Be Fit With Biray

I presented a session at IDEA World Health and fitness convention called “Social Media For Dollars”. And while there are debates on whether or not one can directly make money using social media tools, there is no doubt about being able to develop business and marketing strategies and tailoring fitness programs to a social media-savvy culture.

Here were a few ideas we discussed in the session:

Left to Right: Jennifer, Ernie, Biray, Genevieve

Earlier this week I attended the Health People 2010 conference in Loma Linda University in California. I was asked by Dr. Ernie Medina, MD and “exergaming evangelist” (and LLU alum) to be part of a panel on “Technology and Behavior Change”. Ernie was moderator and other panelists included Jennifer Shapiro, PhD (Scientific Director, SanTech) and Genevieve Dunton, Phd (Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Preventive Medicine, USC).

Dr. Shapiro discussed an interesting pilot research based on her company’s Text4Diet program (see her full abstract here) where participants were sent SMS/text messages during a weight-loss intervention. The results showed that those who received text-messages during their intervention lost up to 6lbs over the control group. Since text-messaging is such a personal way to reach people, it just goes to show you how it can be effectively utilized to influence people’s decision to make healthier choices throughout their day.

Dr. Dunton’s research was a bit different. It was more of an observational study about children’s level of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in their natural settings. Her research team used mobile phones as a tool to ask and gather data via text-messaging. For more on her research, check out the full abstract here.

My presentation was about how internet use influences behavior change (full session description here). The messages we receive, the social networks we participate in and the content we create online all play a role in how we adopt and maintain certain behaviors (good or bad). With so much of our image/identity being blurred between our online and offline presence, it is important to understand not just the tools available online – but the culture surrounding those tools.

Overall, it was a great conference. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend a lot of the sessions because I was in-out within 24 hours (and those cross-country flights ate up all my time!). As always, it was a pleasure to catch up with my exergaming colleagues, Ed and Tommy, from Exergame Fitness who also showed their support at the conference!

I recently checked out Mobile Net Workout a service that challenges you to get up and move by sending you exercise prompts via SMS or email at schedule times throughout the week. Each prompt comes with a 1-minute exercise challenge (with video on how to perform the exercise). Your job: do the exercise, asap. Then, check it off as done! Simple as that! The idea is: everyone has 1 minute in their day to move – so get up and move it!

The service is $2.99/month and is pre-loaded with 8 different workout programs, each varying from 13 to 38 different one-minute exercises. The programs range from beginner to advance, and they consist of exercises that mostly challenge your muscular strength and flexibility. Once you select a program based on your fitness level and goals, then you can schedule how many ‘challenges’ (i.e. 1-minute exercises) you want to receive throughout the day/week.

I chose the “Total Body Moderate” program because it was recommended as the first workout people go into. I planned my schedule so I could get 3 challenges (or exercises) during my lunch time, and 1 challenge in the mornings over the weekend (I know, I’m lazy, aren’t I? LOL).  And then waited for my challenges to come… Bring it on, MNW! Woot… Woot!

My prompts arrived in my inbox like clockwork. The first few times I enjoyed the random exercise challenges – pushups, plank holds, plies on toes. Then, I started forgetting to do them (mostly because I was in the middle of a project or a conference call). I kept saying I’d get to it in a minute (oh, the irony) but then never ended up going back. (Can you blame me, I’m human!) I eventually changed my settings to receive my 3 challenges throughout the day, instead of all at once. That made things less overwhelming, but I still missed a few here and there. (Ssh… don’t tell)

My thoughts: I think MNW is on the right track in terms of mobile-related fitness services. A minute here, a minute there… every bit of activity counts! This service is especially great for those who have procrastinated starting an exercise plan. You probably won’t turn into a body-builder by doing a few lunch-time lunges, but MNW will help keep fitness on your mind in small doses (even if you don’t complete the exercise challenges). I know I found myself reminded to be more active every time MNW sent me a prompt.

PROS: This is a great tool for people who do not have any fitness equipment or belong to a gym. Most of the exercises can be done quickly by using your body’s resistance. The videos are articulate and the exercise challenges are fun (and doable). The concept is very unique and definitely aligns with current trends of integrating fitness with technology at an affordable price.

CONS: Because the programs are pre-created, it does not account for any specific injury or exercise preference. What if you simply don’t like pushups? What if your knee is bothering you that day? At the very least, a user should have control whether or not an exercise should be removed from the rotation. Site navigation is a bit clunky and confusing – it takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what a user is supposed to do once they’ve sign up.

Mobile Net Workout also has a social networking component so you can be ‘friends’ and interact with other users on the site. While I understand the motivational concept behind having friends complete challenges with you, I didn’t really feel compelled to connect with anyone on the site. Most profiles were incomplete. Plus, I couldn’t search for ‘friends’ according to which program they were on or by their location – doesn’t give me much of a starting point for a conversation. Perhaps this site is still too new to tell if this feature will be effective. However, sites like DailyBurn and DailyMile have nailed the “social networking in fitness” concept much better. And without a Facebook or Twitter integration, I have no interest trying to get my friends to log into *ANOTHER* site with me.

Mobile Net Workout is certainly one of many new ventures leading the way in how fitness professionals should be thinking as they move their products and programs into the next decade of fitness services! I look forward to seeing how they evolve over the next year.

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.]

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!

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?”

