Author: KineticShift

Product Recall: Pull-up Bars Far From Perfect

About the only thing that might be perfect about some of the Perfect Pullup adjustable height pull-up bars, which were imported by Perfect Fitness of Mill Valley, California, is that these are perfect for causing an injury. The company has issued a recall of these products because the plastic handles can crack, posing an injury hazard for the user.

So far the company has received about 2,200 reports of handles cracking, with nearly 40 users complaining of injuries that included bruises, strains and sprains. The products were sold online at the company’s website, as well as from Amazon.com, and from sporting goods stores nationwide since January 2008. Continue reading Product Recall: Pull-up Bars Far From Perfect

Kinetic(Mis)Shift: The Kangoo Jump Movement

Do a YouTube search for Kangoo Jump and you will find no shortage of videos of people using the strange bouncing footwear. The question is whether it actually does any good? While the same could be said for video games and other gimmicky devices, these could actually do some harm. According to the makers these absorb about 80 percent of the shock from jumping up and down, but that is still 20 percent of repetitive stress on angles and knees.

Worse, many of the claims say it gives a “total workout,” but how does jumping up and down like a kangaroo give a total workout? There is nothing for upper body strengthening, and little for the abs. For $299, which is what these things run – and speaking of running, for the money you could get a good pair of running shoes and some weights instead; and still have money left over to download songs such as “Jump Around.”

Kinetic(Mis)Shift are products that we think deserve to be called out for their utter lack of fitness benefits.

AlterG Blasts Off to National Rehabilitation Hospital Network

We first reported about the AlterG anit-gravity treadmills last year, and this week it was announced that the NASA-inspired technology would be adopted for use at the HNRH Regional Rehab, National Rehabilitation Hospital’s network of outpatient centers located in Maryland and Northern Virginia, including the Harbor Hospital in Baltimore. The AlterG treadmill will be available to patients undergoing physical therapy.

“This equipment will enable our patients to effectively advance their therapy allowing them to achieve more efficient results while decreasing their recovery time,” said Josh Billings, physical therapist and the practice’s clinic director. “By reducing the weight placed on their joints and muscles, they are able to complete an effective workout with less strain on the body.”

The technology was originally developed by NASA so that astronauts could work out in space, and now is used for physical therapy and rehabilitation. Currently there are less than 200 facilities in the nation that offer the treadmill, but it looks like soon AlterG will landing so more people can take advantage of the space age technology.

National Rehabilitation Hospital Official Website

Harbor Hospital Official Website

AlterG Official Website

Juggling Your Way to Fitness

In this day and age people juggle all the time. They juggle work with their social lives, juggle social time with fitness. So how about spending some time actually “juggling?” That’s the idea of JuggleFit, a new workout the uses juggling to burn calories, work core muscles and improve coordination.

“More than ever, fitness enthusiasts are looking for non-traditional and fun ways to exercise,” says Heather Wolf, Certified Fitness Trainer and Creator of JuggleFit. “Referred to as fusion fitness, performance-based fitness or hybrid fitness, it’s all about getting fit and having fun. Although doing any type of exercise is better than none, running on treadmills and riding on stationary bikes at gyms can get boring and expensive. People are looking for new ways to recharge their fitness routines with unconventional – yet effective – exercises.”

The JuggleFit routine includes instructional juggling DVDs, which according to Wolf provide an aerobic, no impact workout that engages the body’s core. Learn to Juggle with Juggle Your Way to Fitness DVDs JuggleFit DVDs are available in two levels: Beginner and Intermediate. Throughout the first DVD, Wolf uses slow-moving scarves to teach beginners the fundamentals of juggling (the scarves are included in the cost of the DVD). After the user graduates to the intermediate level, the scarves are replaced with three JuggleFit Professional Juggling Balls (sold separately from the DVD). Now you just need to juggle some things to make time to take up real juggling.

JuggleFit Official Website

Map to Better Fitness and Nutrition

There is no one route to better health, but MapMyFITNESS hopes to help guide the way. The maker of online and mobile health and fitness-related software applications announced a partnership with Humana to launch Humana fit, a Web-based and mobile social network designed to help users live healthier and more active lives.

This includes an online nutrition center, as well as an app that lets users map out their daily activity including walking, hiking and biking. And since there is always strength in numbers users can interact in a dynamic social network to share progress and serve as motivation.

This partnership also includes integration with companion Human fit iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps, where it can take advantage of built-in GPS to allow members to record and share their exercise routes, and data for all fitness activities can be synced and saved for a training log to monitor performance.

 “Humana fit is a powerful platform, as it leverages the entirety of our Web and mobile technologies to deliver Humana an innovative, multi-faceted health and fitness application with a built-in thriving community from day one,” said Robin J. Thurston, chief executive officer of MapMyFITNESS.

Humana fit Official Website

MapMyFITNESS Official Web site

Chris Del Bosco to Donate 1,000 Solar Light Bulbs

We reported a couple of weeks ago that Skicross World Champion Chris Del Bosco would spread the word on the plight of those without electric lights in Africa, and true to his word he worn an LED helmet that spelled out the word “NOKERO” to mean no kerosene during his silver medal performance in the X Games in Aspen.

To celebrate his victory at the 2011 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championship it has been announced that Del Bosco would donate 1,000 solar light bulbs to Kenya. Del Bosco has been raising money through the Ski 4 Light program to help bring Nokero solar light bulbs to those often live in the dark.

