Strava is a web service that lets you get the most out of your bicycle or running-based GPS device. Out on your bicycle ride (in my case), your GPS records and plots your ride. Afterwards, you can upload the data to the web service Strava which pulls out common segments: these can be significant climbs, popular sprint sections, etc. Your speed on these segments can then be compared against your older rides, as well as other riders (can be against everybody or just your friends/club, whatever). If you achieve a personal record, your ride is awarded certain medals and tokens.

Over the last year, I've watched my overall average speed and cycling fitness increase as I specifically go after the "Queen of the Mountain" medal, or overall leader, for my usual segments. I've once even borrowed a special race bike to even get one of them, as the increased aerodynamics helped cut through the windy bits. As I find new segments, my competitive nature starts figuring out what to try different next time to get even faster. It's... rather addictive.

The best lumbar support I've found is Fitterfirst's ProActive Disc. The primary purpose of this inflatable disc is to give a "Swiss Ball" experience to ordinary chairs. It also works very well as a highly-portable lumbar support for flying and driving. The device was designed by this specialty shop. It's made by Cascade Designs and has the same wonderful oversized valve used on the Therm-a-Rest mattress pads.

The way to use the disc is to fully inflate it, position the pad where you want it, and crack the valve until it's deflated to the desired level. It's pricey but should last forever if treated well. If you do happen to mistreat the pad, you can use the Cascade Designs repair kits to fix it. I also use it when going to events at a stadium for cushioning and to boost my height a bit (yes -- I was that guy sitting in front of you). One option that's a bit less expensive is the Ledraplastic Overball: a little ball marketed as a play toy about 20 years ago.

The balls inflate to a diameter of 7 to 9 inches; they're springy and remarkably strong. Some Pilates instructors started using them as a substitute for Joe's Magic Circle. The Pilates Mini Ball workout is a classic (here's a sample). Colleen Craig's "Strength Training on the Ball" uses a mini ball in tandem with a Swiss Ball for multi-directional destabilization -- a fantastic strength/balance program in a book.

After getting noticed, many different manufacturers are making their own balls now: the FitBall Mini, the Fitterfirst Mini Ball, the Franklin Air Ball, and even Leslee Bender's Bender Ball (promoted on infomercials). All of these little balls are are well-made; they are interchangeable. If you hurt after a flight, lying on the floor with an Overball (or one of its imitators) in the small of your back is tremendously relaxing.

Napping is a evolutionarily habit that still works wonders today. I can get by with several hours less sleep per night by adding a 20-minute nap in the afternoon. But I work at home where napping is easily done. The point of this book is to persuade you that the benefits of napping, scientifically derived, are so great you should do everything you can to make napping a habit whatever your schedule. As this concise guide makes clear the benefits to nappers are significant: smarter, more productive, healthier. For those who have tried napping without success, this book offers several different methods to try. It is hard to imagine the siesta returning in full force in the workplace, but it should be resurrected in some fashion. Start here. This is the best practical book on naps yet.

You know nothing about nearly a third of your life. Sure, you think you have some sense of how you sleep, but you really don't. We're notoriously inaccurate in estimating how long it takes us to fall asleep, how long we're awake in the middle of the night, how long we dream and how much deep sleep we get. And the total hours you sleep are only one factor of many in determining the quality of that sleep and the restorative effect it will have on you. Even worse, if you want to improve the quality of your sleep, all you've got to go on is general advice, while the one thing we know about sleep is that we're all different.

What you need is data. That's what Zeo provides. It's a clock-radio-sized device that sits on your bedside table, with a comfortable wireless headband that you wear while you sleep. The headband measures electrical signals from your brain and can distinguish between four states: awake, light sleep, REM sleep and deep sleep. The base station records all this, and displays all the data in easy to understand charts, as well as recording it on a SD card that you can plug into a computer to upload to a very good website for tracking and analysis. (It's also a great alarm clock, which can wake you at the time when you're most ready to wake, which may be some minutes before the set time)

I was given a Zeo when it first came out last year, and I'm hooked. I knew I was a poor sleeper who is plagued by too-vivid dreams, but here's what I found out with Zeo: 1) I get very little deep sleep (often less than 10%), which is the most restorative type. My wife, meanwhile, usually gets more than 25% deep sleep over the same period. 2) When I think I'm tossing and turning all night, I'm usually not. The wake periods are typically short, and I am actually asleep between them. 3) There are simple things I can do to improve my sleep, even if I'm not sleeping any more hours.

To that last point, Zeo is all about running experiments on yourself. Take a couple weeks of baseline data to measure day-of-week cyclicality, and then start changing things. For me, the difference between one glass of wine and two a night is an average of five points of "ZQ" score (I average around 80). Cutting off screens (email, web, even reading on the iPad) a half-hour before bed and turning to a paper book also adds about five points. I'd hoped that exercise would add to my score, but it didn't. Three milligrams of melatonin before bed has a small but positive impact, which may well just be the placebo effect. 11:30 is better for me than 12:00, but 11:00 is no better than 11:30. And so on.

If you'd like better sleep and want to be smart about how you go about it, Zeo is the perfect tool. And even if you don't have one, subscribe to the Zeo blog, which is full of smart data- and science-driven advice and discussion about sleep quality and how to improve it.

I've been using the Withings (same manufacturer as the previously reviewed Withings Wi-Fi Scale) Blood Pressure Monitor for several weeks now and find it better than other monitors I've been using for years.

There are three aspects of the monitor that I prefer over other monitors. The cuff is amazingly easy to put on your arm. It has a stiff plastic or metal curved piece that holds the cuff in place on your arm while you wrap the arm band around your arm. It's the first cuff I've used that is easily placed single-handed and shipped with a cuff large enough for my arm without needing to purchase a larger cuff.

The air inflation and sensors are in a small tube on the cuff itself and are battery powered, forms a nice handle to aid positioning on your arm. No tubing to manage and worry about the cat puncturing. No outlet connections needed.

The iOS software is easier to use than other monitors. Plug-in the monitor, the app auto-launches and press start. Offers options to run repeated readings and then average them together. Keeps track of all your readings and provides charts without having to do data entry. Data can be exported to many formats.

The monitor has two downsides. The first is cost. At $129 it's double many of the common upper-arm monitors. However, it's worth it to me because it's so much easier for me to use that I'm better about taking my daily measurements. The second problem is that it is iOS only. The monitor will only plug into an iOS device to work. This isn't a wi-fi device like the Withings scale. The single cable on the device is an iPod connector cable. Works with iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad.

The software currently does not work with the cuff plugged in on a device running the beta iOS 5 firmware from Apple. I'm running it with an old iPod Touch for readings. The software works on iOS 5 without the cuff so I can still see my results on my other iOS devices.

The Marvy Rubber Shaving Mug is large and deep, ideal for the sort of vigorous brushwork required to create a creamy lather from shaving soap with a shaving brush. In my search for the perfect lather I have also found that the Vie-Long Gonzalo 04102 shaving brush, a combination of white horsehair and boar bristle, is an ideal brush for creating a good lather from shaving soap. The Gonzalo has a resilient knot with a good loft and excellent capacity, and it also has a brass ring around the handle just under the knot.

However, when you are brushing vigorously, it's easy to strike the side of your shaving mug with the ring, and the sound when using a porcelain mug is unsettling. With the Marvy hard rubber mug, unbreakable and a good idea in the bathroom where hard surfaces abound, the sound is muted and the worry is absent.

The Marvy mug is designed for the specific purpose as a shaving tool, and the bottom is ridged to hold the soap puck securely. The steep sides make it easy to work the developing lather back into the brush. The Marvy is a truly skookum tool for a specific purpose, as is the Vie-Long Gonzalo, which sells at an extremely reasonable price: $18 in the US, €8.55 in the EU.

I've kept my hair short for 15 years. My hairline has "matured" to the point where frequent trips to the barbershop are required to keep things in check. I've had the same barber for 10 years but a recent house move has turned a 20 minute haircut into a Saturday afternoon excursion. I bought the hair clippers along with a pack of 7 combs. Within minutes of using them I wished I'd made the purchase a long time ago.

