<p>MOWC:</p>
<p>While not inexpensive (ha, it’s a Garmin), that vivofit looks like a very non-intimidating introduction to a heart rate monitor. The fact that it uploads workouts with heart rate graphs gives it the most interesting stuff for all kinds of workouts – running, hiking, biking, etc.</p>
<p>I didn’t have to get the HR monitor with mine, so it was on,y $129. My main goal is to increase my movement during the day and get out of the chair at work. I can easily walk around the building- inside or out- if I get the motivation… I tend to feel so smug because I run everyday, but it’s not OK to be on my butt as much as I am at work.</p>
<p>busyparent:</p>
<p>Two years is awesome. Not to mention a net sustained loss of 34 pounds!</p>
<p>Maintenance is its own challenge, isn’t it? It’s trial and error to figure out what can be added back into the diet to make it sustainable without gaining weight.</p>
<p>But idad, we want to see the airdyne intervals/panting like a dog 
You made that stuff look waaaay too easy!
A great start, however, on the “iDad’s Country Workout Opry” which I predict could be a great seller :)</p>
<p>I would get one of those cool vivofits but not only can I not program the VCR or get the tapes outta the Betamax…h claims that if he dies before me, I’ll never be able to watch TV. Which, with the rig he has set up, is likely true. TIvo would starve for attention like a little abandoned Tamagotchi :)</p>
<p>Kudos, busy parent, on two years. I’ve been on the “leaner” quest for 15 months now, and literally only maintain the -40 by actually continuing to try to make -50 
I think if I ever “stopped” trying I’d very quickly add 20!</p>
<p>Nice video Idad! I loved the musical accompaniment? Who is it?</p>
<p>Did spinning on Wednesday. Today I worked with my trainer. We did TRX (rows, squats, lunges, push-ups) and between sets I did cardio stuff–up and down stairs 6 times, 50 kettle bell swings, mountain climbers. Finished with 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer.</p>
<p>Signed up for a 2 hour yoga workshop on Saturday–it"s on learning to perfect your upward and downward dog. I hope I make it.</p>
<p>MOWC: does your Garmin activity monitor alert you when you have been inactive too long? Polar does it on the mobile phone app–which you don’t always see.</p>
<p>Trainer and swim. I felt more prepared today. </p>
<p>The Vivofit doesn’t vibrate or buzz, but the red bar alerts you when you have been too inactive. You have to look at it, though.</p>
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<p>Ha. I’ve got to find really obscure stuff to avoid YouTube’s music censors. That one is a song from an album by an occasional “supergroup” The Word consisting of Robert Randolph (pedal steel), John Medeski (organ), and three members of the North Mississippi Allstars (Luther Dickinson guitar, Cody Dickinson drums, and Chris Chew bass). </p>
<p><a href=“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NylQNUyNzfA”>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NylQNUyNzfA</a></p>
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<p>I’m afraid that might break YouTube…</p>
<p>First things first. I’ve got to fget my custom Airdyne workouts into the new Garmin watch. I think I’ve got it figure out… It’s very un-Garmin-like. Simple. I just export them as files straight to a workout folder on the watch (which shows up as a flash drive on the computer).</p>
<p>MOWC- Maybe you can convince your company to invest in “dreadmill” desks. I’m sure there would be case studies online proving increased employee productivity and decreases in health claims thereby reducing insurance rates to employers :).</p>
<p>Also, I am recalling a time when people had watches that used to beep every hour or so. Perhaps something as simple as this or a chime clock for your office could remind you to get up and take a lap outside or walk the staircase. </p>
<p>We are building a new HQ building which we will move into early this fall. I am going to push for an adjustable desk so I can sit or stand. There are some sort of portable setups that aren’t very expensive. We aren’t big on doing “special” things for individual employees, which is as it should be.
