Here were a few ideas we discussed in the session:

Although I will be attending as presenter this year, I am looking forward to being educated, as well. So often we are wrapped up in our own field that we neglect to follow-up on research in other areas. Since exergaming and fitness technology are the main focus points of this blog, I often enjoy going to sessions that complement my knowledge – such as, lectures on stress & nutrition, workshops on creating successful boot camps, and cycling workouts that make me sweat.

This year I will be presenting the following sessions:

#105 and #185: R-KAIDE: The Newest Way To Score Points (Workout) (co-presenter Fred Hoffman)
#405: From R-KAIDE to the Aerobics Room: Video Games Get Active (Workshop) (co-presenter Fred Hoffman)

#248: Blogging Basics (Lecture)
#278: Marketing Your Blog in All the Right Places (Lecture)

#474: Managing a Multi-Generational Staff (Panel with Amanda Vogel and Fred Hoffman)

Over the next few days, I will be blogging my adventures here. Feel free to join me there!

Last year when I attended SXSW Interactive, I was sitting on the audience side of this panel. A panel of four presenters (whose tech-geek lifestyles had hindered their health) shared the non-tech related things they did to reverse the ill-effects of their sedentary behaviors (such as walking, yoga, etc). While panelists’ insights came from experiential perspective, at some point they entertained discussions outside the scope of their expertise (like diet and exercise prescription) and neglected to focus on anything tech-related or its potential interactivity in fitness.

My hope was to go back this year and share the ‘fitter’ side of tech by showing how people could actually *use* web 2.0 tools to jump start their personal fitness journey. In a way, my goal was to pick up where last year’s session left off. I suggested a wide-array of fitness-related (and non-fitness related, but web-based) tools available. Check out the list here.

My co-facilitator for the session was David Eckoff, a ‘tech-guy’ into fitness. He shared his experiences on how he overcame the barriers of sedentary, techno-driven lifestyle in order to adopt healthier habits.

Several conference attendees at our session wrote the following reviews. Feel free to check them out: Omar Gallaga, Tracy Russo, and Laura Moncur.

[Also, here is a picture from the session.]

Our session is entitled “Reduce MySpace between My Waist & Thighs so Wiki Live Longer” – the description is as follows: Is being too ‘plugged in’ 24/7 destroying your health? There’s good news: web 2.0 technologies can help you optimize your fitness! Come learn and discuss. Our session is Friday, March 13th at 5pm.

During our conversation, we hope to engage attendees in a discussion about the health consequences of living in a techno-driven world. Obviously, we all depend on technologies for many of our daily conveniences. And some would even argue this has enabled us in making our lives more sedentary. However, I think there could be more positive sides to our technological influences and believe people can actually use web 2.0 tools to improve their health and fitness, not take away from it.

I look forward to sharing some of these tools during our conversation and learning from David’s experiences, as well as, my fellow colleagues and SXSW participants at this year’s interactive.

Get ready to ‘rawk’
(@befitt)

Technology-Based Fitness: From iPods to Cardio Cinema to exergaming (i.e., Wii Fit, Expresso Bikes) the latest in technology will continue to infuse itself in all aspects of fitness. Look for 2009 to provide more interactive video games that provide fitness benefits, as well as new inventions to make exercising a more engaging experience.

Although more programs will be enhanced through technology, 2009 will be the year where we will see less resistance from fitness professionals and commercial health clubs to adopt these newer technologies into their mainstream programming. For the past few years, there have been questions whether or not these alternative programs (such as, exergaming, fitness-related podcasts, online training, etc.) would be sustainable or even complementary to the efforts of most fitness professionals. I have heard many of my colleagues ask (and rightfully so) if these ideas would be short-lived or truly the beginning of a new era in fitness. And ACE confirms that this trend will only continue to grow. (Yes!)

For fitness pros and health clubs owners, 2009 will be less about immediate implementation of techno-based fitness programs (primarily due to economic concerns and the high costs associated with some technologies). Instead, growing efforts will go towards ‘behind-the-scene’ preparations for a stronger, bigger market-entry in late-2009, early-2010. Preparations that may or may not include: 1) offering and/or attending trainings on new technologies (i.e. workshops on fitness podcasting, certifications for exergaming, etc.); 2) budget considerations for future equipment purchases and club renovations to attract a new demographic; 3) recruiting or organzing staff/employees for new departments and fitness roles… and much, much more, I’m sure…

With that said, to all fitness professionals who are interested in marrying technology with their fitness efforts, I say: take this year to educate and experiment with new technologies (if you aren’t doing so already)! Attend sessions at conferences that introduce and discuss these topic areas. Talk to the early-adopters of these technologies and learn from their research and successes! Be a part of this conversation!

This year I will be discussing many of these topics in my sessions at IHRSA, ACSM, and IDEA World. Check my speaking schedule for exact times and dates.

Happy New Year!

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.

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:

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?”

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.