It's easy to cut your own hair. It's a very similar skill to using a power tool such as a jigsaw. The hardest part is overcoming the fear that you'll mow a nice bald strip across your head within a seconds of switching it on.

The combs prevent you from cutting hair shorter than their size. The 7 comb pack contains the following: 1/16" size 0, 1/8" size1, 1/4" size 2, 3/8" size 3, 1/2" size 4, 3/4" size 6, 1" size 8.

The bare clippers can be adjusted between size #000 (1/100") to size #1 (1/8"). This amount of adjustment can also be applied when the combs are attached. I used all of the combs to gradually get a feel for the clippers. If you just want a #2 all over, it's as easy as attaching the #2 comb and running the clippers over your head until you have an even cut. It's a little more work to achieve a fade but I was able to get a decent fade from a #0 (side burns and neck) to #1 (back and sides) to #4 (on top).

I've read complaints of them being too heavy and becoming too hot. My experience is that the aluminum construction makes the clippers feel solid without feeling heavy. They do gradually warm up during use but never become hot.

I'm going to miss my old barber but it's a great to be able to cut your own hair whenever you want and save money too.

I've been using my Withings WiFi-enabled scale since 5 Dec 2009, at which point I weighed 246.9 lbs. Today, I weigh 183.5 lbs, and this scale helped me reach my goal. It shows weight, percentage or lbs of body fat, and BMI. Because it's WiFi-enabled, the readings are picked up and displayed graphically on my Web page (password protected) at their site with the option to share it with other web-based weight loss sites. Moreover, I can use the data locally by downloading the readings in a format suitable for a spreadsheet.

I weigh daily, and the graph has greatly helped in my weight-loss efforts. Now I can easily see the trend, which helps manage it. I've had a series of scales that measure both weight and percentage body fat, including a couple by Tanita. As part of my weight loss effort, I did have some professionally administered body-fat measurements, and the Withings readings were consistent with that, within the limits of accuracy with respect to one's daily weight fluctuations. If you have multiple people using the scale, it's easy to set up multiple accounts (it has a maximum of 8 users).

One warning: I got a Roku, and in trying to get it set up with my router, I changed from G to N format, and for a few weeks lost readings from the scale because I wasn't checking so regularly at that time. I used their support forum to diagnose the problem and reconnect my scale to my router. I would rate their support as excellent: they monitor the forum and respond immediately with answers.

The Withings was the first WiFi-enabled scale I found, and other than my own error in changing the router without thinking how it would affect my bathroom scale (you can understand that oversight, I hope), my experience with it has been uniformly positive. Highly recommended.

I saw that the previously reviewed pedometer was unrecommended and thought I would recommend this one made by Omron. This pedometer is nice as it stores a week of data so you can see how you are doing the whole week if you wear it all the time. It is simple to clip on, and comes with an included safety leash for easy carrying.

Unlike some that have reset buttons that can get pushed inadvertently, I've never reset this one by mistake. The Omron also keeps track of aerobic steps.

I accidentally put mine through the washer and then dried it with a hair dryer and found that it still worked and remains a durable step tracker.

-- Audrey Watson

Omron HJ-112 Pedometer
$22

Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Omron

A barbell is the best training tool an athlete can use. The weight can vary from 10 lbs to over 1000 lbs in increments as small as 1/2 lb, and the set of available exercises is limited only by the lifter's imagination. This makes training with a barbell suitable for pretty much anyone, regardless of age, sex, or experience.

Studies detailing injury rates show weight training to be as much as orders of magnitude less likely to cause injury than sports like running, cycling, football, and especially the most dangerous sport in America: soccer.

It can help prevent injuries by strengthening joints and bones, and creating more resilient tissues. With judicious use it can speed recovery from injuries that do occur. And it has even been shown to be effective in treating nagging ailments like back pain and certain kinds of arthritis. Being stronger also makes ordinary tasks much easier to accomplish. Everything from bringing in the groceries to playing with your kids to getting out of bed in the morning becomes easier as you get stronger. All of which means weight training may even be safer than not training at all.

That's all great, but there's a catch. Training with barbells has a skill component. To get the maximum benefit with minimum risk it's best to understand and use good technique. But even before the invention of machine-based "health clubs" in the '70s, instruction in the barbell lifts was best described as questionable, and most exercise instruction from luminaries like Bill Star and Mel Siff assumes proficiency with the barbell and works to create programs to allow people to continue to get stronger, or simply pushes people toward the "easy to use" but mostly useless machines.

With their book Starting Strength, Mark Rippetoe, a strength coach with almost 30 years experience in teaching novice lifters and a former competitive powerlifter himself, and Lon Kilgore, a competitive weightlifter and associate professor of kinesiology at Midwestern State University, are working to provide that missing information.

They cover five basic lifts -- squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, and power clean -- in amazing, well-illustrated, and readable detail. The chapter on the squat spans over 60 pages and covers not only technique but why to squat and how to identify and fix problems as they come up. The other exercises are covered in no less impressive detail, including some stellar and original thinking on the deadlift, and an effective basic training program to put everything together.

The authors even deal with such fictions as "squats hurt your knees" and "lifting weighs will make you bulky." The simple answers to those objections are that if your knees hurt when you squat, you're squatting wrong (or you have an existing injury), and that getting "hyooge" takes years of hard training, big eating, and, for many men and nearly all women, anabolic supplementation -- i.e. steroids.

The now-out-of-print first edition was geared toward coaches, but because of the book's cult popularity the second has shifted focus to self-instruction. Much of the book was rewritten to this end. It also includes an additional 100 or so pages on supplementary lifts and updates to the introductory weight training program.

I bought the first edition in the spring of 2006 and after a couple years using it, and now the expanded edition, to teach myself and friends and family to lift, I've found I don't agree with the authors on some technical details of certain lifts. But without this book I wouldn't have gained the knowledge to make those kinds of judgments.

As a budding Olympic-style weightlifter and former competitive cyclist, it's the best $30 I've ever spent toward my training. And from Amazon to specialty weight training sites like EliteFTS, the reviews of this book are universally positive.

Save whatever you were going to spend on sports drinks over the next few weeks and buy this instead. It's one of those books that belongs in everyone's library.

I've been using the BodyMedia FIT armband for the past 3 months and it is the only diet and exercise system that I've found that really works. The system works through the use of an armband that you wear on your left arm throughout the day. As you go about your regular routine the armband measures your caloric burn. The armband uses four sensors to track over 9,000 variables from heat to sweat to steps to calories burned every minute of every day.

You can track your daily burn and steps taken through an optional display, but the real power is in syncing the armband to the BodyMedia web site which allows you to see charts of calories burned per minute, steps taken, exercise levels, sleep cycles, etc. You can also track your weight measurements in the tool. The great thing about the online tools is that it lets you enter your daily caloric intake (just search for a food and add it to a meal), and compares your incoming calories to outgoing calories. By entering your calories on a daily basis you can ensure a realistic caloric deficit which is guaranteed to help you lose weight safely. It's very helpful for making sure you don't starve yourself by eating too little, or conversely, that you don't go crazy and eat too much.

Since I started using the armband I've dropped 20 pounds that I've managed to keep off with almost no trouble. It's become pretty simple for me. I can eat a healthy but normal breakfast and lunch, then I check my calorie burn before dinner and make sure to eat the appropriate amount to ensure I maintain my target calorie deficit.

What I love about this tool is that it eliminates estimation. Everyone has different basal metabolic rates depending on what they do during the day. Whereas most diet systems target a fixed number of daily calories, those fixed amounts could mean anywhere from a 500-2500 calorie deficit depending on the person. Anyone who's dieted knows that when you get into high calorie deficits you're body stops losing and you go into the so called starvation mode where your body actually holds onto the weight. With this that never happens. If I have a lazy day at work and am on target to burn 3200 calories then I know I can eat 2200 and maintain my 1000 calorie deficit. But say, I go for a long run on the weekend and do some yard work I could get up to 5500 calories burned. If I stuck with a 2200 calorie diet, my body (and my willpower) would rebel. However with BodyMedia, I know that on those 5500 calorie days I can eat 2000 more calories and still be on target for weight loss.

