camera and you shoot the same picture with a three, and we both print a 4 x 6” at the same photo lab, they will both be really nice pictures and any difference between the two is probably going to be more due to the lens or the software than the sensor.

In truth, your picture may look better than mine; there is that whole subjective thing again. So here is a little guide on how big of a sensor you need according to what size of print you are going to make:

• 3 megapixel = 5 x 7” (you could even blow that 4 x 6 up to the next size and it would look great)

• 4 megapixel = 8 x 10”

• 5 megapixel = 11 x 14”

• 6 megapixel = 13 x 19”

• 8 megapixel = 16 x 20”

• 10-12 megapixel = 24 x 36”

So, unless you are planning on printing out a poster that is 2 x 3 feet, you really don’t need that super megapixel camera. You would be much better off buying a higher quality camera with a smaller sensor.

How do you plan on using the camera?

This is the easiest question to ask yourself; “Am I just using this camera to take quick shots of people/events, or do I really want to get creative with my photos?” If you are just planning on taking basic pictures of your kids, your spouse, and the trip to Hawaii, all you really need or probably want is a point and shoot (P&S) camera. What I mean by a P&S is a camera that is typically very compact and does not allow you to switch out the lenses. These are what 90% of the cameras at Best Buy or any major retailer would be classified under. That’s not to say that you can’t do a lot with these cameras – some of them have special modes in them that are pretty advanced and you can get somewhat creative with your pictures (adjusting shutter speed, maybe adjusting the aperture for less depth of field) – but mostly they were intended to be used in “Full Auto” mode most of the time.

Most of these cameras are great and will take pictures that you will most likely be very happy with. Also, they are typically very easy to put in a small case and put into a pocket or a purse. If you are a casual photographer, find one here that feels the easiest for you to use, has a screen you like and has any special features that you like (i.e. Kodak and several other brands have cameras that have little printer docks that can print out your 4 x 6” prints all in one package).

If you fancy yourself as the next Ansel Adams or Annie Leibovitz, you might want to consider a Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. It will be very hard to get sweeping panoramas or portraits that almost jump out at you with a P&S camera. With power comes complexity, and while almost all DSLRs have a basic mode (you can get a DSLR and keep it in its basic mode all the time but you will basically have a very powerful and expensive P&S), they really shine when you put them into their “creative” modes. This is where you can play with the shutter speed to make a waterfall or a stream turn into a white “otherworldly” substance or freeze them to where you can see every drop. You can play with the aperture and get tack sharp focus from the camera all the way out to infinity, or open it up to take a portrait with everything but the person’s face beautifully out of focus to really draw attention to them.

Like I said above, some P&S cameras can do this to some degree or another, but none of them excel at it the way a DSLR was designed to do. Also, with a DSLR you have the ability to swap out lenses to suit the type of photography you are doing. Shooting sports? You can get yourself one of those wicked cool white Canon telephoto lenses. Want to take in a wide cityscape or interior of a beautiful cathedral? Go out and get a super wide angle lens. Want to take close-ups of a bee perched on a flower? Go grab yourself a nice macro lens (though I have to admit a lot of P&S cameras have some pretty impressive macro modes, though none will match the quality of a dedicated macro lens).

One thing about DSLRs that throws a lot of digital P&S owners is that you don’t compose the picture on the LCD on the back (that is only for reviewing the picture and menu functions), with a DSLR you go back to sticking the camera to your face and taking the picture through the viewfinder. This is due to the design of all SLRs, digital or not, and while some new DSLRs offer what they call a “live view” on the LCD screen, it’s not the best, and you should just use the viewfinder.

Quick note here on a class of cameras called “Megazoom” cameras. These are cameras that typically look like a hybrid of a P&S and a DSLR. They are more compact than a DSLR but have a bigger lens than a P&S. If you aren’t quite ready to make the jump from a P&S to a DSLR you might want to consider one of these cameras because even though they are still P&S cameras, they tend to have a little more options in the creative arena. Some of these cameras function almost identically to their DSLR big brothers with the exception of swapping out lenses (you really don’t need to though because the lens on many of these cameras cover the entire gamut of lenses you can buy with a DSLR).

