Be Fit With Biray

I must admit, I was briefly impressed when Exercise.TV (a website that streams exercise videos on demand) started categorizing their workout plans by “personality types”. As fitness professionals, we are always encouraged to assess a client’s full profile when designing an exercise plan - beyond simply considering their physical fitness levels. Clearly, the Fitness Newbie should receive a different workout plan then a Fitness Trendster. But, on the website, it is also nice to see that the Busy Businessman would be receiving a different plan than the Dorm Room Diva.

So, imagine my surprise when out of 30 different personality-based workout plans, I came across the ones for Gamer and Cubicle Geek (the two groups I enjoy training the most).

Each profile has its own description. For instance, Gamers “see a lot of action every day: gunfire, hand grenades, street races, drug busts, and archeological adventures… and the adventure is 100% virtual.” And Cubicle Geek is said to benefit from a workout design that upgrades his current exercise ritual of “walking from his chair to the water cooler.”

So… what does Exercise.TV have in store for these two characters?

A 14-day series of conventional exercises that include working out with Resist-a-Balls, Stretch bands, and foam rollers. I’m not sure this really catches the eyes of the gamer/geek. Do you?

Now, I’m not suggesting that Gamers should exercise with a Wii-Fit and Cubicle Geeks should connect treadmills to their computers. That would be much too cliche. But I’m also not implying that gamers/geeks wouldn’t be able to execute these workout plans successfully - cuz some of them, I’m sure, could.

All I’m saying is, if you’re going to design a program around a type of lifestyle, at least make the effort to provide a plan that is relevant to that audience.

I mean, seriously - can you really see the someone like Chris Pirillo doing this?

Just sayin’…

About two months ago I wrote a post called Why Are Students Taking Health Ed In College because I wondered why college students felt a course on basic health was necessary when, let’s face it, most of them knew the basics to healthful living. Regardless of their motivations, my main objective was to discover methods of making student learning experiences about health & fitness be more meaningful. I wanted to know how I could extend this class beyond the textbook of “eat your veggies and exercise.”

After many discussions with Shelley Rodrigo and leaning from the classroom experiences of Alisa Cooper, who have both inspired me to continue thinking outside the box in my teaching, I have come up with a new class project for this semester’s online fitness & wellness course.

The assignment is called HEALTH SLIDES. Every week students create 3 PowerPoint slides around and assigned topic. I, then, compile these slides into one large presentation and post them on the class blog (which is slowly growing into a repository of student produced health media). I realized that while their individual messages were informative, when combined, their messages are more powerful.

Here are two presentations that were compiled by the collaborative efforts of 13 to 15 online students whose independent efforts aligned into educational messages.

At the end of every week, students watch these presentations and learn from each other’s slides. At the same time, the online community can also learn from these messages, as well.

As I continue to pursue the question of WHY students take health education courses in college when they already know the basics (or more importantly, what my role as an educator is besides going beyond the basics), I realize that I am also in charge of educating them on how to educate others about health. It’s when students share their work and what they’ve learned with others, that matters, too. It’s when a student can say to a friend or family member, “Hey, check out this presentation that we did in my health class last semester” where you can see  student learning extend beyond the classroom.

FitnessFest, the largest fitness and wellness conference in the Southwest, is always offered twice a year. Once in April (at Ariz. State University in Tempe, AZ) and once in October (at Univ. of Arizona in Tucson, AZ.) And yesterday (10/9) marked the first day of the fall conference which will continue through this Sunday (10/12).

Earlier in April I was the official social media gal for the spring conference - creating YouTube videos, uploading flickr photos from the event. Podcasting interviews with the presenters and even live blogging various sessions.

This time, I have been invited to come back as a presenter to discuss these social media tools and how they can be used in the context of fitness and wellness. The session is entitled “Taking Your Offline Presence, Online” (which I also presented at IDEA World Convention in July) where I will discuss ways fitness professionals can connect with the Internet-savvy client of today by leveraging web 2.0 tools to develop their online authority, enhance their client-business communication skills, and become better health-fitness resources.

If you are interested in coming to the session, please check out their website for more information.