Long story short - I absolutely love this system.

Kettlebells are used for exercise and training. They look like a cannonball with a handle, come from Russia, and provide a great workout focused on whole-body exercise (rather than muscle isolation), with great benefits for strength, cardio, stamina, and flexibility. Unlike regular weights, the kettlebell's center of mass is extended away from the hand which is optimized for a variety of different movements including swinging.

I specifically like exercises that work the entire body. The kettlebell does that and allows a continuous routine of various exercises without having to stop and change equipment. Moreover, you can do quite fine with a single kettlebel. You can start with a 1-pood (16.6 kg, or 35 lb) or lighter kettlebell and for many that will be enough. These weights take up little room, will not break down or wear out, and require no batteries.

f.lux is a free piece of software that slowly shifts the color temperature of your computer monitor throughout the day in order to adapt it to the natural rhythm of light. I first downloaded it after reading about Seth Robert's self-experimentation involving sleep. As Roberts points out, research indicates that certain color temperatures stimulate wakefulness and affect circadian rhythms. This is why people with Seasonal Affective Disorder use blue light devices that supposedly mimic the blue sky of summer. By using f.lux to shift the temperature of a computer monitor away from blue light and towards red after natural light has faded the idea is that it will diminish the unintended wakefulness caused by the screen and allow for a more restful sleep.

While I am not as careful a self-experimenter as Seth Roberts, I have noticed that when I use f.lux not only do I get sleepier sooner but that I also awake earlier. By simply disabling the program for an hour (an option that is built into the software) I also notice an immediate sense of renewed wakefulness. The shift in color temperature is significant and immediately noticeable when I use my computer at night, but not in a way that negatively impacts the quality of the image on screen (and when it does, or if I need to edit photos, I simply disable it).

The program is available for Mac OS X and Windows XP/Vista/7. A similar program called Redshift is available for Linux users.

I first discovered Mueller Knee Straps after I experienced significant knee pain following a tough 18-mile training run. With only a month left to go before completing my first marathon, full rest and recovery were not options. I had to keep going! A friend who had experienced similar pain to the lower kneecap (patellar tendonitis) recommended Mueller Knee Straps.

The strap itself is simple: it is made of a neoprene-like fabric that wraps around the lower knee and affixes to itself with Velcro. In the portion of the strap that sits below the knee there is a rubber tube that helps to hold pressure below the patella.

Patellar tendonitis occurs when there is a partial tear in the ligament at the base of the kneecap. The idea behind knee straps, also known as patellar straps, is to support and apply pressure to the tendon just below the kneecap. This pressure helps to reduce impact vibrations, improve tracking, and relieve pain.

Compared with other straps on the market, the Mueller Knee Straps tighten well around my knees without causing irritation. I can get a full range of motion while running without chafing or pinching thanks to the soft padded Velcro straps and the tubing around the patella. Like any injury, in addition to this quick fix, runners with patellar tendonitis must rest and stretch to heal. But with a race on the horizon the Mueller Knee Straps provided relief from pain and even a semblance of comfort while running the 26.2 miles.

Treat Your Own Neck saved my neck! The book is very thin but packed with the info you need to treat your neck pain. The author clearly explains the physiology of the neck, and describes specific exercises to treat specific types of neck pain/injury. The exercises are simple, but not intuitive.

About a year ago I got a bulged disc in my neck. This had never happened before, and I had no idea what was going on. I had very limited movement and what movement I had was very painful. At first, I thought it was just a sore or stiff neck from an awkward bike riding position, or a slight workout injury. As it progressively worsened over the next couple of weeks I started to realize this was more serious. A visit to my MD and a referral to a neurologist confirmed the bulged disc diagnosis. What was their advice for me? Basically a shrug, and they said, "Sometimes it goes away, sometimes you just have to live with it." They offered me some muscle relaxants. I couldn't believe that was all modern medicine had to offer.

I was a little panicked, to be honest. I wasn't really interested in being partially disabled. I remembered a couple of friends who'd experienced debilitating back problems. They both solved their own issues using some exercises out of book. I figured maybe there was something in there for me, too. Turns out the author, Robin McKenzie, wrote a book for backs, AND a book for necks!

Personally, I'd never have figured this out on my own. By following the exercises in the book my neck pain was reduced the first day, and eliminated within two weeks. For my particular symptoms, the book provided just one specific exercise, and suggested some postural changes while sitting and sleeping. Though my bulged disc is gone, I continue to use this exercise whenever I have a stiff or sore neck (bad posture at work, or long drives), and continue to find immediate relief.

The book is the price of an insurance co-payment and, for me at least, worth many times what I paid.

The Surefoot Foot Rubz is a massaging ball that has given me relief from aching feet caused by Ballroom dance lessons. You massage your feet by gently rolling the knobby ball under them. You can apply as much pressure as necessary. It is much more effective than the wooden foot rollers I've tried in the past. Best $ I've ever spent for relief of tired and achy feet.

I haven't encountered any source on this subject as broad, accessible, and easily applied as Bob Anderson's classic Stretching, a patient and friendly stand-in for my eight-grade P.E. teacher.

The 30th anniversary edition of this guidebook came out recently, with even more stretches and illustrations, and it's easily the most comprehensive work on the subject. I love the activity-specific sections: cyclists, for instance, are shown stretches that not only address the muscle groups made tight and tense by our specific sport, but the stretches geared toward bike riders even include a bicycle to be utilized as a support. Activities from weightlifting to computer using get their own sections, too.

Organizationally, Stretching shines. Tight neck? Rigid shoulders? Thumb through to your prescribed routine and get to work. With minimal flexibility but a willingness to make an effort, almost anyone can use this book to become more limber, healthier.

I just bought a new snorkel after 20 years of use on my prior purchase. I chose the TUSA SP-170 first for comfort of the mouthpiece and bore width of the tube. Next, I evaluated how water drains from the tube. The purge valve under the mouthpiece is covered, so stray sand or kelp will not block it open and let water in, a problem I'd had with older snorkels.

At the top of the snorkel tube, TUSA's Hyperdry System creates a separate pathway for water to eject, making for quicker clearing of the airway for my next breath. Other brands do have similar configurations and differ only slightly from the TUSA design. What hooked me on the TUSA is its Comfort Swivel, which allows me to change the angle of the snorkel without messing with the mask strap. It also has two parts that can disconnect as a quick-release to get the snorkel off the mask quickly. Using the old snorkel keeper strap was always a hassle for me.

Snorkels are a very personal choice, and the number of features surprise people who have never purchased one at a dive shop. Some stores won’t allow you to put the mouthpiece in your mouth. If you can't judge the size/fit, try to see if they rent the model you are interested in. Usually an experienced salesman can judge the size well and you can go by his suggestion.

I'm very happy with this choice, and have found it to meet all of my needs either in surf, open ocean or pool conditions.

This small unit measures the effects of breathing on the parasympathetic system in order to help you feel calm and relaxed. My doctor actually prescribed it for me. The results are subtle but pretty amazing. My major successes have been trying to get to sleep at night. I fire up the small playing-card-pack-size box, which runs on two AAA batteries. Then I insert my finger into the trap door on the top left and begin working to control my breathing pattern. If you haven't used it in a while, it coaxes you to reset date and time. Then it begins with a straight line.... and you begin to breath. What the manual recommends is that you breath in through the nose and then exhale from your mouth. What's different from some other meditation and yoga methods is the StressEraser doesn't want you to count on the inhale, but just to breathe in as deeply as you can. On the exhale you should do it slowly with a count to three, four, or five. The idea is to create a curving graph of regularity that can be worth 1 or 3 points on the device. A meditation session can total as many points as you want. Usually I shoot for 30. It takes a while to get into the rhythm of deeply breathing in and then slowly breathing out with a pause at each end point. It takes me about 15 - 20 minutes to get into the pattern and then complete the breathing session. When I finish, I don't feel much different. But when I climb into bed I find it amazingly easy to fall and stay asleep. It's not cheap, but I paid $200 for a returned model at Sharper Image. My friend gave one to her father, who uses it after watching the evening news. She says it's worked well form him, too.