Getting people to exercise is one thing, but getting them to adhere to a workout plan is another. EcFit (pronounced like ‘easy fit’) systems by Extracon Science promises to provide “automatic reminders and coaching by phone.” EcFit is a technology-based tracking system that helps you stick to your workouts by calling you to see that you’re meeting your monthly adherence goals. In other words, are you working out when you say you are.

The concept is simple. Select your adherence goal. Mine was completing 80% of my scheduled workouts. Then schedule your workouts on the EcFit website. Finally, select the best times you want EcFit to call you to receive the calls that help keep track of workout attendance. You can set the call (and text-message) to come BEFORE your workout so it can remind you of your upcoming appointment. Or, set the call to ring you AFTER your workout so you can confirm whether or not you’ve completed your exercise. You can also call EcFit when you’ve completed an unscheduled workout. (Check out the demo here.)

Now, in theory this all sounds great. A system to keep you accountable for your workouts. But does it really improve exercise adherence? I’ve spent the past 3 weeks testing out this system and here’s what i found.

Automatic reminders: this was a very valuable feature. For me, I set most of my reminders BEFORE my workouts (especially if they were early morning ones because then the call & text-message coupled as a wake-up call, too! LOL). Although I found the reminders effective, I can’t seem to justify paying their $5 monthly fee for sending me automated reminders. (Especially when there are other free resources online, such as WakerUpper, Memo2me, or HassleMe that do pretty much the same thing.)

Virtual coach by phone: I didn’t find this to be effective for me. EcFit called me at the scheduled prompts, requiring I give feedback on my workout attendance. “Yes, I attended” or “No, I didn’t.” It gave me my progress based on my answers. “You have completed 71% of your scheduled workouts. You are not meeting your goal of 80%. If you complete the next 13 workouts you will meet your goal by September 21st.” I love collecting data and seeing the stats about my workouts. But, I’ll be honest, these stats seemed arbitrary to me. Especially when during the next scheduled call, it told me completing 2 more workouts would keep me on target. What caused this discrepancy? What was their point of reference? This didn’t motivate me, it frustrated me. But regardless of these variable results, I still wasn’t convinced that obtaining numerical statistics were the key to long-term exercise adherence. After a while, I started sending EcFit’s phone calls to voicemail. And I didn’t care if I was completing 50% or 92% of my workouts – I was just happy that I was completing my workouts.

EcFit’s system is supported by research done at Stanford University. According to the information on the EcFit brochure, the conclusion from the study found that automated calling systems were an effective, low-cost way to increase exercise in sedentary adults over 55. (Health Psychology, 2007, Nov Vol 26 (6) 718-727). I actually found and read this study. I realized that the ‘automated calling system’ or telephone-linked computer (TLC) system the research referred to had delivered counseling content consistent with that of an in-person health educator. This meant that the counseling provided via TLC included “physical activity assessment, progress evaluation, individualized problem-solving, goal-setting, feedback, and delivery of positive support and tailored advice.” Hardly equivalent to the service EcFit provides.

Effective use of technology can prove essential in health promotion and exercise adherence. We’re seeing more web-based and mobile-centric programs that are helping those who need to overcome barriers blocking their paths to healthful living. I believe EcFit is doing their part in helping people make baby steps towards committing to a health behavior. Although I had hoped for more, given the climate of the internet with its web 2.0 technologies, I walked away a bit underwhelmed.

If EcFit can accommodate the techno-savvy generation of today’s online world, I see no reason why it couldn’t be a leader in “technology-based services that enable people to make healthy changes in their lives.” But for now, I’d suggest going to Wellsphere if you want to experience some of these similar features for free!

Last week, I presented at the National Wellness Conference in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. While checking my regular Twitter feeds, I came across @jodyNwellness who had just started following me a few days prior to my departure. After checking out her tweet-feed, I decided to follow her, too.

Because of my crazy schedule, I had to miss the first 3 days of the week-long conference. The morning of my flight, I noticed a tweet from @jodyNwellness regarding a session she was attending, presented by Mary Miscisin. I wasn’t sure, but I asked if she was at the conference (and she was) and mentioned that I’d be there later that day. She gave me the scoop on the tech landscape of the area (wifi connection status, etc). And eventually we agreed we should meet once I arrived!

Jody introduced herself during one of my activity sessions on ‘exergaming’. It turned out, she had already planned on attending a few of my sessions (so I suppose we would’ve met, eventually).

We hung out at breakfast and quickly realized how much we had in common. We were both into health/wellness and technology (and quite possibly the only two using Twitter at the conference – LOL!). I guess Twitter works in mysterious ways. Not only did it make my experience at the conference more engaging, but I also made an awesome new friend!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to present a session entitled “Twitter and Other Mobile-izing Tools in Teaching & Learning” at the Maricopa District’s Teaching and Learning with Technology Conference. I discussed a few quick examples on how mobile technology might be integrated with students in and out of the classroom setting. I was mostly excited to share my findings from a pilot study I did this semester where I implemented Twitter in my health classes.

Below you can find the session description and the slides from my presentation (which are also available to download at Slideshare).

If there’s one piece of technology available in the hands of most students, it’s a cell phone. Text-messaging is an effective way for people communicate within their social networks. This session will demonstrate how we can use tools like Twitter and other mobile-based technology to connect with our students and establish a community outside of the classroom, as well as, convey information beyond emails.

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I welcome all questions and comments.