That’s it?

Yep, those are the two questions I ask people when they ask me for advice on what digital camera to buy. There are just too many different features from each maker, and even within each product line, to go in-depth about all of them. Once you know how big of a sensor you need and which type of camera you are looking for, then you need to go out and find the one that fits your hands the best, has a big enough screen for you, and is easy enough for you to take around with you.

If you are looking for some specific camera reviews from some good sources, here are a few sites to look up. My favorite site is www.dpreview.com. This is a camera site for photographers by photographers. These guys give you multi-page reviews with comparisons to other cameras in the class and sample photos. Another good site is the one for the magazine Popular Photography at www.popphoto.com. You can also go to www.cnet.com and look under their reviews section. They are usually pretty good on all tech reviews though I think their camera reviews are their weakest section (I don’t think any of them are a real photographer nor do they use the real lab equipment to test the camera like DPReview and PopPhoto).

Have fun and see you next month when I’ll be writing about all the little software programs to play with all those photos from your new camera. As always, if you have any questions feel free to write me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

Gadget & Gear: July 2007

So, my husband is recovering from surgery and is on a drug that prevents him from thinking straight, but takes care of the pain. So, I am filling in for his monthly column. You may recognize me from my “Ask the Doctor” section of this magazine, but that picture does not show the most important of accessories: my shoes.

I am in no way a “gadget geek”; however, the “GG” in my case stands for “Girly Girl.” I have only two gadgets to my name, an iPod Nano (pink of course), and a Motorola Razr cell phone (also pink). My husband had to load my music into the iPod and the ring tone into my cell phone for me.

So, I thought I would make this column about gear instead of gadgets. I love shoes. I collect them, like other people collect stamps (everyone has to have a hobby). Since I cover my clothes with a white coat every day, put my handbag in a drawer at work, and leave my sunglasses in the car, shoes are the part of my outfit that everyone sees. I also have very small feet and my size is difficult to find. So I thought I would talk about finding shoes and how to get the best prices.

July is a great time of year to talk about shoes. In July, most of the stores have a half-yearly sale and all the summer styles go on sale to make room for fall styles. However, it will be summer for quite a bit longer, so now is the time to buy. There are many options for shoe buying here in Metro-Detroit. The biggest selection in a department store is found at Nordstrom.

Nordstrom started as a shoe store, so they go above and beyond to accommodate the shoe customer. They carry sizes 4 to 14 in women’s shoes. They will also sell you two different sized shoes if necessary. If they do not have your size in stock, they will do a search of their stores and find your size and ship it to you. You will have to pay shipping, but it is minimal and the shoes will arrive at your house within a week. This is especially useful for the difficult-to-find sizes at the lower and upper ends of the size range.

We also have Macy’s here in Michigan now. I had placed a personal boycott on Marshall Fields when the shoe department manager told me they didn’t carry any shoe size below a 6. (I assume for the taller fashonistas out there, they didn’t carry the larger sizes either). However, when Macy’s arrived on the scene I was very pleased to find out they did carry some smaller sizes – not as many as Nordstrom – but at least they hadn’t effectively banned petite women from their store.

Nordstrom and Macy’s both carry a wide range of designers and prices, so you can find something within your budget. If you are looking exclusively at high-end designer shoes, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus are where you need to go in Metro Detroit. You don’t have to go to New York to find Manolos or Jimmy Choos like Carrie Bradshaw from ‘Sex and the City,’ you just have to go to the Somerset Collection. A big plus here is also the sales. You can get a significant amount off of your favorite designer shoes if you catch a great sale. Nothing is better than a designer shoe that you didn’t pay full price for. I have been disappointed that Saks at Somerset doesn’t always carry the small sizes, but like Nordstrom they were able to order my shoes from a different store.

As for discount stores, there is only one worth mentioning: DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse). This juggernaut of shoes can be found all over the metro area, with locations in Troy, Sterling Heights, Southfield, West Bloomfield, Roseville, Novi and Dearborn. Go to their website www.dswshoes.com for addresses and maps.