As a frequent traveler and someone who has a hard time sleeping in strange hotels, I live with a recipe for many sleepless nights. Seems like the alarm always goes off just when I have just fallen asleep. To help me get a good read on my sleep patterns and to get more restful sleep, I bought the Sleeptracker Pro, a wrist watch that monitors your sleep cycle from barely asleep to REM by tracking a succession of small bodily movements. You set the alarm for, say, 6:30 am and specify a window of time around that (normally I do 15 minutes on either end of my desired wake up time). Within that window, the watch finds the point at which I'm most awake and wakes me then, as opposed to when I'm out silly. I started using mine about 10 months ago and had success as soon as I first put it to use on a business trip. I'd tried using one of those gentle wake up alarm clocks before, but it was more like an airhorn. The Sleeptracker is far more effective (it cab be set to beep or vibrate), plus it's on your wrist so you don't have to remember to pack it. The set up was simple, too. I now find the watch especially useful for when I am traveling across time zones, since it helps me get a more restful sleep. The watch also monitors your sleep pattern over time and you can download the data to your PC to see the trends, which helps to spec out the optimal window you'll need to wake up.

As a cyclist and triathlete, I've been a fan of products like Chamois Butt'R for years, but it was only last year I stumbled across BodyGlide in a giant bin in the Triathlon section of SportsBasement. In a matter of weeks, I went from interested to addicted. It's simple stuff you just apply anywhere you have rubbing issues: your netherbits, nipples, wrists, ankles, cankles, armpits or pretty much any other body part prone to chaffing, scraping, or friction. For triathletes, it's great to put on the neck and shoulders to keep your wetsuit from chafing. I also smear it on my wrists and ankles to help me get out of my suit faster in that first transition. I even put it on the outside of my wetsuit at the ankles to make it nice and slippery. Cyclists can use it like chamois butter (although I'm not sure it's good for your chamois like a traditional creme) and for runners it's great for the inner thigh (or if you're prone to bloody nipples. Naturally, it's great for hiking and backpacking as well. There are even versions with sunscreen and analgesics to cover multiple bases. Just don't share it, okay? That's totally grody.

I was turned onto the aptly-named Yamuna Body Rolling Footsavers about five years ago and haven't looked back. Like a hard racquetball that has been sliced in half, the Footsavers are designed to help realign the bones, muscles and tendons in your feet. You stand on them and work your feet, positioning each foot down the inside line, outside line and mid-line. It's a simple routine that's explained on the instructional DVD it comes with. If you have any foot discomfort, the kind you get from imperfect shoes or simply being on your feel all day, these really can make a difference. At first, it will be painful. You will likely have to not put all your weight onto the Savers, and probably need to do it next to a wall for balance. But the moment you step off the saver, your feet enter a whole new world. I always take these when I travel, as they are quite small. They have saved me after days of walking all around Manhattan and after ultimate frisbee and any bike ride. I find they're also great after or before any normal day as well. What I appreciate about Footsaving is that you can do it while you drink your morning coffee or while you watch a little TV. Makes it difficult to use the "too busy" excuse. The routine is quick and the relief to my feet has been monumental. I'm sure there is an acupressure effect of some kind with these, though I don't know exactly how/why it works. I just know they've been well worth the initial discomfort and adjustment.

Finally a digital heating pad that can maintain a temperature you set -- not just one of three arbitrary settings. This heating pad has a range from 86 to 166 degrees F that can be adjusted in 2-degree increments. I don't have any particular injury or ailment, other than occasional mild back pain, but I use this unit daily (actually nightly). This is probably not recommended use, but I have developed the habit of sleeping with a heating pad. Instead of running all the time like older units, though, this one has an auto-off function that lets you set it to stay on up to 60 minutes at a time. Also it only turns on the heating coils to bring it up to temp and when it falls below temp. Once it reaches the desired temp, it shuts off. The heat generally continues to rise 2-3 degrees, peaks, then starts to fall, then kicks back on. And so it cycles for the amount of time you program into it (the default is 30 minutes). I prefer 118°, which seems to work best for me. You can also switch the display to a 'monitor mode' and see the actual temp it's reading from the pad instead of what you've set the thermostat to. I have no idea about the "moist" aspect of the heating pad, since I only use it as a dry heating pad. At about $60, it is a bit expensive if you're used to the $20 pads. Also the cord to the controls could be longer and there's no back-light on the controls, so it's harder to use in total darkness. But once it's set at night, I don't have to fiddle with it or remember to turn it off anyway. The pads come in various sizes. The one I have is the 14"x14" blanket pad.

The StrechCordz resistance training belt makes expensive, complex, "endless" pools obsolete. At one end of a 4-foot, black rubber tube is a nylon belt with a simple plastic snap-clip that slips around my waist. On the other end is a loop I attach to the deep-end ladder of our modest home pool. That's it... just tether up and start swimming. Swim as hard and fast as you like yet stay in place.

I'm able to do backstroke, crawl, butterfly (well, I try to butterfly), even frog-kick with no interference. Stop swimming and the belt gently pulls me back to the ladder. And, no, my legs don't get tangled in the line! The rubber tube is just stretchy enough to allow a good resistance for natural swimming feel, but I hardly notice the belt at all. Significantly, I even forget I'm wearing it. It's completely comfortable for long bouts of swimming. The one I own has been in almost daily use for one swimming season in a relatively mild salt-water home pool. Not any sign of wear at all on the belt, but I do put it away out of sunlight between uses.

I wasn't sure I'd need the belt, frankly, since our pool is big enough for actual swimming. In practice, however, even though our pool is 32 feet long, it's not really enough to be comfortable for laps. The belt is an elegant solution. There's no more constantly calculating the strokes left till the next turn. Swimming in place allows a steady, relaxed rhythm that would otherwise be impossible. I find I can swim longer on the belt and get more of a workout. Our pool is 18 feet from side to side. The short belt (4 ft.) is plenty long enough for me, but there's a longer version for larger pools.

There are other products for resistance swimming, but I haven't needed to try them. For one, the Super Swim -- a suspension apparatus -- is 10 times the price and needlessly complex. I can see the theory behind it, but it would entail major pool-side visual and actual clutter, and would be a bother to store away. With the StrechCordz it'd be easy to raise the point of the tether if necessary, but I hook it at the deck level and it's fine. At only three-times the price of the Strechcordz unit, the RipTide's a relative bargain. It's a belt with shoes you slip on. I just don't think I'd want shoes on in the water... just something funny about having my feet tethered. And then there's having a size suitable for everyone. The StrechCordz belt is easily adjustable to basically any size. It's very simple to use, safe (one snap of the belt and it's on or off), and compact enough one could easily travel with it. Packing it really is a non-issue.

My office overlooks the pool and a swim workout is a good mid-afternoon tonic for neck and shoulders after hours of computer work. Looking forward to getting back to it now that the weather's warming up!

I've tried a number of battery-operated nose hair trimmers hoping one of them would last, be easy to clean, and remain sharp. Every one of them failed. This stainless steel trimmer is simplicity itself! No whirring motors, wimpy foil blades, batteries or delicate electronics. It costs a little more than some electric models but works elegantly and reliably. I also like the fact it is so compact I can sanitize the entire unit in the occasional alcohol bath. I always thought trimmers had to work at high speed to deliver a comfortable and painless cut. With this device, you simply stick the unit an 1/8-inch up your nose and rotate the shaft back and forth. The first time I used it I realized I had more control. Because it works so well, isn't a hassle to use and is so easy to clean, I've adopted an early strike policy. After more than six months of regular use, I haven't noticed any dulling. Regardless, the manufacturer guarantees it for life.

The Salubrion Enso Clock is a digital clock/timer specially built for those who meditate or do yoga. While I know nothing about yoga, I use the clock to time my meditations twice a day in my home office. Conventional stopwatches and alarms just don't cut it. They let out a loud beeping noise that startles me out of my meditative state (or I end up worrying about when they'll beep). On the contrary, the Enso uses soothing chimes that sound like actual Japanese and Tibetan rice bowls. Instead of startling you out from a meditative state, these gently bring your awareness back to the world around you.

