(2015-2016 edition, see also 2019 edition. Updated August 2016.)
In 2014, I switched from devouring the best TV shows to the best podcasts. Here are a list of the best podcasts currently produced.
Jawbone vs Fitbit, Which is better?
Here is a quick synopsis of my Jawbone Up24 vs Fitbit Charge HR (Heart Rate) comparison after a week of putting them both through their paces. More detailed version to be posted soon.
Bottom line:
There’s no clear winner between Jawbone & Fitbit because they each have personal strength & weaknesses, so it’s really going to come down to Read More
How Much Should I Exercise?
How much should I exercise? What should I eat? What’s my ideal weight? How much should I sleep? We didn’t come with user guides and as more and more people are trying to make healthier lifestyle choices, in the Age of the Internet, we demand answers. The answers we’re looking for aren’t always easy to come by in the thicket of information out there.
At Gigabody, we’re focused on health, and fitness is our passion. So we decided to tackle the first question, “How much should I exercise?” by distilling the best information from around the Web. We hope you’ll use this post as guidance for understanding what the right amount of exercise is for you. Read More
How Caffeine Helps with Exercise
Not gonna lie. I love caffeine, and when I learned years ago that caffeine could actually improve exercise, I jumped at the chance to add it to my morning routine. I’m an avid self-tracker and I log all of my exercise, including every single run I take. Because I am so clearly not a natural runner, I rely on tracking to help me gauge what helps or hinders my performance. Read More
The Joy of Rebounding
I teach trampoline. Let me stop you right away from imagining teenage phenoms flipping and twisting in the rafters, a bounce away from their Olympic aspirations. That’s rarely the situation where I work. Instead, think adults of every age, size and ability, many of whom haven’t had a bounce on a trampoline since they were children, if ever. Read More
Welcome to the Gigabody Blog!
We’re so excited to launch our blog today to share fitness & health news, inspirational content, insights and relevant reviews with you, from our staff and incredible guest bloggers.
As you know by now if you follow us on social media, we’re huge fans of everything fitness, empowerment though movement, tips and tools to find health and happiness. Everyone’s journey is different, but there’s inspiration and knowledge that we can all share. Read More
My First Trail Race
Trail Takeaways
- Train on the actual race course or the closest thing to it, especially if it’s different terrain than you’re used to.
- Start slow, no matter how great you feel. When you’re in that last stretch and you have the extra energy you conserved, floor it for a strong finish!
- If you don’t feel like a “good” runner, Read More
Top 5 Tactics of a Successful Public Radio Pledge Drive.
1. Carrot & Stick
Carrot: “If you pledge right now, an anonymous donor will match & double your pledge!”
Stick: “If we don’t meet our quota, we’ll have to (offer to) give the matching funds back.”
Not long ago, they used to say they’d actually have to give the funds back. Maybe their legal department made them change that.
2. The Unreachable Goal
This technique elicits both the underdog will to triumph against adversity & the crippling fear that you’ll lose NPR & your beloved [favorite radio show here].
“Today we must raise $250K to stay on the air. So far we have raised $21K.”
Then at the end of the day – a miracle! They magically cover the difference with donations they already had but didn’t disclose.
“We did it! $250K reached!”
(thanks to $195K in pre-existing, non-call-in donations)
3. Guilt & Shame
With this psychological tactic, they play recorded messages from people who’ve listened 6 hours a day for 40 years and never supported public radio…. until TODAY, when they realized the error of their ways. (The error of your ways, hint hint.)
4. Prizes!
Tote bags! Cook books! Stickers for your Volvo Subaru Prius!
5. Promises with Underlying Threats (or vice versa)
“If we raise enough money, we’ll stop having 4 pledge drives a year and only have 1!”
(If we fail, we’ll need to have at least 17 pledge drives a year to make up the difference.)
Disclaimer: I am a lifelong support of public radio. Financially and emotionally. These are simply my learned observations as a long-time listener. Shout out to Terry Gross – Love ya & looking forward to an interview with you one day!
Armour39 Heart Rate Monitor Review
UPDATE: April 2015. DO NOT BUY. Device still does not work, even with a new iPhone. App has never been updated in the App Store.
UPDATE: Nov 24, 2014. DO NOT BUY. Have had continuous problems with this device not pairing and it has been less than 3 months.
Customer service was helpful for the first 3 calls, then basically told me on the 4th call that I was out of luck and should wait for a future (unscheduled) app store update that, if I’m lucky, will fix the issues. I have never had so many problems, and cannot believe they did not offer to replace it, but upon my asking directly, they did not think a replacement would fix the issues. DO NOT BUY.
The Under Armour Armour39 Heart Rate Monitor is an excellent new addition to the heart rate monitor market. It consists of a chest strap and transmitter which pairs with an app on your iPhone or iPod Touch (or can pair with a watch purchased separately). Read More
Things My Obituary Won’t Say
- She was a terrible friend, but very codependent. Only truly happy in the company of others.
- Her kitchen should have had a Michelin star for its creations.
- Despite not believing in herself, she had amazing on-stage presence and lived for the spotlight and podium.
- Perpetually late and hater of mornings.
- Every day she drank a huge glass of milk, between meals of cucumbers & fast food.
- Never met a dog she liked.
- Immediately warm to strangers, but an utter teetotaler who abstained most of all from caffeine.
- Extremely unloyal, traded jobs & friends like last year’s fashions.
- Lover of rolling in grass, dusty rooms, hairballs from all breed of animal.
- The patience of a saint, wonderful most notably with toddlers.
- Avid board game player who never met a tabloid she didn’t buy.
- Wearer of expensive perfume and elegant lady shoes (the higher the heel the better).
- Never cracked a book except to see if it had pictures.
- Utterly risk averse. Unwilling to go for her dreams, lest she never be hired again.
How will you NOT be remembered? Happy Friday!