Category: Equipment

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

iPhone App to be Black Box for Bikes

We’ve long heard about the importance of the black box for airplanes – even if the box isn’t technically black. And we’ve been hearing that following Toyota’s ongoing accelerator problems that there could be a move to put black boxes in cars, but what about bikes?

Well, don’t look for a fancy piece of hardware in the frame, but our friends at BikeRadar.com are reporting that a new iPhone app has been released that works much like the airplane version of a black box, which in the unfortunate event of a crash could store video footage of the collision and other data.

The iCar Black Box app from 21pixel is available now in the UK, with a free download for trial. It can be used to monitor speed, location and g-force. It isn’t mean to be a training aid or even a video camera, because while it does film on a loop it only records in the event of an impact. Like a black box for planes it is something you likely hope you’re never going to use, and this is where we see a small problem.

There are many iPhone apps available as training aids, and unless the mobile handset can do double duty we feel most riders aren’t going to want to put the app on their bike when it could be used for something else instead.

[via BikeRadar.com: New iPhone app works like black box for cyclists]

Pixel21 Official Website

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

Kranking Spins Your Upper Body

Spinning has remained popular for several years. It’s one pitfall is that workouts tend to focus on the lower body. Krank, not to be confused with the drug nicknamed crank, is gaining in popularity. Kranking is akin to a spin cycle, but using your arms to turn the wheel. Similar machines are often used in physical therapy offices and it’s a good upper body workout.

The adjustability on some krank models are much easier than spin bikes. Apply pressure to a lever to make the parts move rather than loosening a pin and sliding. The machine also has various ways to turn a rotation. In addition to resistance you can krank one arm at a time, both arms together, or both arms in alternating pattern similar to pedaling a bike. You can also krank from a seated or standing position to vary the exercise and work muscles just a little bit differently.

There really are few aerobic workouts designed to target the upper body. Kranking is one that does just that. It’s a great workout to alternate with spinning or running to change up what muscle groups you’re exercising each day.

Find information at KrankCycle.

Planet Bike’s 1 Watt of Bright Light

It’s essential to have a tail light on your bike. Even when weight is a concern, it’s necessary to light your bike to protect your butt at sundown. Planet Bike has a new Superflash Stealth. It’s got a 1 watt Blaze LED light plus two eXtreme LEDs for visibility up to a mile.

You generally expect to have a red light, but this clear light flashes red and is visible even in daylight. Cars are getting tricked out with white or clear tail lights, why not bikes?  The housing is weatherproof, lightweight and durable. Two AAA batteries provide up to 100 hours of run time. That means forever for casual riders who may turn it on when caught coming back from their rides at sundown or in inclement weather.

PlanetBike

Lobster Snowboards Coming for Fall 2011

The reports from the Snowsports Industries America Trade Show last month were that this the best year ever for those in the snow sports business. And next year another player will be on board – as Icelandic snowboarding brothers Eiki and Halldor Helgason announced their new company Lobster Snowboards.

“Eiki and me wanted to get on the same board program since day one. We really have fun and push each other when we ride together so this was a logical step for us,” said Halldor in a statement.

The new brand will be launched for Fall 2011, and will be using triple base technology on the Jibboard, the Parkboard and the Girlboard, and the company will also introduce Eiki Jib Board and Halldor Park Board graphics. Given the new trend towards “rocker” technology, we have to ask… any chance we might see a “Rock Lobster” snowboard. We guess we’ll find out this fall.

Lobster Snowboards Official Website

Flex Belt – Real Deal or High Tech Snake Oil?

One product caught our eye this week, and that’s the Flex Belt, which Susan Brady of HealthNews.com wrote about last Friday. This product offers the same types of promises that we see in many of the items that get called out in as being worthy of a “Kinetic(Mis)Shift.”

The Flex Belt is, from what we found, an electronic muscle stimulator (EMS), a product category that has been around for a while. It has even been cleared by the FDA as a class II medical device, and has been endorsed by Olympian Janet Evans and professional football player Jerry Rice. According to Brady, the Flex Belt utilizes “the same technology used by physical therapists to exercise the muscles of their patients who can’t do it as effectively for themselves.”