My favorite function of this clock is how it displays time elapsed or remaining by drawing a ring along the display, instead of counting down the numerical indication of minutes left. Previously I meditated with a wall clock, opening my eyes to glance at the clock when the time felt "right." I've found the Enso's ring to be a great help in my meditation -- when I occasionally open my eyes to glance at the clock, I find myself undistracted. Other nifty features I use include the setting of intervals.

When I'm not meditating the Enso is elegant enough to be used as a desk clock on my table. The size is very suitable for travel --- The clock face is slightly larger than the top of a tea cup, and there is a travel pouch included with the clock. I've seen other meditation clocks -- haven't tired them; they look a little bulkier. Also, with this clock, there are no moving parts to be concerned with as it's 100% digital. In all, it's perfect if you are a fairly serious meditator...

The ActiVest is a useful vest -- well-made, lots of pockets, rain hood, warm -- that integrates the design of the Slouch!Buster travel chair (the straps fold into their own pockets when not in use). My wife got this for me last Xmas, and I have found it very useful on dozens of occasions: beach walks, hikes, meditation groups, and other situations where I need back support. When I was younger my back needed no support, but luckily this was invented just as I felt the need for it. Nice to be part of a large, inventive, geriatric generation.

The blood pressure monitor I recommended previously has been discontinued, but no matter: last year I upgraded to Panasonic's EW3006S, a comparably-priced wrist sphygmomanometer with several advantages. It is MUCH quieter than the EW3002W: perhaps 25 percent; as loud of a buzz as it powers up and inflates the cuff. It takes readings faster: about twice as fast from button push to readout. It's more comfortable: doesn't seem to constrict as tightly as the previous iteration. The display is larger and less cluttered, therefore, easier to read. The buttons are also much larger and easier to activate, but without being too easy (i.e. no accidental pushes). Although the EW3006S is slightly larger in size than its predecessor, it's noticeably lighter, which is important - like my last monitor, I carry it in my fanny pack when I'm in the OR.

Getting sweat in your eyes isn't fun. And in some sports, such as cycling, it can even be dangerous. Halo headbands provide a heavenly solution. They're made out of a thin, stretchy fabric with a linguine-sized, soft plastic strip affixed inside that acts as a kind of gutter. This strip (combined with the qualities of the fabric itself) keeps your brow dry. An unexpected side benefit: The headband serves as a gasket to keep your bike helmet snug and comfortable no matter how sweaty the conditions. I've been using them for a couple of years down here in Florida and wouldn't cycle without them.

After my ride, I just rinse the Halo and hang it to dry. Once in a while, it goes in the wash. I have a couple of Halos, so I'll always have one dry when I start out for a ride. Neither shows signs of wear after hundreds of rides and thousands of miles. I've grown so attached to my Halo that I accept the few seconds it takes to don it when racing in triathlons. I'll go without gloves and socks, but my Halo always comes along. (Besides, my transition times are laughably slow anyway.) Halos come in a tie version, which I prefer, but also in solid pullover bands and in a few other varieties. Well priced and made in San Diego.

Custom fit insoles created by professional podiatrists and orthotics constructors can make running faster and safer, walking more comfortable, reduce back problems, and improve agility and precision of movement. Unfortunately, this sort of work can costs hundreds of dollars per shoe. The SOLE Ultra SOFTEC bring the benefits of a custom fit insole at a mass production price. You simply trim a pair of insoles to fit, briefly heat them, then fit the insoles into your shoes and stand in them in a neutral, well-balanced position for two minutes. At the end of that time you have a pair of custom fit insoles with excellent Poron cushioning and exactly the fit you need; my friends and I found that SOLEs provided optimum arch support for high, normal, and low arched feet. At $45 they're excellent insurance against running injuries (especially the low arch that eventually afflicts most runners) and a great way of getting extra safety, comfort, and performance for snowboarding, hiking, soccer, or skiing.

I have a high arch, which means I have a greatly increased stress on footfall, with energy being lost from the gait cycle into impact force. The SOLEs corrected this not so much through cushioning, but through restoring correct contact of the load bearing areas of my foot -- more energy is now transferred from one step to another instead of into impact. A friend had the opposite and more common problem of a low arch, meaning that he constantly risked knee and soft tissue injuries, and the soles corrected that problem, too. This is the secret to how both the high-end custom orthotics that athletes use and the SOLEs work: your feet are designed to transfer energy from one step to another. When this goes wrong, old style insoles try to fix the problem by adding cushioning, but any amount of cushioning that could make a real difference would rob too much energy from the system (imagine walking on marshmallows). Instead the SOLEs fix the real problem and put the energy that was doing damage back where it belongs, bouncing you into your next step. Other benefits: Custom arch support stops the arch of the foot dropping, leading to a permanently low arched and injury prone foot. This is a real risk for people who run, spend a lot of time on their feet, or carry heavy loads.

I first noticed these insoles recommended on a famous mountain climber's site. At the time, I was about to spend $400 on either Kiper custom silicone orthotics or even more on gait analysis and custom insoles at an athletics center. They've made an amazing difference to me in the six months I've been wearing them. If you're not impressed with the difference they make, they come with a strong money back guarantee; they're endorsed by both the American and Canadian Podiatric Medical Associations; and I hear they're favourites of American and British infantrymen.

There are various incarnations of these grippers, but I've been using mine all the time for at least three years and it still looks new and works great. It's a rigid aluminum shaft with spring loaded rubber suction cup grabbers on one end and a squeeze handle at the other. Lets me grab things off high shelves and retrieve things dropped in inaccessible places, but it's especially great for repetitive tasks that require bending over, like gathering lots of small things off the ground (fallen walnuts; I hate stepping on them in my yard) or grabbing icky things. I use mine 2-3 times a week, mostly for those quick grabs or a put-back on a high shelf, but also for serial grabbing: I picked up two 5-gallon bucketfuls of squishy rotted peaches off my lawn recently -- no bending, no sticky fingers. When I was done I just used the hose to rinse it off. You can also yank down fruit from on high or pull down a thin branch that needs trimming. It's also gentle enough to pick up an egg if you're so inclined.

Other models made by other companies - even the more expensive reachers -- feel cheaply made, grab less firmly, and often use weaker spring steel. Some use less grabby suction cup ends and others simply have a hook-like grabber which wouldn't be of much use for me. I've seen landscape trash collectors using this model, so I feel that speaks to its strength and longevity. There are shorter E-Z Reachers available, but personally, I find I want as much reach as possible. They also make folding versions (good for those in wheelchairs) and locking versions (for those with less hand strength) and various combinations thereof. Replacement suction cups are available ($4), but I have never needed to replace them.

As an age-group triathlete, I wouldn't want to train without my Garmin Forerunner 305, a GPS "wristwatch" with an accompanying heart rate monitor (HRM). It's my training partner: holds me to the line, makes me get out and work out, and gives me the information I need to advance. Of particular interest to me are: mile splits on the run; average HR (heart rate) and maximum HR. Here's how it works: I strap the HRM around my chest and turn on the wrist unit. The GPS locks on to satellite positions. I press "start" and go! While I am moving during the workout, I am being tracked. If I stop, the tracking program "pauses;" thus, my actual results are only for while I am moving. It's a pretty significant piece of hardware, but of the research I did, and GPS/HRM units I've owned (Timex, Nike, Polar), at this time the Garmin 305 is the most appropriate to my needs. Both the HRM strap as well as the "watch" are comfortable. The unit is bulky, sure, but anyone who wears a watch to work out will grow accustomed to it. Best of all, the wireless communication is spot-on -- the watch picks up the transmitted heart rate much better than the Polar unit I previously used, for instance. And the ability to sync my GPS/HR data not only to my computer (Garmin has proprietary software) but also Garmin's MotionBased.com is crucial. After any workout, I upload the data to my MotionBased account, which charts all the data and allows me to review statistics. I simply plug a cord in to my computer's USB port, launch Safari (for Mac, you must use Safari) and upload the data to my MB Inbox. Then, I can add any notes/details/names of the training session. The kind of information Garmin and MotionBased training provides is much more comprehensive than the more subjective tracking I've done by creating my own workout logs on Google spreadsheets.

