Entries for January 2008

My earlier post on trying to find some motivation to get moving using technology got a response from the folks at Google, who suggested some other ways to use that company's online tools for fitness and health purposes. One takes my resolve to use Google Calendar to gently prod me into working out a step further: They suggested that I create a separate exercise calendar, then share it with my significant other and—if I had one—my trainer. That way my cheerleaders could see my exercise plans and, if I'm playing Scrabble on Facebook when I'm supposed to be running, subtly remind me that eight months of eating Oreos for breakfast isn't going to reverse itself without some sweat equity on my part.

The other tool is something I haven't used before—Google Docs, which lets you create and share online documents and spreadsheets. Jason Freidenfelds, who works in Google's communications and public affairs department, pointed out this link as a source of ready-made documents with a fitness slant, including training plans and calorie counters.

Have a look. I'm already eyeing Google Docs for tracking my workouts online, something that I've always done in a spiral notebook.

For older adults, falling down is a Big Deal. It's the biggest risk factor for a fracture, and those—particularly when they're in the hip—can be exceedingly dangerous. The one-year mortality rate after a hip fracture is as high as 25 percent. So, argue researchers in a recent analysis published in the medical journal BMJ, preventing deadly breaks should include preventing falls, not just treating osteoporosis with drugs.

Falls happen for many reasons, and studies have suggested that cutting back on medications that may cause dizziness, supplementing with vitamin D and calcium (to build stronger bones), and making sure the home is safe all have their roles to play. But once you've tackled the tripping hazards and railing-less staircases, there's no getting around it—exercise is called for, a program of regular strength and balance training as well a cardiovascular routine to build endurance. Beginners may feel most comfortable starting with a group class, or working with an instructor or trainer with experience or certification in working with older folks. For the do-it-yourselfers, the Centers for Disease Control has a general strength-training program for older adults on its website . It's comprehensive, but the sheer number of exercises may seem daunting for newbies, especially since a recent study suggests strength training really should be done three times a week to get the fall-prevention benefits.

I'm notorious among my friends for being an early-morning exerciser—you know, the annoying person who bounces right out of bed before the alarm goes off (I have never hit the snooze button in my life), jumps into her running shoes, and is out the door for a run, swim, or bike ride before Matt Lauer is into his first cup of coffee. Now, though, I'm recovering from various injuries and taking a break from heavy training, and I've discovered the joys of sleeping past 7:30 and putting off my workouts until my lunch break. The trouble is, I usually end up putting them off until after work, and then until the next day, when the entire cycle repeats itself.

I won't lie; it's been really, really nice to relax. But now that I'm putting down the hammer and getting back into a workout routine, I'm finding that it can be hard to motivate myself to actually, you know, work out. So I decided to check out whether technology offers any better answers than simply putting a Post-it on my computer.