Monday night I was featured in a news segment reported by Keith Yaskin from Fox10 News. The segment was about video games and exercise - was it a legitimate form of physical activity? It basically answered the question most consumers want to know - “Can you lose weight by playing video games?”

I had the opportunity to play a few rounds of tennis on the Nintendo Wii with Keith (which I let him win ONLY because I thought it would be nice to give him the chance to feel victorious). I also demonstrated the ‘workout mode’ in the game Dance Dance Revolution, as well as, feature a produce called Gamercize.

Below is a recording of the segment that aired on TV (sorry for the poor quality… I was rushed for time to put it up. For a clean version, go here) Enjoy!

I hope this media only adds to the growing exposure exergaming continues to get. I imaging it helps people recognize this is not just a trend - but sign of what’s to come in the world of fitness.

I have decided to launch a new experiment. I’m calling it “Utterlicious!” and I will be using Utterli to track my delicious meals (well, I think they’re delicious although some have not shared in my enthusiasm). Every day during the month of October, I will be podcasting about the foods I eat, as well as, posting a photo of my meals. (People have visually tracked their dietary intake on Flickr before, but Flickr doesn’t have the podcasting capabilities of Utterli.)

I realize there are plenty of sites online that have robust tracking features that offer caloric breakdowns of your foods, telling you how many grams of fats, proteins, carbohydrates you are consuming. But I’m not interested in counting calories or knowing my macronutrient details. I think people are too concerned with these things and don’t take the time to listen to their bodies and enjoy the foods they eat. This is why the podcasting component is essential. When you talk about the foods you eat, you tend to really enjoy your meal - or else why would chefs take such pleasure in describing their dishes with such delicious detail! Culinary art should be appreciated!

Therefore I’m dedicating this experiment to the JOY OF EATING! That’s right, I’m going to track my food EXPERIENCE. I believe that if you enjoy the foods you eat (good or bad) that you’ll be more mindful when you eat them. And if you’re more mindful when you eat your meals, you’ll be more conscious about what you’re putting in your body. And if you’re more conscious about what you’re putting in your body, then you’ll make healthier choices (most of the time).

I’ve tracked my meals on Utterli before, but it has always been inconsistent. This time I look forward to logging with more purpose.

Will you JOIN me?

Here is how to do it:
1. An Utterli account, if you don’t have one.
2. Join the group “Utterlicious”

Here are the ‘rules’:
1. Create/Cook a meal (or order one, if you’re dining out) that you’re going to enjoy eating.
2. Take a photo of your meal and upload to Utterli. (I use my cell phone which is more discrete than taking a digital camera w/ me)
3. Call Utterli and explain your dining experience (who you’re dining with, what you plan on eating, why your meal is so utterlicious)
4. Label the contents of the meal in your Utterli description (at some point when you log in to Utterli)
5. Link your Utterli post to the ‘Utterlicious’ group so we can comment on your food choices (which is half the fun!)

Remember, this is for one month! Don’t cheat and ‘forget’ to post on those days you’re eating those french fries or drinking one too many glasses of wine… it’s about putting it ALL out there for one month - good or bad! And consciously enjoying your dining experience!

Bon Appetit!

Last week I was the keynote at the Major Moves in Physical Activity Conference in Birmingham, UK duing Leisure Industry Week. My presentation entitled “Do Your Eyes Flickr and Your Head Twitter When You Hear The Words Facebook and Second Life?” was about using social software (Web 2.0 tools) in the promotion of physical activity (and other health & fitness behaviors).

Statements like ‘Google it’ and ‘upload to YouTube’ is a clear indication that the web we know today is significantly different from the one ten years ago. Websites have become more user-friendly and user-centric. Online participation has turned into a cut-and-past, click-n-drag interaction. This shift from being the world’s ‘information superhighway’ to being a platform for dynamic interaction has captured the attention of more online users. And now, conversations about its relevance and application to health promotion and physical activity are becoming much more prevalent.