I can train the same exact route and know to the moment (time and heart rate) how I did in comparison to the last time; I can see the average and max temperatures and windspeed to see if climate may have affected my performance; I can record and share my workouts with friends, coaches, or other athletes, export routes to GoogleEarth or GoogleMaps and use the data to practice, rehearse mentally and visualize my upcoming events and races. I can also show my mom how cool she is for running with me! (At 57, she still keeps up a good 4 mile pace!). I started with the free MotionBased account. After I used it a few times, I knew I would want the extra features for a year to truly test the functionality and see if it was something I could use (so far it's been well worth the $48 annual fee). The differences between free and standard accounts include access to MotionBased's Analyzer, which allows you to pinpoint distance splits.

In 2001, after being 40 pounds overweight with no physical fitness program in place, I started triathalon training with an HRM and began tracking my run, swim, bike, and weight lifting workouts, and calibrating and tracking my outdoor activities (hiking, biking, running) with a Garmin Gecko 101 GPS that I bought from Target for $79.00. This gave me week-to-week comparisons for speed, time and distance, which I used to assess my training and interval workouts through the quarter. However, now I can get ALL of these training metrics together with one simple device. I initially bought the Forerunner 205, but returned it because I wanted the extra data: heart rate. My goal for next year is to race at a lower HR than in years past. After the last triathlon I raced in, I learned my HR was too high (race average: 173). I would like to get that down to the low 160s/mid 160s for the 5.5 hour race I am planning for next May. Using the Garmin Forerunner 305 and MotionBased really enhances all the training I do. It makes me look forward to capturing the results and pushes me for the next time, especially when I revisit a specific route.

Most bikers and hikers know or have a CamelBak. What many don't realize, however, is the ones in most stores are 'consumer grade.' I've used them and they work great, but after a friend of mine showed me his military CamelBak (the "Viper" model), I purchased one and love it.

Instead of nylon, this pack is made of Cordura. It has never gotten scratched or torn despite some unplanned stops while biking (i.e. falling over). I landed on my back once; just got up, shook my head and continued on -- no damage to the CamelBak at all. Tough stuff.

Instead of a thin blue tube, on my Viper, the tube is made of a harder plastic that's not quite as bendy. It's also sheathed in a neoprene cover, which keeps the water in the tube from getting as warm (with an uncovered tube, you get a mouthful or two of warm water at first). Instead of a bite-down nozzle, mine ends in an on/off switch (a rotating stopper). Plus, the removable mouthpiece comes with a rubber cover that can be removed by the teeth or thumb while on the go. You never get a dusty mouthpiece.

Some CamelBaks are flat to the body, mine has two foam inserts along the side, which creates a recessed portion in the middle that reduces sweat build up. This bag weighs almost two pounds (without water), which is heavier than the classic CamelBak, but it also holds 102 oz. -- 30 oz. more than that same classic CamelBak. Also, some CamelBaks have a lot of available space for gear. The Viper doesn't have a ton of room, but I can still store a pump, patch kit, tire removal kit, a shirt, wallet and keys.

The feature I love the most -- and it's the simplest -- relates to the straps. On every backpack I own, the straps are too long to provide for adjustment. On my Viper, the straps are also adjustable -- but they've included is a little piece of Velcro. It's three times as wide as the roll strap, so after you adjust the strap just right, you roll up the strap around this Velcro strip and it closes on itself. Once you get it fitted right, you never have to deal with long, annoying straps all over the place. There are also d-rings on both sides of the shoulder straps to keep the tube from flapping all over the place, and a front chest strap.

My particular model typically costs half again as much as the consumer equivalent, but it's the CamelBak as it should be. The way I look at it, if you already have a CamelBak you like and use, great. For me, these are not 'consumption' goods -- I wanted one to last decades. And I know mine will outlast my biking life.

A couple months ago, before I finally bit the bullet and purchased a quality desk chair similar to this one, I found this terrific back brace. It fits around your waist and a padded strap loops around each knee (clipping together at mid-thigh). The tighter you cinch the adjustable straps, the greater the pressure applied to your lower back. You still have plenty of forward movement, and the way it supports the lower spine is wonderful.

It's a little pricey, but pays off immediately. For the past two years, I sat on a dingy secondhand chair at a low, makeshift desk (home office = a walk-in closet). The result? Regular slouching and hunching and frequent backaches, pains and stiffness, especially in the morning. The first day I strapped this thing on, I felt the difference -- and I still use it whenever I head to the library or travel and I know I'm going to have a marathon desk session in less than stellar conditions.

There are a variety of models. Mine is an all-black "S'portBacker," which was the cheapest one available at the time. I really enjoy how it folds and zips together into a convenient package (8 1/2" x 6" x 1").

I am completely deaf in one ear, and can sleep for hours through a normal alarm clock if my good ear is in the pillow. This clock has a small 5" disc attachment that slips under your pillow between the bottom sheet and the mattress and vibrates you awake (I think some people put it between the mattress and the box spring if they find the vibration too intense). The sheet holds the disc pretty securely -- I've never noticed the disc moving around at all. I suppose if you sleep with a really thin pillow you might feel the disc, but I don't feel it with a normal pillow. You could probably also put the disc at the foot of the bed if need be.

You can't change the nature of the vibrations, though there is a setting for a variable pitch/loudness tone alarm (you can use the tone and the vibration together or separately). I've never used the tone setting. The vibrations are enough that I instantly wake up when it goes off (at least enough to hit the snooze button!), although my husband says it doesn't wake him up. But I also don't let it go on and on for 10 minutes, and my husband is a deep sleeper.

For those of us who are hard of hearing, this alarm clock actually works. As I said, I can't fully trust any sound-based alarm, and I was looking for something that would reliably wake me up, but let my husband and kids continue sleeping as needed. This works beautifully.

The model I have is the SBD375ss, which has a dual alarm. They also make a few models without the dual alarm that are about $10 cheaper. I find the dual alarm very useful because I have two different wake up times (5am or 6:30am) depending on the day of the week. And, honestly, resetting the time day-to-day can be a pain because there's no reverse feature for setting time with the clock. If it's set for 6:30am and I need to get up at 5am the next day, I'd have to fast-forward through 22.5 hours to get there. For me, the dual alarm solves that problem. I also recently purchased the travel/portable version of this clock, but haven't used it yet.

I've used this face mask for two winters to go running and biking in temperatures from single digits to the low thirties ºF. It sure does make it seem so much warmer outside, and it's especially great for preventing my lungs from taking a beating from the cold air.

When you put on the face mask, there is a heat exchange device right in front of your mouth. It looks like a miniature fan-folded filter and has a desiccant coated plastic that uses the heat from your exhalation to warm the air you inhale. Even if you're just standing out in the cold (not exercising), it will keep you much warmer since you lose a lot of body heat through respiration.

The air you breathe in is also humidified a little, keeping you from drying out in the cold, and I've found it's even been a preventive aid for my bronchitis. Every winter I used to come down with bronchitis (usually shortly after a good run when it was frigid outside). I'd always feel warm enough from layers of clothes and the exertion, but afterward my throat would feel raw from having breathed hard in the cold dry air. The throat irritation would always seem to develop into bronchitis. My doctor recommended the use of a scarf, but I tried scarves, neck gaiters and a neoprene face mask and could never keep them on and maintain a good level of exertion. I'd always feel the need to pull them down so that I could get enough air while running hard. Or even if I decided to just lay back and not work as hard, I'd find they would get soggy and unpleasant after a short time. With the Psolar, I can get out there and run as hard as I want (it is surprisingly easy to breathe through), my throat feels fine afterward, and the mask stays dry.

I find I don't need it once the temperature clears freezing, especially later in the season once I've acclimated. The only drawbacks I've found are that you have to breathe through your mouth because your nose is covered (I trained to be a nose breather during exercise, so this took some adjustment). Sometimes during a run I find it can get a bit warm, but you can always pull down the mask if need be. Also, it does smoosh my nose a bit and before I broke it in, it seemed to slide down from time to time (another reviewer's advice helped: wear a hat on top of it), but it's still a really great mask.

