Nike+ IPod Sport Kit Helps Get You Moving

As the weather gets warmer and the bathing suits come out it's obvious who has and who hasn't been keeping up with their fitness routine. If your one of those people who may have slacked a little, I know I am, then it's time to gear up for the summer season. A great way to get fit is to run or jog. Running is a great cardiovascular exercise that can help strengthen your heart and lungs, you burn calories like crazy and if you keep good form you are able to tone virtually your whole body. Sounds great, but how do you get the motivation to get out there and get started? Furthermore how do you find motivation to keep it up? Nike has come out with a great product called Nike+. It works with your IPod to track miles run, average speed, and even calories burned. Here's a look at all you can do with Nike+. It works with most new IPods but check with apple before buying if you have an older version

Getting Started

Nike+ is essentially a three part system. There is a small oval chip that goes in or on your shoe. There is a rectangular plug like the one on your USB cable that connects to your IPod. Lastly, you need running shoes. You must have the oval transmitting chip as well as the rectangular plug to make the system work. They are available from about $30 online but you can sometimes find sales at the electronic or sporting good stores. As for your shoes you have a couple of options: Nike+ offers many styles and colors of special Nike+ shoes that have a recess in the inside to hold the waterproof and shatterproof chip. I have a pair that I found on clearance for $49.99 but prices can range from $39.99 to $139.99. Look online and in the paper for sales and discounts. Also think about signing up on www.Nike.com for their newsletter. They'll send you an email every time they have a sale. The other option you have is to buy any other kind of running shoe you'd like. Nike+ makes a line of carriers for the chips that clip or tie to your shoelace and turn and sneakers into Nike+ sneakers. My running partner uses this as he had just bought a pair of running shoes when we discovered Nike+.

Basic workout tracking

Once you have the three components you can start running. Insert the oval chip into your shoes or into your pouch and connect the rectangular plug to your IPod. From the main screen scroll down to Nike+ IPod, from here you can choose a basic, time, distance, or caloric tracked workout. They have preset time and distance but there is also an option for a custom workout. I like using the caloric tracking method so I can see how far I go and how many calories I burn. During the workout you can press the center button for your statistics. When your run is complete you select end workout and your IPod stores the information. The next time you dock your IPod to iTunes it will send the information to www.Nike.com and it will ask if you want to go there. At www.Nike.com your Nike+ sport kit takes on a whole new dimension. After you register it keeps track of your runs and lets you train in groups or individually with a Nike+ coach.

Motivational aspects

The Nike+ feature allows you to assign a power song to your workout. Once you have selected a song all you have to do is press the center button during a workout and your song will come on. This should be a song that is personally inspirational to you and helps you get moving. Nike+ also has a training and challenge feature on the website. For example I have mine set to train for a marathon (26 miles.) Nike+ made a schedule for me that includes incremental increases in the distance I run as well providing me a schedule to stick to. As I train it keeps tack of my progress and lets me know when I am and when I'm not on track. You can also form teams on the Nike+ site. Get all your friends running and have friendly competitions to see who can run faster or longer.

If you're the kind of person who likes to zone to their workout music, continuous workouts are available on iTunes. For about 13 you get 13 preselected songs and a continuous mix that varies from 25-45 minutes in length. During these mixes the 13 songs and coaching from a professional athlete are blended together to provide a great background to your run. I have mixes from Lance Armstrong, Kara Goucher, and Joan Benoit Samuelson. I find that having someone else match the music to my tempo makes it easier for me to focus on the run. Also having a "personal" coach in your ear helps keep you motivated and in strong from.

Running can really be for anyone, it's hard to start but once you get out there you'll find that jogging is a simple step to a great summer fitness program. With Nike+ you are able to get and stay motivated while tracking your progress. I started running about a six months ago and although I'm already comfortable going up to 7 miles. It's great to track your progress and keep you moving. When you have the right motivational tools anything is possible.