Haul: Empower Skipfit Cardio Skipper

Growing up I had a Skip-It which was a hard plastic "ball" that was attached to a plastic type rope that had a plastic ring you'd slip over your foot. The goal was to skip along, continuing to move the ball around your ankle, while "skipping/jumping" over the ball as many times as you could. To keep score, the ball had a little counter that would count (and eventually reset) your number of skips. It was a great workout for kids and one of my favorite items to play with when outside.  Needless to say, while I was at Kohl's I found this Empower Skipfit Cardio Skipper on the fitness display (near the shoe section) and I was so intrigued I snatched one off the shelf.

 

Admittedly, when I checked the price and it came up to be $19.99 I wanted to put it back. Then I googled it and couldn't find it offered anywhere online (particularly Amazon) so I decided just to pick it up and put it away for next spring/summer as an outdoor activity I can do at home.

 

This version is a plastic/nylon type ball that's attached to a fabric rope that has a fabric loop that would go around your ankle. Sure, the weather is less than stellar these days (cold/rainy) and the winter is on its way .. but it'll be a nice workout to bust out when the weather starts to cooperate.

Haul: Weighted Hula Hoop Haul

A few months ago I was sitting in my Weight Watchers meeting and we were talking about activities we enjoy that’ll help us get up and move more. Someone had mentioned she really enjoys doing circuits with her weighted hula hoop. Initially I was like “weighted hula hoop?” My leader was saying how she loved it as an activity because it really gets you moving and you get quite a workout without even truly realizing it.

I was hesitant at first because I know I’m not a good hula hooper. I have zero rhythm particularly because I have 2 left feet and I dance to the beat of a broken rusty drum. I looked them up online and found they were a bit pricey but decided if I bumped it into at my local Target or Wal-Mart I’d check them out and possibly pick them up – especially since it’s supposed to be good for your core and toning. A few months after that thought I was meandering around Marshall’s and I stumbled upon a weighted hula hoop in their clearance department (I later found it was the only one left in the entire store – even not on clearance). Pulling up weighted hula hoops in a quick Google search I found the price of the hoop was far less than any of the other ones available online and/or in any local stores.

The hoop itself is 2 pounds and it’s got some nice padding to it, to potentially avoid “bruising” that may happen from continuous hooping.  The weather hasn’t been the greatest but once it starts to get nicer out (potentially this week since I just got home from vacation) I’ll give this a shot outside.

Have any of you tried a weighted hula hoop? If so, how do you like it?

ActiveLink – WW’s version of the FitBit!

I purchased myself an ActiveLink at my Weight Watchers meeting this past week.  I’ve been wanting one for weeks but I was in an excuse mode where I wasn’t going to the gym and I’ve since screwed my head back on straight, so I picked one up for myself.  Before I go into explaining what this is, it’s Weight Watchers version (that they teamed up with Phillips to create) of the Fitbit.  The device measures all movement and aids in helping the user to push themselves to get a certain level of activity per day, while also helps push the user to reach higher activity goals over time.

According to Weight Watchers:  ActiveLink is an integrated activity experience consisting of a monitor, a personalized website, and tips and motivation brought to you by the experts at Weight Watchers and Philips. You wear the small ActiveLink monitor in your pocket or clipped to your clothes, and it tracks all of your activity throughout the day, Whether you’re walking the dog or working out at the gym, ActiveLink will let you know how many activity PointsPlus values you’re earning. The personalized site creates an activity goal for you, and provides information and motivation to help you achieve your goal over a 12-week period. And when you reach one goal, it will help you set, and reach, another.

Right now I am in an 8-day assessment phase where I wear my monitor all day and it measures a baseline of activity.  This baseline will be used to assess as to if my activity is lower and/or higher than what it was during that assessment phase.  Unfortunately during that assessment phase you’re not able to see the cool graphs that come with the ActiveLink but after the assessment is over I’ll be able to see my movement on my screen.  It’s super easy to use, you just plug the link into the USB portion of the computer and it charges and reads all your information.

I work with a few people who have an ActiveLink and they’ve enjoyed it thus far.  I’m hoping this will be the little push I need to help me continue to be honest and will help push me into continuing maintaining my healthy lifestyle – workouts included!

I paid $39.95 for the device itself and it’s a $5/monthly charge for the service.