I haven't gone skiing since I got it, but I think it would be an awesome ski mask too, provided it doesn't fog your goggles. I don't wear glasses, so I haven't tried this solution, but they also sell an add-on piece that is supposed to take care of fogging.

I recently discovered a better-designed variation of the Thera-Cane that's perfect for loosening up tight back, neck and shoulder muscles. The Body Back Buddy has a total of 11 knobs (the Thera-Cane has just six), so you have more options for how to put it to good use. For instance, the two small knobs that are fairly close together are great for massaging both sides of the neck, essentially straddling the spinal cord.

I had never come across anything like this until my physical therapist showed me a picture of the Thera-cane. When I went to the store, I tried out both products and discovered that the Body Back really is an improved version. While it may look a bit unwieldy, I can attest to its effectiveness and ease of use. It has proven perfect for reaching my muscles without forcing me to become a contortionist (and maybe pulling some other muscles in the process). It's also good for massaging around the cervical spine, an area that tightens up on me regularly due to some mild spinal scoliosis.

I live in Minnesota in a 1920's house with newspaper for insulation, and have not been able to get rid of cold feet -- until now. These insoles are the same thickness as normal shoe liners but they have an aerogel in the sole. Like normal shoe liners, these come over-sized, so you cut them down to your shoe size using the templates printed on the soles. I have used them while wearing several different styles of shoes from dress shoes to work boots to tennis shoes to mukluks and ice skates, and have not noticed them shifting inside the shoe.

I have noticed a little bit of compression after wearing them 12 to 16 hours a day for two months, but I have not noticed a difference in thermal performance. On my wife's pair the insulation layer has started to separate from the padded layer and she says they do not make her feet as warm as they did when she first started wearing them a couple months ago. But she shifts them between shoes much more often than I do. These insoles are cheap enough that you can buy multiple pairs and avoid moving them around, which should help maintain their integrity longer. My pair looks like it will last a few more seasons and I plan on taking them out when temperatures get above 10 degrees or so.

The DonJoy Iceman is an Igloo cooler outfitted with a motor and pump. You fill it with ice, then water, and it circulates ice cold water around any aching joint or body part you need -- knee, ankle, elbow, whatever. At the end of the tubing, you attach a flat surface wrap that's shaped vaguely like a cloverleaf, which constitutes the heat exchange surface between you and the ice water. Wrap that flat part around your knee, say, hold it in place with ace bandage, and turn on the pump. Instantly, as the water fans out into the wrap, your entire knee is completely and uniformly surrounded by ice water.

I've had a lot of knee trouble, and the problem with traditional ice bags is that there always winds up being one square centimeter of skin that's really in contact with the ice, and that square centimeter hurts like hell while the rest of the area gets only mildly cool. So, you keep shifting the ice bag, but because of its awkward (and frozen) shape, it just doesn't work. The Iceman is not very portable once it's full or water (it weighs a ton), but it's much more comfortable to use and works vastly better in terms of power-cooling an inflamed joint. There's also the less expensive PolarCare Cub model, but the pump is hand operated. Other cheaper icing units have no pump of any kind, so the water is propelled by gravity. In that case if you want to refresh the water, you have to lower the water supply below your joint so the water runs out and then put it back above you to circulate fresh cold water. I use the IceMan an average of a couple times a week and prefer to do my icing when I'm websurfing. The Iceman's electric pump means I don't have to hold or do anything. Just don't fall asleep with this thing on -- I imagine you could wake up with frostbite.

The British and Chinese long-ago figured out that cold feet make for restless sleep. A hot water bottle is the solution. If you can get past the grandfatherly grandmotherly image, putting one at your feet (wrap in an old t-shirt to avoid the feel of rubber/plastic) will add much to your sleeping comfort. Available from most any drugstore, though I like the British 2-quart $10 version. If you're married, get two to avoid territorial disputes.

Is there anybody who doesn't absolutely hate the daily ritual of face (or leg) scraping? Whoever invented this idea in the first place, anyway? I'm not going to tell you that this tool makes shaving a pleasure, but it sure takes away a lot of the misery.

Total Shaving Solution comes in a small, unremarkable container that belies its efficiency and beauty. It is made of completely natural components and, when used properly, makes shaving easy, fast and nick-free. I've been using it for more than ten years and have turned on all of my friends (and more than one girlfriend) to its wonder.

Just put 3-4 drops - no kidding... that's all it takes - into the palm of your hand and rub over your face. Wet generously with water throughout the shaving process and you'll find that the razor literally glides over your skin. Plus, because it's clear, you can actually see what you're shaving instead of needing X-ray vision to see (or guess) what's under the normal shaving foam. Nicks and cuts are gone until that occasional moment when I get carried away with the speed (it'll happen to you, too) that you can shave with a race around a bump or cheekbone a little too fast.

One 1.25-ounce bottle lasts for months of shaving. It's perfect for travel, too, because it's so small. Cost is $15 for the bottle and the company even offers a free sample from their site to turn your friends onto it, too.

Great stuff and a great stocking stuffer - it's a life-changing experience.

This is the last nail file you need to buy. Do yourself a favor by replacing those sandpaper disposables with Tweezerman's 3in long Pedro Fina ceramic file. Comes in its own plastic carry case with pocket clip, about the size of a large pen. It's sturdy enough not to get broken or lost in any bag, and one end is tapered for cleaning under dirty nails. The best part is the triangular design, consisting of two flat surfaces with little lips on the edges and a third concave surface. Unlike the traditional flat file, these contours make it easier to file around shorter nails.

I have one in my office, my car, my handbag, my home computer desk, bathroom, bedroom...

As age takes its toll, I am less able to curl my arm around and scratch those hard-to-reach areas between the shoulder blades. Also, as my significant other becomes less spry, he is less willing to jump out of his chair to scratch my back for me--or at least, that's his excuse. Indeed he was the one who found the MaxScratch, to relieve himself of the chore.

I realize that this sounds a bit frivolous, but for about $10 I now possess a simple tool that really does work better than hastily improvised scratching devices such as an 18-inch steel ruler (which was what I tended to use in the past, with sometimes painful results). The MaxScratch terminates in a pad of rounded spikes fabricated from some clever kind of flexible plastic, just right for relieving an inch without causing dermal abrasions. Also it comes in its own little carry bag. You may laugh, but I think it's neat.

The G5 is a professional-grade massage unit that has long been a staple of naturopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists, many of whom report still using their 40- or 50-year-old units on a daily basis. The G5 comes in dozen or so professional models for use in hospitals, physical therapy and similar clinics. Most pro sports teams (football, basketball, baseball, anyway) have a G5 in their training rooms. This is no Costco-type unit, but an unbelievably robust massage gun that will astonish you within seconds.

The larger professional units with stands and rollers go for about $1,200. The secret to their extraordinarily powerful and effective massage action is a coiled cable that turns and rotates the head, rather than pounding or vibrating as less durable units do. All of the G5s have changeable applicator heads for doing reflexology, exfoliation treatments, lymphatic drainage, cellulite reduction, Trigger Point therapy, therapeutic massage, or just plain old relaxation massage.

For home use I recommend the Pro-Power unit, which is sold as a portable travel version of the G5. It goes for about $350. Since I write and work at a desk a lot, I use mine almost daily, especially when doing big long projects. If you don't want to take the time to schedule and pay for an $80 massage, anyone can use this on you without getting sore hands or wanting to quit. I actually own two!

