The first to catch my attention: AVAcore cooling shoe, O2 Tape and Smart Insole. All three are new advances in the fitness world. There was not a great deal of information, nor a Web site for two of the products, but what I read, excited me. As a former fitness professional and as an amateur athlete, I see a whole new world of competition evolving.
O2 Tape: infrared spectroscopy imaging that can measure the O2 content in the blood, through the skin. Research is being conducted at the University of Essex, London. Source: “Wired,” April 2008.
Smart Insole: calculates the runners body mechanicas while in motion. After the run, the athlete can download the information to his or her PC.
The fitness world is evolving. Perhaps with all the new technology, steroids can be wiped out and new levels of competition can be established, based on genetic potential and hard work, and of course, mixed with the right technology.
The Fatosphere is a blog for obese people. With an intense curiosity, I raced home to my PC, logged on to the Internet and found a plethora of information on the Fatosphere.
What really intrigued me, as a PR major: How many fine-tuned niche ospheres are out there? My mind became an open chalk board and written on the cold, black space: millions of ospheres.
This is a PR professionals dream. Every time I begin a new campaign I can go to the Web and locate fined-tuned ospheres to help me target the specific audience I need to speak to. I can see ospheres being created by the nano second: the Jockosphere, Blackosphere or the Blondeosphere.
Each osphere will be a niche market. In the Jockosphere there will be the “old high school jocks” reminiscing about their glory days. The Jockosphere can be broken down into smaller niches: baseball, basketball, football, etc. Within each niche you will find subopsheres: white men, blackmen and out of shape men; still trying to get their game on. Don’t get me wrong, I am not picking on the guys, well maybe a little, but just in fun.
My point: as the osphere continues to evolve it will create a deeper dipping pool for PR professionals. Targeting a specific audience is easy now, but in years to come, I see the marketing world using PR in a whole new venue.
2 Comments
March 20, 2008 at 1:02 am
Quote – “new terms and technological advances that are in the works”
Whilst I think that all the new technology is marvellous, it is getting a little too much for me.
All the extra little bits that you have to remember to do and how to do it, the extra time needed to do it.
As far as my fitness goes I think that I will stay with the old tried, true and tested methods.
Great blog by the way.
Cheers.
March 20, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Suzanne,
Thank you for the feedback.
I agree, the new technology takes a bit more time and is much more complicated than pen and paper.
Technology, however, offers an individual an accurate way to monitor his or her progress.
I have seen many people become frustrated because they feel their training program isn’t working. When in actuality, it is.
Technology focuses on several fitness factors.
Most people use the scale as a guide for weight loss results. The scale is deceiving and only provides one small aspect of fitness progress.
For example: By monitoring your heart rate, one can compare data and know instantly, if their current training regimen is working for them, or against them.
By using a device such as the Garmin 305, one can see how many calories they have burned during a workout and which heart rate zones they trained in. This data provides important information that cannot be easily determined on paper or accurately determined, if at all.
The number of calories burned during a workout
tells and individual valuable information, in three specific areas.
1. Zone training tells the individual if they are working in an aerobic or anaerobic zone. Working in an anaerobic zone, during an aerobic workout, defeats the purpose of the entire training session.
2. A post workout meal is essential for recovery and to prevent catabolic activity (muscle breakdown). Knowing how many calories have been burned tells the individual how many calories are needed to refuel their body to begin repairing and rebuilding damaged muscle tissue.
The idea, which many people believe, that they are entitled to extra calories or “sweets, ” once again, defeats the entire training session.
3. One of the most important pieces of information gained from the Garmin 305: The zone you train in. Lower training zones burn more calories from fat. If weight loss is your goal and you are working in zone 3, you have once again defeated your entire training session, because calories have been burned from carbs and protein, not fat.
Technology offers a significant advantage to any weight management or fitness regimen.
Whether you decided to give technology a try or not, I am happy to hear you are taking care of your health and well-being.
In good health,
SMR