SXSW Session: Life after Wii Fit: Geeks on Fitness
Image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/87957708@N00/
The uber Geek festival SXSW is expanding sessions to include lifestyle and emerging topics. One such area focuses on food and fitness. This fitness session looks at the success of Wii Fit and asks… what’s next? This panel will explain how we, a bunch of cyclist/runner/triathlete/fitness-oriented geeks, approach staying active and having fun. Tips on how to track progress, compete with friends/contacts, stay motivated and find like-minded folks.
Fit Presenters
Steve McMinn, Physical Culturist and RKC Kettlebell Instructor (I totally love the outstanding workout in strength and cardio I get with my kettlebells).
Wesley Hodgson, co-founder of web design and developmen firm, Form & Method and cyclocross bicycle racer.
Wesley starts off the introductions regarding his experience with biking and how it has changed his perspective and lifestyle. Steve begins his introduction with a similar introduction to kettlebells and has a few on the floor in front of him. The main fitness and posture of geeks is hunched over and crouched. How to reverse this will part of the topic discussion.
Motivators for fitness
Wesley loves cycling. He hates going to the gym and the biggest thing is finding something you love. Using technology helps to get more people involved by spreading the word of community activities or informal groups.
- Use a community as a way to engage competitively.
- Use anonymous or spontaneous motivators to help keep you engaged.
- Use more than one type or style of training.
If at a conference, you may be limited from your favorite biking activity, find other activities to supplement your everyday workouts so you don’t miss workouts when traveling or on unusual deadlines.
Power Meters and Measure
Several in the audience use online tools to measure success against others online. The presenters are talking about measuring tools like RunKeeper with an iPhone app, DailyMile, Nike+ and Wii Fit opening up to new devices. One of the challenges is getting brands (Nike, Garmin) to open up data training platforms for multiple devices.
Time for working out at your desk?
Steve mentions the body can’t tell the difference in calorie burn between a full 30 minute cardio workout vs. 3 – 10 minute workouts. Overall cardio and length of training will differ in the way your heart works and recovers, but time challenged geeks can work around travel and work schedule by breaking workouts up into smaller chunks. (Maybe) Several of the more geek oriented questions are about posture and improving posture through workouts and behavioral means for the desk challenged.
Timeout is an app for the Mac or phone to manage time. Originally for children, it can be used to help change behavior such as stretching, posture control, etc. UpRight is an iPhone app to help remind you of bad posture, but requires an iPhone or iPod to be worn on their upper body.
The panel was a great resource with good questions and answers, but the best resource I have seen is the Knowledge Workers Survival Guide by Patrick Reynolds. It has a complete and well thought out structure for battling the exercise and posture challenges of the desk bound worker.
#SXSW #lifeafterwiifit
Category: Fitness, Technology