Even before Gillette announced its over-the-top Mach 5 blade, I made the switch from my Gillette Mach 3 shaving razor (using a standard from-a-can shaving cream) to this "classic" safety razor (with a badger hair brush and good shaving soap) and am amazed at the difference. I switched after years of razor burn and irritation, and after reading an article and visiting a website devoted to classic shaving. This Merkur razor hefts nicely in your hand, and delivers an amazingly close shave without irritation. I believe the safety razor causes less irritation than the Mach 3, because of the quality of the safety razor blade itself. I think that the marketing strategy of the Mach 3 is to dazzle the user with 3 blades, implying that three blades is three times as effective as one blade. Because the value (to the user) lies in the quantity of blades, the quality of each individual blade can be lowered. Furthermore the multiple blade design of the cartridge razors is actually ineffective--the spacing between the blades gets clogged with hair and shaving cream very quickly into the stroke, seriously comprising the efficiency of the higher blades. Another reason is that the cartridge razors are designed to encourage the user to press harder to get a closer shave (not the case with the safety razor). So now if you want a close shave, you are scraping a sub quality razor hard against your skin--resulting in irritation. YMMV. I've never enjoyed shaving so much.

At about $30, the Merkur might seem a bit expensive compared to Gillette or Schick, but the real expense for a razor is its blades. Quality double-edge blades for this razor run around $0.45, compared to 3-blade cartridges, which cost at least $1.50.

It's amazing to me that it took thousands of years before we humans really began to understand how best to swim, and how best to teach swimming. Terry Laughlin is perhaps the nation's best swimming coach. Over his lifetime in pools he has figured out the best ways for teaching all kinds of people how to swim. His teaching is all about lowering your resistance in the water, rather than increasing your strength or force. He teaches every kind of swimmer, from beginners to Olympic athletes, how to be more like fish and less like the humans we are. The advent of underwater viewing and particularly video taping and slow motion helped Terry make breakthroughs in understanding the basis of efficient swimming. Terry's methods still suffer the slings and arrows that any breakthrough idea that dares to challenge conventional thinking endures, but the truth and usefulness of his ideas are winning out.

I love when a book or DVD can teach me physical things. (I've also experienced this with kayaking, particularly learning to roll, but that's another story.) I had a mortifying experience in my first triathlon. I can run and bike pretty well and thought I could swim. But out there in the ocean I exhibited the grace of a wounded wildebeest. I had to flop over on my back and gasp the whole way, arms flailing. I was close to panic from it all. I swore I'd either give up this nonsense or learn how to swim well. When I found Laughlin's DVDs and books, I felt they had been created just for me. Through him I discovered for myself the benefit of lining up my head and using my core body to move. There's no pulling at the water and hardly any kicking. I could try to describe it more fully but Terry does it so much better in his DVDs and books.

-- Steve Leveen

I'd start by watching the DVD and then go on to the book for supporting details.

-- KK

Easy Freestyle: 21st Century Techniques for Beginners to Advanced Swimmers
DVD
$30
Available from Total Immersion

Total Immersion
Terry Laughlin, John Delves
2004, 320 pages
$12
Available from Amazon

This is a Playstation 2 "game" (but available on other platforms such as the XBox and PC) that is actually an interactive fitness program. It starts by conducting a physical assessment (measuring your heart rate before and after aerobic activity, seeing how many crunches, push ups, & squats you can do and gauging your flexibility.) Next a personal trainer named Maya appears and suggests your goals (building strength, losing weight, whatever) and coaches you through setting a workout calendar and setting a weight loss goal, if appropriate.

Then the fun begins. You show up for your workouts and are given choices of music, locale and optional equipment if you own it. You set the time and go. The workouts are fun - Maya is animated and picks routines based on your fitness level. You never know what she'll throw out! It's different every day.

I'm 50. I've been using Y!F for a month and have lost 8 pounds. I feel like I'm addicted to exercise now. I loved Body for Life but hated dragging my tired overweight body to the gym. I'm able to do Y!F in the privacy of my home and am now feeling like maybe I could face the gym again.

There are some glitches in the program. Occasionally Maya stutters, chooses a piece of equipment you don't own and gets her beat mixed up for a few seconds. I'm not sure every move she shows is safe but there is no problem adapting her routines to fit your own space and situation. In the end, I'm responsible for my own health and I apply common sense. I guess I have the most problems with high impact moves (I modify to low impact) and some of her jumping over a step (I just do the basic step move when jumps and hops on the step.)

I love it and look forward to future releases as I'm sure it will only get better.

I have shaved my head for four years now, and one thing has made this job possible - the HeadBlade. This amazing little razor makes shaving one's head enjoyable and easy, rather than a painful chore. It was specially designed by a head-shaver, with head-shavers in mind, and works beautifully.

Maintaining the proper angle of a razor is much more complicated on a rounded surface that is both above and behind you (your head), as opposed to one's face, which is mostly flat and easily seen in a mirror. Even a pivoting head razor does not allow sufficient tolerance. The design of the HeadBlade however is such that as long as the blade and the back of the razor are both in contact with the scalp, the correct angle is maintained with no adjustments or attention necessary.

Replacement blades are very easy to find. I have found that both Gillette Atra and Trac II razors use the same blades. I buy my replacement "Twin II Plus Cartridges" blades at Walgreens -- 15 for $5. Some Walgreens stores now also carry the HeadBlade itself.

Okay, you are sold on the basic sanity of Fit or Fat, (reviewed here) but what do you actually do today? I mean where do you start? The best answer to that question is Body for Life, which pound for pound has more motivating specifics than anywhere else. The catalyst is a simple bargain: you can change the shape and fit of your body in twelve weeks if you are willing to work reasonably hard with a reasonably flexible plan manageable by most busy people. I figured I could stand almost anything for twelve weeks, if it produced results. Well, it worked for me at least, much better than I expected, and it has apparently worked for many others, judging from the photos and the constant friend-of-a-friend referrals this book produces. Most importantly, once your body reshapes itself (this is not about losing weight), the logic of Body for Life (the same as Fit or Fat) becomes habit.

The classic book on fitness has been rewritten after twenty-five years and is, unexpectedly, better than ever. There's still not a fad in it, and it is still lean, brief, and witty. Now with more attention to aging, more reliance on home testing, and more encouragement for weightlifting, this is still the best overall guide to the how and why of getting fit.

Physical trainers are always urging women clients to speed up and men to slow down. A heart rate monitor can help you find your ideal exercise level. Some exercise equipment (e.g., treadmills) comes with built-in monitors. But there are three portable varieties you can use while jogging, biking, rowing, etc: chest strap plus wristwatch, wristwatch only, and chest strap plus earphones. Polar offers twenty different chest strap plus wristwatch models (from $60 to $400--better prices at eBay). The watch connects via wireless to the chest band. A dab of messy conducting gel may be required, but they give a continuous readout of your heart rate, so you can vary your exercise level on the fly. You can also learn a lot about what calms you (e.g., petting a dog or cat) or stresses you out (e. g. most business phone calls). A wristwatch-only model like the Micro Touch MIO Heart Rate Monitor watch ($129) doesn't require a chest strap. You put two fingers on its terminals to take a reading. But it doesn't provide a continuous reading.

Fitness isn't just about your weight. Crash diets can deplete healthy muscle. A good fitness program will help you reduce your body fat while retaining, or even increasing, your muscle mass. The key is knowing how much of your weight is lean and how much is fat. A body fat meter can help you track your progress. Some electronic scales include this feature, but I prefer a stand-alone model. My Omron HBF-301 is no longer made, but the Omron HBF-306, widely available online ($50-70) is very similar. (I'd like it even better if it gave me lower readings.) Technophobes can get a mechanical fat caliper, which measures the fat in a pinch of abdominal skin, for about $20.

With proper guidance, any person in reasonable health can run a marathon. Jeff Galloway, a well-known running trainer, is that sane and wise guidance. Galloway introduces an amazing discovery: both novices and veterans can better their overall time and enjoyment during a marathon by walking at prescribed times. This counterintuitive technique is laid out nicely here with lots of expert encouragement, backed by Galloway's experience in helping hundreds of marathoners at sundry levels try the unthinkable: race faster by resting your legs.

Amazon sells the whole "Run to Cadence" series put out by Documentary Recordings. These are recordings of 40 minute call-and-response chants by drill instructors and the grunts as they run in formation at 115 beats a minute.

I like to use my Airborne Rangers recording as a procrastination-buster when I have to tackle a disagreeable task around the house. I did not serve in the military, but when this tape plays in the background, I "fall in," get pumped, and get the job done. The momentum stays a while.