Categories
Fitness

BIAbox exercise device flips around as it works you out all over

Time and time again, people like a full body workout that can be had with the help of one device. Moving back and forth between machines takes up too much time and requires a costly gym membership.

BIAbox is looking to provide an all over workout. With two two-sided faces and two railings, the box stands on its own and is about the size of a walker. By turning it around, BIAbox has four sides. Each side tells the user how they can workout and which exercises that particular orientation supports. For instance, when it’s turned into a platform, step ups, push ups and squats are all made possible. BIAbox offers 40 different exercises to its users.

While not the most sleek or portable all-in-one fitness device out there, BIAbox does have an edge over similar products. It actually lists the exercises you can do using it. Others come with inconvenient manuals or nothing at all. Fitness buffs have useful instructions on how to maximize their workout right in front of them. For their very own, backers must donate £209 (~$330) for ambitious delivery in December 2014, if BIAbox reaches its £12,000 (~$18,700) goal on Kickstarter.

Categories
Sensors/IoT

O2 can breathe easy as another sensor-filled tag

Wearable technology has been able to provide those living in the 21 century with some of the most amazing benefits on an individualized level. O2 is another one of those interesting creations. The device is coin-sized and will function for up to 90 days with Bluetooth 4.0. It appears that there are multiple O2 devices with the capability to function in various ways:  the product allows its user to gather information about the weather and environment, operates with reaching exercise and fitness goals, reports information about sleep patterns, or tracks personal belongings.

Currently, it is only compatible with iPhone 4s & later, iPad 2nd Generation & later, and Android devices with 4.3 or above. O2 has such a wide range of uses that users will rejoice in its versatility. However, the campaign could use a good proofreading as the spelling mistakes are quite distracting. This campaign seeks to raise $100,000 by December 23, 2014. For $49, backers get three products and may choose from black, white, sky blue, pomegranate red, or lemon yellow. Expected delivery is currently set for February 2015.

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Fitness

BodyBoardX tones you by stretching and swaying

Core conditioning is the foundation of most workout regimes. With a strong core, you can improve your balance and overall strength. The Bodyboard X provides you with an easy core workout. This product is committed to improving your strength, spatial awareness and planes of motion all in a low impact way. Shaped like a curved skateboard, the Bodyboard X rocks side to side on the ground with you on top of it. Straps attached to each side come up while the rider holds them with their arms stuck straight out to the sides.

While the reasoning behind this product is certainly sound, the execution is a little funky. The campaign shows a gif of a woman on the Bodyboard X rocking side to side with her arms out and she looks a little, well, awkward. Or perhaps like she’s posing for a Vitruvian Man-inspired painting. Still, for $75, backers can enjoy theirs by March 2015. Bodyboard X hopes to raise $80,000 on Kickstarter.

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Fitness

C-Action is a fitness mat that can take that

Those who enjoy working out usually have several activities they like to engage in. Whether it’s boxing, yoga, Pilates or strength conditioning, there are lots of ways to stay in shape, but not always one place where you can easily work out in so many different ways. C-ACTION hopes to bring the possibility of tons of activities to you in one simple package. Featuring a mat and a boxing bag-like bump, you can use this product for yoga, boxing, Pilates, mixed martial arts and more. C-ACTION comes in two sizes, each able to be carried on your back. While this product is versatile, it has the limitation of ground-only use. In the campaign, everyone using this seems to be stuck on the ground or in need of the assistance of another. Still, for those who like working out on the floor, the C-ACTION does have many interesting uses. Backers can donate $220 for the smaller version with an estimated delivery of February 2015. This fitness mat-of-all-trades is hoping to raise $40,000 on Kickstarter.

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Fitness

Put the moves on Cradle Coach to strengthen your core

Usually to get a well-rounded workout, you’ll need to visit lots of different machines at the gym. These machines promote strength, good form and have adjustable weights and grips. Now, you don’t need a machine. The Cradle Coach is a relatively small device that lets you workout in a number of different ways. Shaped, well, like a cradle, one can use it for body weight, core, strength and functional training. The core of Cradle Coach is hollow and allows for different sized weights to be inserted. However, the opening isn’t huge, so there’s a limit to how much weight you can add. Cradle Coach joins scores of other fitness devices claiming to let you have it all like the Battle Flex, but it lacks the portability that others offer because it’s bulky and doesn’t fold up. Backers can enjoy one Cradle Coach for a high donation of $300 for estimated delivery in February 2015. This product hopes to raise $25,000 on Kickstarter.

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Fitness

Xpodz hemispheres help your grip on mat exercises

Many athletes have suffered one injury or another during their active lives. As such, they can still be active, but must take care of their weak spots to avoid pain or further injury. Xpodz is designed for those with weak wrists. Push ups, yoga, Pilates and other activities are difficult for those who have wrist pain. Xpodz features round surfaces for athletes to rest their hands on with a flat base so that they remain stable on the ground. The ergonomic shape makes any wrist activity much easier for those with aching joints. Xpodz’s design originally started out by cutting a softball in half. For foot comfort, this product also comes with foot grips so that your feet don’t slip around.