I redlined the Vivofit this afternoon since I just couldn’t stroll out of meetings. Did 1.6 miles on my handy dandy dreadmill after work to make up for some of the sitting. I got home about 12:45am this morning in a raging storm, which was especially fun after a 4 hour plane ride. Ran 3.1 miles before a late arrival to work.</p>
<p>MOWC, if you can’t get the desk, use a stability ball as a chair. Might look weird but the benefits to your core and your cervical-thoracic-lumbar chain will be very real! :)</p>
<p>Here’s some inspiration. Another US Women’s hockey team member. This time doing goblet squats:</p>
<p><a href=“Goblet Squat 100x20 - YouTube”>Goblet Squat 100x20 - YouTube;
<p>Yep. 20 reps. With a 100 lb dumbbell…</p>
<hr>
<p>Dreaded Airdyne intervals for me, testing out a custom workout on the new Garmin. It didn’t like the heart rate target as a percentage of my max (it’ll display heart rate that way, but didn’t like it as an interval target), so I ended up with an mish mash of a workout. That’s OK. I got some huffin and puffin in.</p>
<p>I’ve used a stability ball before as a chair and then got a ball chair. I like the current desk chair, but I do slump!</p>
<p>For all you runners and swimmers out there, Wahoo Fitness has just come out with new versions of its Tickr heart rate strap that has motion detectors and accelerometers built into it. They will measure motion, stride, pace and efficiency and will connect to both Bluetooth Smart and Ant+ devices including Garmin, IPhones and Android phones. Among other benefits, it’s supposed to give more accurate calorie measures because of the motion sensors. Wahoo’s fitness application is very cool plus Wahoo uses open source coding so 3rd party applications are bound to be developed. Do Google search for Wahoo Tickr Run and Wahoo Tickr X.</p>
<p>The combo of Bluetooth and ANT+ looks like the real differentiation of the Wahoo. That would be very handy if using a combination of Garmin and smartphone displays. </p>
<p>I need another heart rate strap like I need a hole in my head. I think I have four of them now, dating back to the original plastic Garmin strap (oh wait, make that five – I forgot the plastic Timex strap). I don’t have the latest Garmin version with the motion sensors and running dynamics… Not being a runner, it is of no use to me. However, the latest Garmin strap with the three wettable/woven contact patches, does seem to the best in preventing winter dry weather drop outs. Using that strap with dabs of electrode gel has been flawless this winter – which is pretty amazing!</p>
<p>My new fenix 2 watch has accelerometers built in the watch and is supposed to work for swimming, with separate open water and pool modes. It looks like this will be the hot-ticket Garmin for tri-athalons, once they get the software debugged and all the features implemented.</p>
<p>It even has a ski mode that measures 3D distance taking both GPS and elevation into account. It auto-pauses when stopped in the lift line or riding the chair lift and starts a new lap automatically as soon as you get off the lift. Each ski run is a separate lap in the workout!</p>
<p>“I need another heart rate strap like I need a hole in my head.”</p>
<p>Tell me about that! If you ever wondered how wearing a sports bra feels, try wearing 2 heart rate straps. No wonder I’m not enthused about having another band of elastic around my chest!</p>
<p>Final stretch of getting ready for Boston - yay. I have never ran in a race with 36,000 people. That’s like letting the entire UW student body out! Holy molly.</p>
<p>MOfWC, I am glad that the bus stop is a couple of blocks away, so I get a chance to move a bit before and after plopping my butt in the office chair. I like what you are doing and might join the club! Sitting on one’s butt all day long is stupid-er than running. :D</p>
<p>IDad, what seems to differentiate the Tickr is that in the strap itself, pace is determined, laps or intervals can be set and in the Ticker X, all of the functions are available to swimmers in the water and the metrics are stored for later downloading to external applications. Also, again, Wahoo’s use of open source coding holds the promise of all sorts of interesting 3rd party software for those who want more than just the a Wahoo Fitness app on their smart phone. On the Kickr indoor cycling trainer I use, this has led to some incredible stuff like downloaded videos of actual rides from a helmet cam participant perspective where the video communicates with the Kickr so that resistance matches the terrain. While the Tickr obviously doesn’t contain a resistance unit, the potentials of how it could interface with, let’s say a treadmill, to alter speed, elevation etc based on the Tickrs metrics and programmed workout metrics could be very exciting for those running indoors. I’m just amazed at the explosion of affordable technology becoming available to amateur athletes that rivals the expensive sophisticated stuff previously available only to supported pros. </p>
<p>Michael- that looks like a really cool strap. I’m using the Magellan that seems to work best in winter with my Garmin.</p>
<p>“Sitting on one’s butt all day long is stupid-er than running.”</p>
<p>Bunsenburner, you said it! Now to get the rest of America on the bus.</p>