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Seven 'exercise' stories May 2014 - September 2018
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Review: FlexiSpot is a neat combined exercise bike and cycling/standing desk

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 3 2018 - 5:05 am PT
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Standing desks are rapidly gaining in popularity as concern grows about the health impacts of spending long periods sitting down. Apple CEO Tim Cook has even described sitting as ‘the new cancer,’ with all Apple Park employees getting height-adjustable sit-stand desks.

We’ve reviewed a few different products, from full-on sit-stand desks to a simple conversion option for laptop users. Flexispot has gone one step further with a couple of its products, however, combining a desk with an exercise cycle …


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Does a standing desk really make a difference? Hands-on with the UpDesk PowerUp

Avatar for Jeff Benjamin Apr 26 2016 - 1:05 pm PT
23 Comments
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I’ve always been intrigued about the idea of a standing desk, but I’ve never been motivated to actually try one until recently. As someone who sits at a desk and blogs about Mac and iOS for a living, I was particularly interested in seeing what type of benefits such a desk could offer.

Enter the PowerUp from UpDesk, a Nashville-based company that specializes in standing desks. The PowerUp, as its name alludes to, is a motorized standing desk that can lower and raise with the press of a button.

I’ve been testing out the PowerUp for the last few weeks, and have collected some thoughts and observations about the setup. Does it really make a difference in my day to day Mac and iOS blogging workflow?
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Poll: Three months in, are those Apple Watch activity circles motivating, annoying or irrelevant?

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jul 29 2015 - 6:36 am PT
31 Comments
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I asked back in May whether you thought the Apple Watch Activity app would lead to a leaner, fitter you. At that point, more than 80% of you said that it either would or already had.

A Wristly survey yesterday suggested that the reality perhaps hadn’t quite lived up to this promise, but still contained some pretty impressive numbers. More than 50% of Watch owners said that they were exercising more and were making better health choices, with around 40% reporting weight loss.

For those of us who were lucky enough to take delivery of our Apple Watches on day one, we’re now three months in. Plenty of time for the novelty to wear off – and to see whether the anticipated benefits really have shown up on the bathroom scale, in our waistlines or in the gym … 
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Poll: Will the Apple Watch and gamification lead to a leaner, fitter you?

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy May 11 2015 - 8:02 am PT
11 Comments
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Social sharing of exercise data, using services like Strava and RunKeeper, has been one of the bigger trends in recent years. Thanks to fitness bands, smartwatches and GPS-based cycle computers, it’s easy to capture your exercise data and have it automatically uploaded, allowing friends and strangers alike to take part in virtual competitions. It’s effectively gamification of our bodies.

While some take it extremely seriously – so much so that Strava has had to allow users to mark stretches of road or path as dangerous, to stop overly-competitive cyclists mowing down pedestrians in their quest to gain a coveted King of the Mountain award – for most it’s just a fun way to get a bit more exercise and tease their friends.

Any fitness band enables you to compare things like total steps and total calories expended, of course, but the Apple Watch makes it particularly easy to create informal competitions, with yourself or others, to maximize the exercise you get in your everyday life … 
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Best iPhone 6 & 6 Plus armband cases for running and exercise

Avatar for 9to5 Staff Nov 5 2014 - 5:41 pm PT
8 Comments

With the craziness of Black Friday and the holiday shopping season entering full swing, we’re sharing a list of the best iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus armband cases for running, exercise, and working out in the gym or fitness center. These deals on accessories make for great Christmas stocking stuffers for anyone with an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.

Product Description: “The high-performance Sport-Fit iPhone 6 Armband doesn’t just protect your phone while you’re exercising – it’s also incredibly comfortable to wear. The secure fit and slim design stays out of your way, so you forget you’re even wearing it. Now you can concentrate on your workout, not your device.”

Product Description: “Incipio’s [Performance] Armband is made with comfortable and thin water-resistant materials to protect your device during intense workouts from perspiration and outdoor elements. Enjoy a comfortable, sleek fit and lightweight adjustable arm strap while running or training.”

Product Description: “Trainer for iPhone 6 Plus starts with a wide, stretch armband that adjusts with a slide-buckle to fit arms up to 19 inches in circumference. Trainer has a lightweight windowed compartment to hold your device, and a perforated band backed with sweat-wicking neoprene to allow airflow, keeping you and your iPhone cool and comfortable.”

Product Description: “Allowing you to get on with your chosen activity or just daily life. Be sure that your device is always with you and secure. Simply insert your device into the pocket, wrap the band around your arm or wrist, and secure it with the adjustable velcro strap. Designed specifically for a range of Smartphones and MP3 Players, this armband features a built in screen protector and access to controls.”

HealthKit support added to WebMD, Carrot Fit, Yummly, more

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 26 2014 - 2:02 pm PT
12 Comments
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In addition to FitPort and MyFitnessPal, a few more app updates with HealthKit support have become available on the App Store. These updates allow you to share health and fitness data with Apple’s new Health app on iOS 8 now that Apple has enabled HealthKit with the release of iOS 8.0.2 after issues in iOS 8.0 and iOS 8.0.1.

First up is WebMD for iPhone. Users of the WebMD iPhone app can now allow the health information service’s Healthy Target feature to communicate with data shared with Apple’s health app. The benefit to this is WebMD uses this information to create “actionable insights on your health data”. WebMD’s update was previously available on iOS 8 launch day until Apple pulled HealthKit-enabled apps due to a late-discovered bug.

Carrot Fit is another app affected by the launch day issue, but its back today with full HealthKit integration. The unconventional workout app uses data from Apple’s Health app to monitor workouts, weight, and dieting for monitoring your fitness. This is how Carrot describes Fit’s HealthKit integration:
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CARROT Fit updated with new workout module involving dragons and Justin Bieber

Avatar for Mike Beasley May 14 2014 - 3:46 pm PT
3 Comments
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Meatbags rejoice! Or, perhaps more accurately, cower in fear. CARROT, the “fun”-loving AI construct who just wants to hurt you in ways you can’t even imagine, has returned with a brand new CARROT Fit update.

In this update, you’ll find a new 7-minute workout module that’s just a little different from the rest. That’s because this one involves punching Justin Bieber in the face and performing a dragon mating dance, among other, equally-ridiculous activities.


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