At DSW, everything is always on sale. They will list both their price and the department store price, and your receipt will tell you how much you saved. In addition, DSW has sales at the end of the season as well, so the shoes are even cheaper! DSW also always has clearance racks in the back. This is ALWAYS where I start shopping when I go into DSW. They have great deals back there. DSW will put a brightly colored sticker on shoes that are the smaller or larger sizes so they are easier to find.

Since DSW is a warehouse, they are unable to order specific sizes or styles, so if they have a shoe you love and it’s not in your size, you are out of luck. The manager did tell me that each store gets to order a size range and a style type for their shoe shipments. She said that they had recently changed their size range to accommodate taller women so predominate sizes are 7 – 11. Occasionally, I can still find a 5, but I have to look hard.

More recently, I have started buying my shoes on-line. I have found this to be great since I was already paying shipping on my shoes that had to be ordered from another store elsewhere. The department stores all have websites, and you can order directly from them. The websites have some nice features that allow you to search by size, or designer, or both.

It helps to search by size, that way you are not disappointed when your size is not available in that fabulous red pump. The website will also give you a lot of detail about the shoe including heel-height and the type of fabric or leather used to make the shoes. The department store websites always have a sale section, even if there is not a sale currently in the store. DSW has a website, but you cannot buy shoes online. However, there is an equivalent to DSW online, and it is www.zappos.com.

Zappos has upped the ante on the online shoe shopping game by offering free overnight and return shipping, to accommodate those moments of weakness when the 4-inch stiletto sounded like a great idea. Zappos can be initially overwhelming, even for me. However, the trick to Zappos is to narrow the search. Zappos has a sophisticated search engine (my husband would be so impressed!), so not only can you search by size and designer, but by style, color, and heel height.

So if you are looking for a red pump in a size 5 with a 2-inch heel, Zappos will only show you those shoes. You don’t have to narrow it that far, and you can search only for red shoes, size 5. Zappos also has a section for high-end designers and for vegetarian shoes (no leather). Like some of my husband’s tech websites, Zappos also offers reviews from customers about the shoes and the fit. They will also tell you if the fit runs to size or slightly big or small.

So, ladies, happy shoe shopping! A great pair of shoes can really make your outfit unique. Just tell your husbands that of course you need 10 (or more) pairs of black pumps, even if he can’t tell the difference between them! My husband will be back next month with something much more tech-oriented for those of you who were expecting a review of mega-bytes or mega-pixels or something.

Gadgets & Gear: April 2007

I’ve always said that video game consoles could be good for you. I personally believe that when you have age appropriate games, kids (and adults) can learn a lot about themselves and others by playing video games. You also can develop hand/eye coordination, problem solving skills, and fine motor skills. Now as it turns out, you can also get yourself into shape using your Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Wii, and Sony Playstation.

Games that get you moving are nothing new, but up until a few years ago you only really found them in arcades. The big game that a lot of people know is Dance Dance Revolution (otherwise known as DDR, go figure). Ever since DDR and its sequels hit the Playstation 2 a few years back, kids and adults have been working up a sweat and mastering dance moves that would make John Travolta cry. A few other games have hit the consoles since then, but with the advent of the Nintendo Wii and it’s innovative controller, the attention has really been drawn to what can be done with a video game console.

A few weeks ago both local and national news covered the story of a man in Philadelphia who conducted his own little Wii fitness experiment. Over the course of six weeks, he played the Wii Sports game 30 minutes a day and kept the rest of his routine the same. During the “experiment” he tracked a wide variety of fitness measures to include weight, Body Mass Index, calories burned, and body fat. What happened was pretty amazing.

At the end of the six weeks, he had lost 9 pounds, his BMI went from 25.1 to 24, body fat went from 19% to 17.2%, and he lost 3.5 inches from his waist! Now the nine pounds may not sound like a lot, but I’m betting that he added some muscle to himself which countered a bit of fat he lost. I was most impressed at the 3.5 inches off his waist. He did this by playing four of the five games on the disk (which comes bundled with the Wii): bowling (yes, bowling), tennis, baseball, and boxing. He didn’t play the golf game since he didn’t think he could get enough into the game to burn a lot of calories.