With his latest victory Del Bosco has pleaded to now donate 1,000 more bulbs to the program. We at KineticShift.com salute his efforts! Way to light up someone’s life Chris!

Ski 4 Light Program Official Website

SporT on With New Tracking App for iPhone

This week SporTracker announced the release of its new app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. SporTracker is designed to help users track and analyze their body parameters for everyday sport activity, while providing a virtual personal fitness instructor to help main good physical condition.

The app can be used with a range of activities including walking, running and cycling, as well as wind surfing and even kayaking. It relies on the built-in iPhone GPS and motion sensors, which can track location and measure progress in real time. Users can further track speed, distance, cadence, height, climbing rate and time among other characteristics. This activity can be broadcast as LiveTrack Session to the SporTracker website or shared in real time to Facebook and Twitter.

“Our team has been working hard on delivering a great application supported by very informative website,” said Daniel Neaman, president of SporTracker Ltd. “We are convinced that our users will find the application effective and user friendly.”

The app is available now for $4.99 via the Apple App Store in the Healthcare & Fitness category, for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad – requires iOS 3.1.3 or later as well as 5.1MB.

SporTracker Official Website

London 2012 Cycling Road Race to End at Buckingham Palace

Back in 2007 the Tour de France started things off in London – sort of a “Tale of Two Cities” theme going on – with the prolog as well as the first stage heading from the Mall. Now the Mall will be center stage again for cycling as start of the men’s and women’s 2012 Olympic cycling road race, which see the finish in front of Buckingham Palace.

 Our friends at BikeRadar.com reported this week that the riders will likely be a figure-eight course that will take them out of London to the southwest and then back to the city. The reported men’s race will cover 265km, whilst the women’s race will be over 140km. The mostly flat terrain around London, and especially the final stretch, will prove to make a day for the sprinters, suggesting that Mark Cavendish could feel like a king for a day as he goes for the gold.

 [Via BikeRadar.com: London 2012 Olympics road race route details emerge]

Fitness Clothing Market to Reach $126.30 billion by 2015

According to a new report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., the global market for sports and fitness clothing will increase to $126.30 billion by 2015, driving in part by sales in the burgeoning Asian market, as well as the evolving markets in Latin America, Africa and surprisingly even the Middle East.

The United States currently is the world’s single largest market for sports and fitness clothing, with Europe and Asia-Pacific following. The aging-but-active population in these regions will see continued growth, especially as women remain a highly lucrative target audience.

We at KineticShift hope that this increase as a market means that we’ll continue to see innovative products that help encourage people to work out, while offering fitness benefits as well. Clothing maybe fashion, but fitness shouldn’t have to be fashionable.

Global Industry Analysts Official Website

Virtual Trainer Gets Smartphone App

Tracking a workout will soon get a little easier, as Life Fitness recently announced the Life Fitness Virtual Trainer smartphone app that will sync with the company’s popular Virtual Trainer Website. This will allow users to update workout results on both the site and to their mobile devices.

Through the free app, users will be able to track workout progress via a smartphone, including both cardio and strength results. There will also be a library of training features available as add-ons for purchase.

“Today, internet content is shaping the workout experience and new technology, like apps, further enhances a fitness program,” said Chris Clawson, president of Life Fitness. “This smartphone app is the natural next step for Life Fitness and will support our users by allowing them to maximize their workouts on our equipment.”

The smartphone app will be available soon as a free download.

Life Fitness Virtual Trainer Website

Life Fitness Official Website

Will ANT+ Give Bluetooth a Run for the Money in the Fitness Market

This week Sony Ericsson introduced a YouTube video that shows off the benefits of ANT+, a wireless communication standard used in a variety of fitness devices including heart rate monitors and pedometers. This wireless technology is software based, and it work with devices such as mobile phones. The question is now what ANT+ could mean for Bluetooth in the fitness space? We see a battle brewing between the blue and the ant!

Kinetic(Mis)Shift: Steam Bath for Your Gut

 

Way back when, when a trip to the spa meant a workout, the sauna was seen as part of “exercise.” We assume people thought the steam could “burn” off the fat, or somehow shrink you down. This same logic appears with the Belly Sauna, which asks if you are looking for six pack abs why do sit ups, diet and eat right or just anything that involves working out. Instead, the logic here is to put on this undershirt on and it will heat up the fat and turn it off.

Why break a sweat from working out when you can just turn up the heat seems to be the point. In other words, it sounds like a pointless product without any good intentions.

Kinetic(Mis)Shift are products that we think deserve to be called out for their utter lack of fitness benefits.

SIA: Snow Sports Looks to Another Good Year

While much of the country is again trying to dig out from a major winter storm, the white stuff probably has the snow sport industry smiling. After all, if it is going to snow you might as well enjoy it. This week the shift has moved from the show floor halls at Snowsports Industries of America to the outdoor demo days, but we look back at the word from the show.

The buzz is that the slopes will feature skiers and riders clad in “svelte” high-tech gear of all sorts, including down sweaters, as well as faux fur and tight fitting outfits with bold colors. On the board there will likely be more rocking, as the major trend continues to be the rocker shapes, as well as a greater emphasis on all-terrain freestyle boards.

Snowboarding and skiing will likely take a cue from cycling, with helmets becoming a greater emphasis for safety. According to numbers from the show, the numbers of people wearing helmets has increased to a record high 57 percent. And as with other sports, the helmets are evoking a new sense of style, becoming fashion accessories rather than just protective gear. Continue reading SIA: Snow Sports Looks to Another Good Year