Fitness and the Power of the Internet


I’ll be the first to admit that I spend more time online than is probably healthy. Although I try to compensate by working out frequently, it never seems to reach a state of equilibrium. I always sit around too much and exercise too little.

But being online doesn’t have to be a completely unhealthy endeavor. There are currently many opportunities available to netizens who wish to keep their asses from getting out of control. Here are a few that I’ve been eying as of late.

Traineo
By far the coolest of the pack, Traineo is a true Web 2.0 solution to burning fat and firming up. This free service combines social networking and exercise into one package.

After creating an account you are provided with a trove of resources to help you realize your fitness goals. Set your current and target weights and the system will monitor your progress and send you little messages of encouragement. It can also monitor your daily workouts and calorie intake to help you stay on top of the values with a clear graphical representation of them.

Tracking your progress is an incredibly useful tool because it serves as a direct motivator, but it’s only part of the solution.

American Dietetic Association
The ADA is the authority on nutrition and its website is an invaluable resource for those hoping to get and stay healthy. Sift through the Food & Nutrition section for advice on diets and nutritional facts as well as recipes.

Nutrisystem
If you can’t be troubled with managing your own food intake, then let someone else manage it for you. By now you’ve probably seen those commercials with Dan Marino babbling about how he lost gobs of weight through using Nutrisystem. Sure it’s a celebrity testimonial, but by all accounts it actually works.

After signing up Nutrisystem will send you weeks of preprepared meals. Just pop them in the microwave and you’re set. The meals all maintain a set caloric intake designed to help you lose weight. Plus they don’t taste like crap — which is a rarity with diet food.

Wellsphere
Wellsphere is less focused than Traineo, but it’s useful for its ability to manage and suggest fitness resources. It can also make connections with other exercisers in your area.This is useful because working out with another person is typically the best motivation one can achieve.

And that concludes CrunchGear’s Fitness Week. With that you should be ready to get fit the geek way. So get out and get active. Mondays are a great day to start!