As part of the experiment he also measured how many calories he burned during each of the games to find which gave him the best workout. The device he used is good for measuring calories burned, though there is some argument over whether it accurately measured everything. Either way it gives a good idea of how many calories you can burn playing each game. Here is what he found (each is calories burned during a 15-minute interval):

• Wii Baseball: No Data

• Wii Bowling: 77 calories

• Wii Tennis: 92 calories

• Wii Boxing: 125 calories

Granted he played each of these rather aggressively with full motions and was even doing the dodges and hopping/bouncing like a real boxer would, but these are still some pretty impressive numbers. And to think, he did it all in the comfort of his own living room. He didn’t have to drive to a gym or hire a trainer, and the best part is that he had fun doing it. I think that he may have changed his lifestyle a bit to get these results in just six weeks, but I still think that the Wii Sports helped a lot.

There is another story of a girl, now 21, who over the last four years has played Dance Dance Revolution and burned off over 95 pounds! She credits the game for being so fun that it added movement to her rather sedentary lifestyle and that she enjoyed it so much that it just became a regular activity. She is going to be working with a national group to help teach kids about adding activity to their day to help lose weight and stay fit.

Now I’m not saying that all games, or even most games, are going to do much for you fitness-wise but most of the game systems out there have one or two games that can help give you a workout and be a little fun at the same time.

Here are a few programs and the systems you can find them on.

Dance Dance Revolution (Playstation, Playstation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, Xbox 360, and coming soon to the Wii) – This is the one that got the movement going (pardon the pun). Using a pad that you put on the floor in front of the TV, you try to match your foot movements (by stepping on one of four directional arrows) to the beat and the commands on the screen. This game is not only fun by yourself, but the fun factor goes up exponentially when you have a group of people and goes up even more if you have two of the pads so that you can duel. Only drawbacks to this game are the seizure inducing graphics, “interesting” song choices, and making a fool out of yourself in front of your children and friends.

Wii Sports (Nintendo Wii) – As mentioned above, this game comes bundled with the Wii and has five different sports from which to choose: baseball, golf, boxing, bowling, and tennis. Depending on how much you put in to each of these games, meaning how much you move your entire body, you can get one heck of a workout. Just watch out because they are already talking about ‘Wii elbow’ from people getting repetitive use injuries from these games as well as injuries from flying controllers!

Yourself Fitness (PC, Xbox, Playstation 2) – This “game” never really took off, even though it is executed very well and has a very good exercise program. Perhaps the problem is that it is quite obviously an exercise program (hence the fitness in the title) and people like to be tricked into working out.

Anyway, this program has a virtual trainer named Maya who leads you through a fitness routine of your choosing and even shows you how to properly perform each action and after getting feedback from you, even adjust the program to suit your goals. The program has over 500 different exercises and over 2000 recipes to help you lead a healthier lifestyle. Hopefully they will give this program an update and try again because it really was a great idea.

You may have to hunt for this program since the game platforms (with the exception of the PC), are all last generation and the supplies of games for them are drying up.

Video Camera Games (Playstation 2, Xbox 360) – There are actually a few different games under this category. Both the Playstation 2 and Xbox 360 have little web cameras that you can plug into them. The Playstation 2 device is called the Eye Toy and has a whole suite of games that allow you to interact with the game on the screen. The Xbox 360 has the Live! Vision camera which right now really just adds video messaging and video chat to the system, but it does have one game, TotemBall. TotemBall requires you to hold your arms out in front of you and move them up or down to help steer a ball around the screen. I played this for about 15 minutes and at the end of that time I thought my arms were going to fall off! The Eye Toy games have a lot more variety to them, though only a few of them have the potential to actually give you a workout.