Our question is whether these electronic “cheats” are even the best use of technology, even if it actually works. So far, we’ll say this much, we’re not really convinced. The product is reportedly available for $199.99, and that’s a lot of money for a product that bills itself as being able to replace traditional crunches and exercise. For one thing, let’s say it does work. Should we really embrace any product that offers shortcuts? Because if you can get a flat stomach without the pain, couldn’t it encourage people to take the route of least resistance with other workouts? Feeling good is often about more than just looking good.

[Via HealthNews.com: Fitness Fridays: The Flex Belt]

Flex Goggles Let Swimmers Become Predator in the Water

While much of the United States is being hammered with snow, down under is another story. Despite some floods and a terrible cyclone, summer is in full swing and thus time to get in some swimming before the coming of fall. This week keen swimmers were offered a way to improve their stroke techniques and help their level of performance with two products from Zoggs.

The 4 Flexpoint Predator Flex Goggles are designed for use in pools as well as open swimming, and these feature enhanced frame styling, along with Fogbuster impregnated anti-fog lenses. The goggles offer quick adjust straps that can make for easy adjustments while swimming, plus 180 degrees of undistorted peripheral vision from the Curve Lens Technology. There are even mirrored lens to suit a variety of light conditions.

The Four-Stoke Positive Drive Fins can help users with all strokes. These training fins feature an offset foot pocket, which promotes natural supination in the kick turning for positive drive, while the ellipsoidal shaped blade provides ideal thrust in all the main four kick cycles. There is also an ergonomic foot pocket that is designed to provide greater comfort for training. The fins come in sizes 2/3 to 13/14.

Both products should help you feel like a big fish in a small pond, and more importantly a much faster fish at that. Let’s hope these products catch the current to North America this year.

Zoggs Official Website

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

Macworld Expo:Abvio Brings Out the Meters

While last week’s Macworld Expo didn’t exactly bring out any big announcements – the Verizon iPhone was already old news, and it was hard to say much about updates to the iPad or iPhone anyway – fitness was in the news.

Last week Abvio previewed its 5.0 version of its trio of iPhone apps, which include the Runmeter, Walkmeter and Cyclemeter. These offer similar features yet are a tuned into – note we didn’t say iTuned in – to specific forms of exercise. The 5.0 releases have also been submitted to Apple, so now it is just time to play the waiting game before going the distance with the meters.

Each of these will take advantage of the social networking opportunities as the company has partnered with dailymile.com, a 200,000 member social network for runners and fitness buffs. This integration will allow users of the Abvio app to share workout results in real time through the website and even get responses from other users during their workout. Information can also be shared with Facebook and Twitter, or send to friends via e-mail.

The apps will also utilize the GPS capabilities of the iPhone, allowing users to trek their course and monitor the progress, complete with audio feedback about pace and distance.

The dailymile link-up will further add a new level of friendly yet Virtual Competition. Friends can import a friend’s route as well as time and progress and try to beat it. We say game on, so get going.

Abvio Official Website

SIA: Kick Out the Jams

While the show was about snow sports, there were plenty of products for use year round from the SIA (Snowsports Industries America) trade show, which was held last week in Denver. One product that caught our eye was the JammyPack, a small fanny pack bag that includes a small battery powered speaker system.

 The idea is to let wearer’s bring and share the music sans headphones – which can be a good idea in places where a headphone might not be recommended. From our own experience, we’re also sure this product will do a great job at annoying those around any wearer in the process. Congratulations to JammyPack, first for offering an alternative to headphones and second, for making it all the easier for inconsiderate people to “share” their music with the rest of us!

JammyPack Official Website

SIA: Like Sleeping on Air

One thing that isn’t so great about the great outdoors is sleeping on the ground, especially in the winter when said ground can be frozen. If you’re looking to be a little less extreme in your extreme travels, or just seek a little comfort while roughing it, Kymit has you covered. Or rather they have you undered, as in the company has a product that means no more sleeping on the ground.

At least weeks Snowsports Industries America trade Show Klymit showed off the Interia X-Frame, a sleeping pad for campers that can fold down to the size of a nine-ounce, soda can-sized pack – yet blows up in no time. It inflates via a simple push-pull valve that is entirely lung powered with 10 or so puffs. In other words a bit of huffing and puffing means no more sleeping on the dirt.

Klymit Official Website