Fitbit Alternative: Pivotal Living Activity Tracker for CHEAP!

By Crabby McSlacker

So my usual motivation for product reviews is simple: greed.  I get stuff free to try out, and I get to express my many opinions about everything I like and dislike.  WIN!!! So yes, in the interest of full disclosure, I got to try this for free.

However, this fitness tracker from Pivotal Living would only cost me $12 to buy myself, and I am far too lazy to write up a review solely to save myself that amount of money.

I just thought the concept was too cool not to pass along. A fully functional activity monitor for TWELVE DOLLARS?

I know there are a lot of fitness minded folks on a budget who must get tired of reading about the latest wrist-candy that can set one back, in extreme cases, hundreds of dollars.

Hi There Apple Watch!
Are You Really Worth a Thousand Bucks??

So when I got a pitch for a product a wrist-tracker much like a Fitbit that costs less than an umbrella drink at a fancy upscale restaurant, I was intrigued.

What can this thing do? And is there a catch?

Massage, Musings, and Miscellania

photo via englishrussia.com

By Crabby McSlacker

So this post is mostly about an in-home massage I got to partake of, courtesy of Soothe Massage. Although fortunately it was not quite as acrobatic as the one pictured above!

Soothe is not just a local San Diego thing, or reviewing it wouldn't make much sense, would it?  No, the company currently operates in a handful of sunny locations, but it plans to take over the world and promises to be in a major city near you before too long.  Of course, this being Cranky Fitness, you can bet the review will include not only my take on the service, but the usual bizarre digressions.

And guess what? ... This post also contains a sneaky shoe giveaway!

It appears that the awesome Altra running/walking shoes went unclaimed when our last giveaway winner failed to check in. So unless I receive some fairly convincing evidence of an email snafu, I'm going to have another go at it.

Notice how I didn't mention the shoe giveaway in the title this time? I'm thinking this is going to be a small, homey affair.  Unfortunately, you need a U.S. mailing address, sorry.  But this drawing is directed more at regular visitors who just happen to stop by and comment below. Why? Because you are not only more beloved and deserving than random giveaway passers-by, but you are also way more likely to show up again in a week to claim your prize!

Anyway, so, let's get to it!

Be Real Minimalist Shoes Giveaway! And Sort-Of Review

Are you curious about the whole minimalist running shoe notion, but reluctant to shell out the big bucks for a pair of Vibrams?

There's a new kid in town, coming in February.  "Be Real Shoes" are an intriguing Vibram alternative with some cool features, and you could win a pair for the price of a comment!

Brainwave Biofeedback at Home? ReLax, it's Cheap and Cool!

photo: glogger

So this is a review of the ReLax Kit by OP Innovations, which (fear not), looks nothing like the photo above. It's quite a bit less scary.

The ReLax Kit costs less than $50, and promises to monitor your brainwaves, posture, and muscle tension using advanced bio-signal tracking.

It comes with a smallish TrueSense biosensor you wear on your forehead, no gel or anything required.  And it has a little controller thing that flashes colored lights based on how stressed you are.

Or, if you want to get fancier, the controller plugs into a PC to show you your actual brainwaves and muscle tension in real time on your screen.

Pretty amazing for less than $50, right?

I've actually checked out brainwave biofeedback before, because I've always been kind of a nutball curious, but home kits are insanely expensive and look terribly cumbersome and complicated to use.  So, when I got an offer to get the ReLax Science Kit for free to review, I was psyched!

Wanna hear how it went?

23andMe Genetic Testing: What's the Deal?

Curious about what the future might hold for your health?

After reading a great post on DNA testing by Charlotte at The Great Fitness Experiment, I became curious about 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer genetic testing outfit that's been getting quite a bit of buzz.

As a former hypochondriac, and as someone with a family medical history that doesn't inspire much optimism for a long and healthy life, I knew this was a bit of a psychological gamble. Did I really want to know how screwed I might be genetically? Mightn't I be better off thinking happy thoughts, trying to be reasonably conscientious about diet and exercise, and hoping for the best?

After about half a second of deliberation, I decided to go for it. I've always thought if I'm going to be a bit obsessive about health risks, I might as well be strategically obsessive. Why waste time worrying about some hideous disease that someone else is going to croak from, rather than spending quality panic time with my own future health horrors? I'd been aware of this service before but it used to be more expensive.

But after the price recently dropped, and inspired by Charlotte's Great Genomics Experiment, I decided to pony up $99 bucks and a big slobbery vial full of spit. I paid my own way and did not go to the company begging for a freebie, so this review of 23andMe is entirely unsponsored. Though it does mean, sorry, no giveaway opportunities either.

Are you tempted to know what genetic testing might reveal? Here's what I thought of the experience and some of the stuff I found out.

Safe and Sound

How much attention do you pay to safety while exercising?

Mostly I am a super-cautious neurotic freak.  I have an exaggerated and narcissistic sense of personal risk based on the idea that "if bad things can happen to anyone, why wouldn't they happen to ME?" I avoid doing things many people find fun because I fear the worst.

Though of course at times I can also be a total dumb-ass and do unsafe things. I have been known to speed around blind corners on the bike trail or skip putting sunscreen on my arms and legs, courting skin cancer just because I think sunscreen sucks.

Over the years I've have written about many scary hazards, such lightning strikes, bike safety, or avoiding brain-eating amoebas.  (And they ain't bad posts, actually, if you want some tips on how not to get killed this summer.)

And for even more safety information, Happiness Savored Hot has a great post on water safety and she worked many years as a lifeguard and knows her stuff.  (From what I gathered, the safest plan is:  don't allow your kids anywhere near bodies of water, ever. Because they will drown if they even smell a pool or an ocean. Don't even have kids, that's the best plan. And if you're a grown-up, be careful too, especially if you are young, male, stupid, and drunk off your ass. But, um, her post is a lot more pragmatic and helpful).

But today we have a more specific safety tip... as well as a heads-up about a free lecture series that looks very cool that I wanted to alert you to. Which has nothing to do with safety, but whatever.