As you can see, video games aren’t always about shooting aliens, blowing things up or driving around a city committing crimes. Some games can help get your rear end off the couch and even burn off a few pounds from said rear end. This is only the start of this trend; Nintendo has already announced plans for a Wii Fitness game that will help expand on the publicity it has gotten from the Wii Sports games. Never ones to turn away from tons of money, I’m sure Microsoft and Sony will have something out as well in the near future. Who knows, perhaps in a year or two, parents are going to be telling their kids to play their video games or better yet, fighting them for the controller.

Gadgets & Gear: February 2007

Welcome back to this month’s edition of Gadgets-n-Gear!

Every year, I smile at the influx of new members at my local gym, only to see them disappear by the time March/April rolls around. This is great for the gyms since they get so many new members who enroll, go for a short time, stop going, still pay their dues and tell all their friends that they have a gym membership!

The key to staying with any exercise regimen is keeping up your motivation. Last month, I reviewed several MP3 players that can help keep you entertained as the treadmill rolls past your feet, and that can immeasurably help you stay with a program.

The thing that will motivate you the most though, is for you to see results from your workout. Nothing is more demoralizing than being sweaty and sore and not seeing any benefit from it.

That’s why my other “must have” gadget for the gym is a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) watch. They are also referred to as running computers but what sets it apart from a regular running watch is that it comes with a telemetry strap (the band that goes around your chest). This allows it to keep track of your heart rate throughout your workout.

Some of the more inexpensive watches have little sensors on them to put your fingers on to check your heart rate, but I don’t recommend these watches. Not only are they awkward to use while running on a treadmill, but having a constant monitor of your heart rate will give you better data to work with.

If you had told me several years ago that I was going to be a gym rat, have expensive running shoes, and have a HRM watch, I would have laughed you out of the building. After years of running in combat boots, I told everyone within earshot that the only time they would see me running again is if something big and scary was chasing me, or there was a Dairy Queen at the end of the street!

Running was very popular in the Air Force and I saw lots of people with their HRM watches. To tell you the truth, I thought they looked like pretentious dorks. I know now that they were working out smarter, not just harder – so at least they were smart, pretentious dorks.

I worked out for a long time without ever feeling the need to get a Heart Rate Monitor. It wasn’t until I realized that I had hit a wall in my workouts. I was getting diminishing returns from my time on the elliptical machine and from the strength training.

I asked one of the trainers in my gym for some advice. I assumed that he would offer his services at $75/hour, but he actually said that I should get a HRM watch. So I did.

The beauty of the HRM watch is that it allows you to do heart-rate based interval training. What does that mean? It means that instead of just putting in 30-40 minutes on the treadmill, elliptical, or cycle, you can break that time up into chunks and work out at different intensities.

Want to lose weight or train for a triathlon? Once you know your heart-rate zones, you will be able to optimize each workout to get you the result you want to achieve.

So what HRM watch should you buy? The leader, nay, OWNER, of this market is Polar. I thought about talking about some other manufacturers, but there really is no point in doing so. Polar is the best and has enough variety in their products (34 models at last count) to match any person or budget. You could spend $40 for a glorified pulse counter and not get much more than that, or you can spend a little (sometimes a lot) more and get something that will give you the tools to make the most of your workout.

I bought my Polar RS 200 at my gym. After I configured the screen to show me the time, what heart-rate zone I was in, and my heart-rate, the trainers helped me calibrate it. Calibration involved monitoring my heart-rate on a treadmill over a period of time with increasing speed/incline. There is an ‘easy’ calibration feature, but I recommend that you do the treadmill, because it only takes about ten minutes and it gives you much better data. Now that my watch is calibrated to me, I can monitor how hard I’m working throughout my routine.

Another benefit of the HRM watch is that it gives me a much more realistic estimate of the calories that I burn during my workouts since it is calibrated to know my cardiovascular fitness level, my age, my weight, and my body size.

The gym’s machines that have you just enter your weight don’t incorporate any other factors about you, thus giving you less accurate estimates on your calories burned.

Most machines I’ve used in the gym tend to over-estimate the calories burned between 20-25%. While I’m sure that helps people feel better about their workouts, it doesn’t help someone who is serious about losing weight.

