Health and Fitness








Polar Balance Smart Scale Adds Weight Tracking to the Polar Flow Ecosystem

Polar has been expanding their fitness portfolio beyond just heart rate monitoring, with a slew of activity trackers and GPS watches. Now they’re making the whole ecosystem even more holistic by adding weight management with the new Polar Balance scale! The Polar Balance scale is a wifi connected scale that hooks into the Polar Flow app. At only $99 it falls on the cheaper end of the connected scale options, but obviously it works best if you already have an investment in Polar via their activity tracking devices. Also, it can accommodate up to 10 profiles, so your entire rugby…



You Are Your Own Gym, a Review

There have been a few times where I was left feeling utterly physically destroyed. One was definitely the day after my first rugby tournament, one was the first time I tried to run a mile as fast as I could, and one was the first week after starting You Are Your Own Gym.



Runtastic Introduces ‘Results’ App Focused on Personalized Training for Success!

While some people can simply include exercise as part of their healthy lifestyle, most people need more incentive: they need goals, motivation, and a PLAN. Simply tracking isn’t enough, something that Runtastic gets and has implemented in their new Results app. Results delivers focused training plans to help you reach your goals! Online training programs are becoming more and more popular and effective, replacing DVD and old VHS ‘Sweatin’ to the Oldies’ routines by focusing on shorter, more rigorous workouts that deliver visible results more quickly and effectively. It does this by maximizing the effectiveness of your workout time. “Runtastic…


Auvi-Q Epinephrine Injectors Recall Alert!

If you have an Auvi-Q auto injector, call your doctor immediately for a new prescription for an epipen. Sanofi Aventis is recalling ALL Auvi-Q injectors due to a potential flaw that may prevent medicine from being injected properly. They will reimburse you for the costs of the competitor’s replacement, so save your receipts.


Garmin Introduces the VivoSmart HR: Fitness Tracker with SmartWatch Aspirations

I never finished my review of the Garmin VivoSmart, partly because the VivoActive arrived and I ran to that, but partly because it took a few firmware updates for everything to stabilize with the Bluetooth functionality. But I really loved the VivoSmart, and if I didn’t prefer GPS to smartwatch capabilities, I’d probably still use it today. So when I got a message about the new VivoSmart HR I was intrigued. At first glance you might think this is something new in the VivoFit line, as the appearance is much different than the original VivoSmart and closer to the VivoFit…


It’s Wednesday, So It Must Be Time for New Garmin GPS Watches?!?

Doesn’t it feel like I was just writing about the Garmin Forerunner 225 announcement? While it has actually been 5 months since the FR 225 reveal, since then they also added the FR 25 entry level GPS watch and each slowly trickled into availability. This year has been all about big new launches and slow product roll-outs that have left me scratching my head wondering what is happening with Garmin. Today Garmin announced three new watches that should have me excited, but instead resulted in a cynical eye-roll and vague interest in when they might hit stores – but why…



Runtastic Announces the Moment Fitness Watch!

I was a big fan of the Runtastic Orbit – a simple fitness wearable that met my ‘just work’ criteria for these devices: it fit well, tracked well, and instantly connected to my phone via Bluetooth and never failed to sync. Now they are announcing the Moment, which takes their solid fitness tracking and wraps it up with an attractive series of watch designs. Designed to meet the needs of all types of users, the Runtastic Moment is available in four unique styles that offer different size watch faces, types of bands and colors. Simply sync it with the Runtastic…




Polar Announces the Polar Loop 2

Polar is well-known for being the gold standard in athletic heart rate monitors, and in the last few years they’ve expanded into activity trackers as well. Their first pure activity tracker, the Polar Loop, was well received, and now they’re building on that with the Polar Loop 2, adding new colors and smart notifications to the mix.


Stay Hydrated With the Vapur Element Anti-Water Bottle!

Proper summer hydration is must. That’s especially true if, like me, you are headed to Israel and Greece in a few weeks. And while Raina and I both tend to carry a Nalgene Water Bottle with us everywhere, the thought of traveling with a big, bulky water bottle doesn’t appeal to me. That’s where the Vapur Element Anti-Bottle comes in. Unlike a traditional water bottle, the Vapur Element is collapsible, packable, and clippable. It has an unusual design that makes it ideal for long trips but will also work just fine as your daily go-to hydration system. The company explains…