Despite the advancement in internet technology, what do these tools mean in the world of health and fitness? Its appeal is understandable: powerful mobile phones in the palm of your hand, addictive nature of networking on Facebook, the freedoms of the avatar lifestyle. But these things aren’t going to solve the increased incidences of cardiovascular disease, Type-II diabetes in children, and obesity rates.

Or are they?

Could our efforts online play a significant role in impacting health and wellness of a society? The long-term effects of using web 2.0 for health promotion and physical activity initiatives are inconclusive due to the fact that most of these tools are still in their infancy. However, the enthusiasm behind their potential application warrants further exploration. This may be why health organizations and fitness experts are embracing these online tools. Perhaps they are hoping to engage a greater audience, enhance their current professional efforts, and expand their field of expertise.

Today’s cutting edge technology is preparing professionals to think laterally in this next generation of health promotion and fitness programming. Carly Fiorina, ex-CEO of Hewitt-Packard, once said that “the past 25 years in technology has been a ‘warm-up’ act. What we’re entering is the main event, and by ‘main event’ I mean an era in which technology will truly transform every aspect of business, of government, of society, of life.” The question is not whether or not technology will evolve. The question is how will health professionals adopt and apply these technologies in order to determine their future evolution. Could these web-based tools be integral in those efforts to help people adopt healthier lives in the next era? I sure hope so!

Below is a glimpse of the presentation:

In case you haven’t heard - PodCampAZ is coming to, well… Arizona, of course! Mark your calendars for this 2-day new media UNconference from November 1-2, 2008. This will be my first year as an attendee and a presenter. I’m totally thrilled to be a part of this event. (I imagine it will be like a mini SXSW-interactive).

Speakers gather to discuss topics ranging in film/video, print, TV, mobile, radio, IRL, and advertising. The newest member to the media party is interactive category, which certainly creates more opportunities to feature topics on exergaming and games for health. The session I will be presenting is entitled ‘Exergaming: Health Outside the XBox’ and the description goes as follows:

“Nintendo Wii and games like Dance Dance Revolution have propelled the exergaming phenomenon forward! Exergames are video games requiring players to be physical active during game play. In this session, discover their 25-year history, the scientific research to support game play and various applications in health and fitness.”

Read up on the speakers and topics and find out more about the event here.

Be there to help people answer the hottest new media question… “What’s your source?”

Cheerio, chaps!

Tonight I will be on a plane to spend a week in the UK. I wish I could tell you it’s for a relaxing vacation, but alas, it is a professional excursion. Most of my activities will be business-related.

As many of you may or may not know, the week of September 23 - 25 is dedicated to UK’s largest events: Leisure Industry Week and Sports Development Week (aka. UK’s recreation and fitness industry). More than 10,000 people are said to attend Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre to participate in various conferences, seminars, clinics and workshops.

The conference I’ve been invited to present at is the Major Moves In Physical Activity Promotion Conference, put on by SportEx, which will focus its efforts on the use of technology. To find out more about the session I will be presenting, click here. I will be posting a summary of my session in the days to come.

I will also reconnect with fellow colleague and exergame physiologist Alasdair Thin, who came to visit me back in May of this year. He will be presenting a session after me on exergaming. As well as, Richard Coshott from Gamercize, whom I met at the Exergaming Summit this past August. He will show me how exergames have penetrated the commercial gyms and health facilities.

I look forward to getting a different perspective in the sports and leisure arena. It’ll be interesting to see the UK’s approach fitness and innovation.

In February of 2008 I posted my interview with Krista Leopold, blogger and creator of “Unleash the Power of Group Fitness. I had wanted to showcase her blog because I felt she provided a great example of using blogs to target group fitness instructors (which no one was doing effectively, at the time). Since our interview together, not only have I had the privilege to guest post on her blog, but had the pleasure of developing a professional relationship with a fellow group fitness colleague.

A few weeks ago Krista decided to interview me! I was rather surprised to be asked, actually. I’d never expected to entertain an interview about my own blog (since I was the one doing most of the interviews). But after answering her questions, I realized they challenged me to evaluate my own professional efforts and helped clarify my technological focus to another online audience.

Read the full interview as I share how my journey went from simply exercising to ‘exercising the web’!