This was a huge reason for the ‘wall’ I had hit. I had calculated my calories burned based on the machine’s totals and planned my calorie intake accordingly. But, I was way off and didn’t lose any more weight.

So, how did the heart-rate watch take me to the next level of working out? In addition to giving me a graphical representation of just how hard I worked out and how many calories I had burned, it also keeps records for several weeks that let me see how well I’m progressing. The Polar system is really nice because it has a website (www.polarpersonaltrainer.com) that allows you to transmit your data from some of their watches to their database. This feature allows you to track your progress according to the type of workout you set up on the site. If you want to lose weight, keep it in zones one and two; increase your cardiovascular fitness, use zones three and four; build serious athletic endurance, push it to zone five.

This is extremely helpful for someone who wants to see exactly what they have done and how they are improving. If you follow some of the plans they have on the site, you will start seeing results. At the very least, just having the watch and using the data it provides can help give you better results.

I also chose Polar over other HRM watches because they have the best technical support.

Most cardio gym equipment with heart-rate monitors (those bio-electric metal contacts on the machine), also synch with Polar telemetry straps. This allows you to bypass the heart-rate sensors on the machine – which can be awkward to use. As a result, you get the readout on the machines’ screen so you don’t have to look at your watch.

Polar’s 34 different watch models cater to any level of workout, budget or geek factor. I had a very hard time selecting which models to showcase here since there are so many to choose. I decided on three models: an entry level watch, an enthusiast level watch, and one for a pro. I highly encourage you to take a look at their watches at www.polarusa.com and find the one that matches your needs the best.

THE WATCHES

Entry Level –

Polar F6. The F6 isn’t Polar’s lowest model in specs or price. However, it is probably the most basic HRM watch that I would recommend for someone who is just starting a serious workout routine and plans on sticking to it (well, everyone PLANS on sticking with it).

The F6 comes in four different colors to match anyone’s taste and has all the bells and whistles to get serious results. It features “OwnZone” and “OwnCal” to calculate your workout zone and calories burned. It also has a coded telemetry strap to ensure that there is no overlap with other HRM watches. You can download your data to the Polar Personal Trainer website and update your watch with your settings through your home computer. MSRP: $109.95

Enthusiast Level –

Polar RS200/RS200sd. This is the model that I own (RS200). Not only does it have OwnZone and OwnCal, but also OwnIndex, which can tell you your real fitness level. This model also has the SportZone system which makes it easier to monitor your workout level (those zones 1-5 mentioned earlier).

The RS200 features a stopwatch and lap timer. It can tell you your average, and maximum, heart-rate for the workout as well as the time you spent in each zone.

The difference between the RS200 and the RS200sd, is that the RS200sd also has a foot pod that attaches to your shoe that adds speed and distance data to your workout. This feature is best for those who like to do their running outside.

I prefer to stay warm, dry and off the hoods of passing cars, so I stick to the machines in my gym and they tell me how far and fast I ran. The RS200 can also transmit and receive data to/from your home computer. MSRP: $149.95 (RS200) & $239.95 (RS200sd)

Pro Level –

Polar S625X. In addition to all the bells and whistles of the RS200sd, the S625X also gives altitude and ascent data for route profiling. The S625X adds the OwnOptimizer to let you know if you have rested enough before your next training session. The watch also supports the Polar bike accessories. A tri-athlete can store all the data they need to properly train with this watch and with the built-in infrared transmitter, it is even easier to transmit your workout data to your computer and the Polar training website. MSRP: $369.95

As I stated earlier, these are just a few of the huge array of models that Polar offers. With so much to choose from, you will find one that matches your goals and your budget. They may be a little more expensive than some other HRM watches, but you will be hard-pressed to find a watch that matches the tools and support of a Polar watch.

If you find yourself hitting that wall in your workout, you should see if a heart-rate monitor watch can help you leap over that wall and help you reach your real potential.

As always, if you have a question or comment on this topic, or any other gadget or gear topic, please feel free to write to me at: jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

See you next month!