exercise

Larry Lessig was my thesis advisor at Stanford Law School and one of the most influential people in my life. I have profound respect for him.

This is precisely why I hope the rumors that he may run for Congress are untrue. Think about it. It's hard enough for a Senator - one of 100 - to make her voice heard. But to be one of 435 Representatives? That's an exercise in futility.

No, Larry has a much better chance of changing Washington from the outside than from the inside. Idealism counts outside Washington. It gets crushed within … Read more

This is a convergence trend that must be stopped: the combination of fitness and relaxation products. First there was this lounge chair from Japan that facilitated sit-ups. Now there's a hot tub that--gasp--includes bult-in exercise equipment.

Or aqua-cise, to be exact, hence the name--the "AquaFit 19 Dual Temp." The "Dual Temp" part refers to its two temperature zones, cooler for workouts and hotter for the whirlpool. "It includes all of the equipment that you need for stationary swimming, jogging, and rowing," Uber-Review says. And you must pay $40,000 for the privilege of … Read more

There's some kind of conspiracy in the air. A managerial one. First there's a concept to make us more productive by strapping a laptop to the waist, and now we find that there's yet another attempt to tether workers to their desks with a new built-in treadmill.

Judging by the photos, it looks as if the "TreadDesk" could even elevate and fire up while you're still typing away, not missing a beat on that Excel spreadsheet. This invention of the devil already has some competition, however: Just a few months ago the "Walkstation&… Read more

The Compex Sport is one of the scariest, but also most oddly compelling, devices I've ever tried.

The device sends electrical shocks, via electrodes attached to your body, to nerves. Your nerves then stimulate specific muscle groups. As a result, when you work out with the Compex, nearly 100 percent of the muscle fibers get into the act. Ordinarily, you might only use 50 percent, said Heiko Van Vliet, a European marketing manager for Compex and a coach/trainer who works with the CSC bicycling team and the Norwegian national skating team.

Thus, by using it, you can bring … Read more

Manga and Cup Noodles aside, clearly not everything from Japan translates so easily to American culture. And this item is a classic example.

Mizuno is about to release a lounge chair that doubles as a fitness machine. Obviously, its creators aren't familiar with the La-Z-Boy lifestyle that makes this country great.

It's bad enough that other Japanese companies are trying to shrink the size of our beloved massage chairs, but a recliner that does sit-ups? That'll be about as popular here as Pink Lady.

My New Year's resolutions for 2007 were largely a flop, although I did frame and hang some vintage 1930s cruise ship menus as promised.

But if you're dead set on changing your life in 2008, many Web sites can assist with tallying and tracking resolutions. Some will continue to ping you with reminders, or even enlist other folks to pester you over the next 12 months. Facebook users can pick from various third-party widgets for setting and sharing goals, but other sites offer more customization.

Sweet and simple, Joe's Goals help you log progress on to-do items … Read more

Looking to get more exercise into your life? New research from Stanford Medical School reports that people who use pedometers walk about 2,000 steps more every day than those who don't. That translates to an extra mile of progress each day.

So that's one little gadget that can help. Walking has been on my mind lately because one strategy that has really worked for me is to listen to public radio shows on my iPhone iPod while I walk the dog. I know that if I walk my way through an entire 40-minute podcast each day, broken up into two or three segments, I have met my exercise goal.

But even better than that, I often walk farther than I had planned because I get caught up in a compelling show--turning public radio "driveway moments" into "walkway moments." … Read more

The next Tour de France winner may very well be the tech nerd from your IT department if MIT's new invention makes it to the mainstream. Taking a page out of the "GZ PC-Sport and Power Stepper" book, students modified an exercise bike so it can power your laptop.

The device works with a bicycle wheel attached to a generator, which in turn charges a conventional car battery. A 12-volt cigarette-lighter adapter is then used to hook up with your laptop. This prevents overcharge and fluctuating current damaging your PC.

This also begs the question: Does one … Read more

Following unusual workstations has become something of a hobby for Crave (we don't get out much), but usually they involve conditions that are designed for maximum comfort. So one can appreciate our alarm upon viewing the "Walkstation" for its obvious threat to our stated pursuit of laziness, even while working.

This tortuous apparatus is essentially a standing-height desk attached to a treadmill, combining work with exercise for the ultimate in multi-tasking. Made by office furniture company Steelcase, the Walkstation is scheduled to make its formal debut next month for a reported price of $6,500. (That would … Read more