This fitness tool comes in many different colors and will cost backers a donation of $36 for delivery in December 2014. On Kickstarter, this product hopes to raise $25,000. Many fitness classes feature wrist-free options for those with pain. Clearly, this is a problem among athletes, so Xpodz is a great way to avoid further injury. It’s also versatile in that it can be used in a solo workout or brought to a class to keep up with the rest of the folks.

Categories
Health and Wellness

Da Vinci bodyboard makes you Mona Leaner

Having the ability to workout at home or take workout gear on the road is nice, if one is self-disciplined enough to stick with a workout routine. Da Vinci Bodyboard is designed as an opposing tension system. The high intensity workout combines muscle groups, which is supposed to get more oxygen pumping through the body than with a typical workout. Perhaps one of the most attractive aspects is that it is touted as only taking 20 minutes to get enough of a workout for a noticeable difference. The materials to make this product come from organic natural plant fibers and resin, as opposed to oil. While this seems like a great workout idea, most people need the extra support of fellow exercise enthusiasts or even a fitness coach that they meet with regularly. But for those rare individuals who seem to have the self-discipline to push themselves, this seems like a great idea for getting in shape and staying that way. This campaign seeks to raise $30,000 by November 19, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $225, which is about $110 off of anticipated retail. Expected delivery is January 2015.

Categories
Health and Wellness Wearables

Aqua 100 swim trainer provides strategies for your strokes

Activity trackers are great ways to not only stay in shape, but improve a workout from the ground up. Plenty of devices handle this task easily, but for those that prefer to push themselves through swimming, there are a number of hurdles an activity tracker needs to jump beyond just being waterproof.

The Aqua-100 is a personal swimming coach that gives real-time information without interrupt the rhythm and motions of swimming. Worn by strapping it onto the back of the hand, the Aqua-100 monitors laps, distance, number of strokes, stroke rate, and even what direction the swimmer is moving in. Because it’s worn on the back of the hand, swimmers can see this data as they extend their arms forward in mid-stroke, keeping the swimmer afloat and active. The information displayed can be changed by twisting the wrist twice, keeping the device easy and intuitive to use.

With a standard digital LED display with backlighting, the Aqua-100 is as easy to read as it is to use. The data tracked using the device during swimming can be uploaded to a computer as well, allowing avid swimmers to track their performance over time. The Aqua-100 is nearly ready to go to market, but needs $40,000 to be prepared for production. Swimmers can get their hand in one for $129, shipping in February 2015.

Having a dedicated tracker for a specific kind of workout is a must-have for athletes at any level and those who are passionate about a particular form of fitness. The Aqua-100 is an extremely functional device great for those that prefer to swim laps or just enjoy the water, but aesthetically the device lacks the flair of what people expect from activity trackers. If function trumps form, and swimming is the preferred exercise of choice, then Aqua-100 will be a sure buy.

Categories
Fitness Wearables

SensoTRACK envelopes the ear, tracks many vital signs continuously

Although wearable technology is on the up and up, you still need to wear a a few different bands along with a watch of some sort to get a mostly full picture of the way your body works across disparate variables. Even if you were fully equipped with all this technology, they wouldn’t necessarily talk to each other — leaving you to figure out what it all means.

SensoTRACK was born out of the desire to give a user as much connected data as possible to not only benefit  their daily lives, but their exercise regimens as well. Sensogram Technologies, Inc. sets out to make a device that could withstand the rigors of physical activity, and so constructed it from a weather-resistant, sweat-proof shell that fits around the ear. The SensoTRACK houses a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a proprietary “optical biosensor” that measures heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation with a high degree of accuracy. It also includes a speaker that gives users real-time feedback on what exactly to do in order to increase the efficiency of their workout, based on goals that can be entered into the web portal or the mobile app.  SensoTRACK can be had for $199, and the company hopes for enough backers to fulfill their $250,000 goal.

The crowdfunded world is full of the types of wearables that make the criticisms of the market seem justified. Some, like Arcus or Olive, are focused on one type of user benefit. On the other hand there are a few, like Zoi or LEO, are aiming to use the data in real-time to benefit the user. SensoTRACK falls into the later camp but shrinks the device down and places it on the ear where it’s out of the way. Add this to the claimed sensitivity of the proprietary sensor and it may be something to look out for, only if the seemingly unending number of features don’t end up hampering it as a result.

Categories
Fitness

Battle Flex aims to be your home gym away from home

An awesome work out at home?! Okay, the concept isn’t entirely new. We see tons of at-home fitness products almost daily on Backerjack. Here to join the pack is BATTLE FLEX FITNESS. The campaign doesn’t do a great job of explaining exactly what this product features but it looks like BATTLE FLEX focuses on ropes and elastic bands to provide resistance training. To get the complete set, backers will need to shell out $159 for estimated delivery in April 2015. BATTLE hopes to raise $40,000 on Kickstarter.

This fitness system looks versatile and boasts usability *virtually* anywhere. There’s not much else to distinguish it from other at home systems like the XBAR and MostFit. Rope and cable systems are great for a well-rounded workout, however backers who don’t value this have literally hundreds of other options. BATTLE will need to figure out a more niche market to target in order to set themselves apart.