What happens in the 23hrs a day that clients are NOT exercising?

by Oliver Kitchingman | Friday, April 08, 2011

This post is written by Alisha Smith, Australian Fitness Network’s Education Manager. Alisha is also a personal trainer and a group exercise instructor based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Consumers are constantly being bombarded with products that purport to help track energy expenditure and intake, record heart rate, predict V02max, calculate kilometres run, strides per minute, elevation climbed and a whole host of other fancy sounding scientific things. As a personal trainer, I’m usually hesitant to recommend anything beyond a good ol’ fashioned heart rate monitor – unless a client is particularly interested in the greater detail for the purpose of trekking/marathon/triathlon training. And while there are a wide range of monitors on the market that cater for this group, I’ve never really found a product that can provide the type of details that fat reduction clients are more interested in – namely, what’s happening for the 23hrs a day that they’re typically NOT exercising?

Having been on the lookout for such a system for some time, I was interested to find the BodyMedia FIT Weight Management System. Comprising an armband and sensor that you can wear almost continuously, the Bodymedia connects to your computer via a USB cable and uploads data on activity levels, BMR, sleep times and depth onto BodyMedia software. You can also input your food and fluid intake by looking up specific brands of food from their extensive library (think: similar to Calorie King books and website food library).

Whilst, as I mentioned before, I’m usually hesitant to recommend unnecessary products to clients, the evidence that supports the use of technology-based lifestyle intervention is quite compelling. In studies conducted in 2007 (Obesity. 2007;15:825– 830.) and 2010, groups who wore a monitor (such as the BodyMedia) continuously, reported significantly higher body weight reduction than those who wore monitors either intermittently or not at all.

An obvious pro of the BodyMedia system is that it allows you to monitor your results around the clock, yet I wonder if the fact that it needs to be worn prominently on the mid-point of the upper arm would deter clients from continuous use.

Have you used technology-based lifestyle interventions with fat loss clients? If so, with what results? If not, do you feel there is merit in such a system?

Posted by: Ariel Gonzalez. Motivate You Fitness & Personal Trainers in Liverpool. www.motivateyou.com.au | 12-Apr-2011 04:24 PM |

I havent used a lot of technology with our clients, and still have helped our clients achieve some great results. I think we can sometimes get too carried away with technology. Clients can download thousands of different types of workouts, applications and even technology that tracks how fast you run via sateliite. I see this in gyms with people following religiously their iphone training program (and they are still overweight!)

At the end of the day, it is about the connection, encouragement, and motivation; the results, and the client centered approach for getting results, Its not that I am against technology altogether, anything that makes life easier is a major plus.

Posted by: Kym Wimbis | 15-Apr-2011 10:11 AM |

I wonder if the merit of the system was that the conspicuous device around your arm serves as a reminder that you should be doing the right thing (like a price if string tied around your finger)... I always eat better on the days that I train. Maybe there
is a low tech explanation for the efficacy of this high tech device?