Hi-tech health

Nobody’s perfect, and most could stand to lose a few pounds, sharpen up their senses or simply overhaul their life. Luckily, it’s a simple process with the latest technology on your side.

Exercise
Need to shift the saddlebags and lose a ton of weight? Try this handy hi-tech kit...

Nintendo Wii Fit
www.nintendo.com • $360 (plus Wii console)
Wii Fit is an add on to the hugely successful Nintendo Wii console. It’s a wireless balance board that lets you play games which incorporate aerobic workouts. Stepping and press-ups are included and there’s also a yoga teacher built in. The board measures weight changes over time too, so you can use it to track your entire family’s progress.

Garmin Forerunner 405CX
www.garmin.com • $370
This wristwatch might look like a simple timepiece, but crammed inside is an astounding amount of technology. It packs a heart rate monitor, GPS technology and a touch-sensitive face. Slap it on your arm and it’ll track your pace, distance run and calories burned. 

Emotion and the mind
Well-being isn’t just about the body. It’s just as important to maintain a healthy mind. Technology can help here too. Try these handy gadgets to promote a healthier mental state…

SAD lamps
www.philips.com • From $120 If you feel gloomy in the winter, you might have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It’s a type of depression caused by dimming natural light, darker mornings and early sunsets. It can be prevented with special lamps that mimic sunlight. They come in different sizes and even alarm clocks so you can wake up to a healthy synthesised sunrise.

Flower for PS3
www.playstation.com • $10 Who says computer games have to be fast-paced? Flower is exclusive to the PlayStation 3 and designed to soothe your mind, rather than bombard your senses. You play by moving flower petals through the in-game world simply by controlling the wind. There’s no score, no time limit and no death. It’s guaranteed to leave you feeling tranquil and relaxed, not hyped up and burnt out.

Improvement
Technology can improve your body, even without hardcore exercise. Here are some of the best gadgets to tune you up, no workout required…

Nintendo DS Sight Training
www.nintendo.com • $20
You’ve probably heard of Nintendo’s Brain Training games, but few people know the handheld DS Lite console can also improve your eyesight. Developed by Dr Hisao Ishigaki, a professor at the Aichi Institute of Technology, this ‘game’ exercises eyes so that you focus faster, improve peripheral vision and sharpen up hand-eye coordination.

My Weight Loss Coach
www.ubisoft.com • $16
So you’re not into running, but you still fancy losing a bit of weight? No problem. Invest in this Nintendo DS game and you’ll find it comes with an included pedometer. Just slap it on your belt before leaving the house and it’ll track your calorie burning activities all day. When you get home, slip the pedometer into the Nintendo DS’s game card slot and it’ll sync your day’s data to the game machine. From here you can chart your progress and slowly increase your activities and set goals to encourage yourself, all without breaking a sweat.