My Sneaker Talks to Me

One thing is certain, in this age of iPads and smart phones and Internet-connected everything: There is no shortage of cool gadgets to help you keep every aspect of your life on track.

My latest favorite is the Nike plus device on my Iphone (more here: http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/). I wasn’t kidding, in the title: My sneakers really do talk to me. Well, the little gadget laced into my left sneaker talks to me, to be specific. It tells me when my pace slows down, for instance, or that I have 5 more miles to complete my workout.

It doesn’t hurt that the voice of the gadget on my sneaker is that of a sultry, sexy man who maybe sounds a teensy bit like John Hamm. 

There are lots of fitness gizmos out there. There always will be. One of my workout buddies, for instance, swears by the “fitbit,” (www.fitbit.com) a $99 pedometer that connects over Blu-tooth to an Internet log that gives even more options to log health-related information.

For me, the fitness gizmo that always keeps me going is the one that has my music on it. Creating playlists to go with whatever type of workout you’re up for will help with motivation. Plus, playlists are fun to put together. Imagine what type of workout you are doing – intense cardio, or deep yoga? Different songs motivate differently.

But there’s more than sneakers that talk to you, of course. Another way to get motivated is to find a workout partner. For the last 8 years I have worked out three days a week with my best friend -- and even though there has been times where it took every fiber of my being to get up at 4:30 am to meet her at the gym at 5:30, the simple fact that I know she’s going to meet me there gives me the motivation to get out there door.

What’s great about having a workout partner? Primarily, it gets you there. You won’t bail if you know someone is going to be waiting for you. Plus, you push each other further than you would if you were on your own.

The alternative is to push the snooze button, go back to sleep, and spend the rest of the day with a little nagging feeling at the back of your head, that you didn’t get your workout in (again.) Sure, maybe you accomplished a lot that day, at work, or at home. But you didn’t accomplish anything for your body.

So think about putting a fitness gadget on your Birthday wish list, and find that friend or a personal trainer who motivates you the most, and get some great tunes together. Most of all: Get movin’.