10 Ways to Get More Out of Your Activity Tracker: Tips from BodyMedia

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Did you get an activity/fitness tracker for Christmas, or pull out a device you already had, for help in keeping your New Year's resolution to finally kiss those extra pounds goodbye? If so, check your tracker's website to see what third-party apps your new Weight Loss BFF is connected to. You may find that the calorie burn measurements and other data collected by your body monitor can be integrated directly with other services that will help keep you motivated to do what it takes to flaunt your figure in skinny jeans.

Case in point: BodyMedia FIT – the armband-based system being used on NBC Universal's The Biggest Loser® this season to help track contestants' exercise and eating habits. BodyMedia has partnered with a wide range of other applications to give armband wearers a whole community of weight loss support. (As they say, it takes a village.) For example, you can automatically and seamlessly:

1. Import food diary totals from MyFitnessPal (www.myfitnesspal.com), known for its super-sized 2-million-listing nutrition and calorie database, while also sending calorie burn data collected by your tracking device directly to your MyFitnessPal  account.
2. Update your profile on RunKeeper (www.runkeeper.com) with armband data on sleep, nutrition and every calorie burned in any physical activity (not just workouts like running and hiking that can be tracked with RunKeeper's GPS) as well as when you're just chilling out. 
3. Share your calorie burn, activity level and sleep pattern records with FitOrbit's certified personal trainers (www.fitorbit.com) to help them personalize meal and exercise plans based on your actual behaviors.
4. Upload calorie burn, workout records and hours slept to SparkPeople (www.sparkpeople.com), a diet and fitness community that provides multiple tools, resources and support to help people reach their weight loss goals.  (Coming this month)
5. Import your weight to your BodyMedia account simply by stepping on a Withings WiFi Body Scale (www.withings.com), eliminating the need to record the results every time you weigh in. Then return the favor by sending BodyMedia data to the Withings Health Companion app.
6. Earn rewards for being active by sending your tracker data to Earndit (www.earndit.com), an app that awards points redeemable for gifts, gift cards and charity donations based on the intensity of each active minute.
7. Turn your data into a fun interactive infographic with Notch.me (http://notch.me), a free service that helps you visualize your calorie burn and physical activity levels in new ways.
8. Integrate armband data with The Prevention Plan's Macaw app from U.S. Preventive Medicine (www.uspreventivemedicine.com), a health and fitness app that aggregates health metrics from multiple sources as well as assessing an individual's health risks.
9. Sync armband data with the TactioHealth home wellness system (www.tactiosoft.com), which uses data from multiple devices including body scales, blood pressure monitors and pedometers to track health parameters such as weight, body fat, waist size, and blood pressure.
10. Accumulate prize points from EveryMove, (www.everymove.org), a lifestyle-based rewards program that lets you accrue credit for items like movie rentals, gift cards and airline mileage for every step you take – from a leisurely walk to a 5K race.

"The market is filled with apps and tools to help people watch their waistlines. Being able to link the apps you use so that you can access the information in one place – or in multiple places depending on your needs at the moment – saves time, lets you use the tools that meet your specific needs, and provides a more complete picture that helps you track your progress as well as make adjustments," said Katrina Brown, Innovation Manager of BodyMedia. "The more apps that are integrated with your body monitor, the more choices you have in creating your own personal ecosystem for weight loss support."

For more information on integrations that help you keep your eyes on the health and wellness prize, visit http://www.bodymedia.com/Products/3rd-Party-Apps/Apps

About BodyMedia, Inc.
BodyMedia pioneered the development of wearable body monitors that collect physiological data for use in improving health, wellness and fitness. Founded in 1999, the company today provides a variety of around-the-clock on-body monitors utilizing proprietary technology that has been clinically validated for accuracy. Data captured by BodyMedia devices is used by consumers as well as health and wellness professionals to guide behavioral changes to control weight and promote an active lifestyle – two factors that are routinely cited as keys to combat and manage serious medical conditions.  BodyMedia has amassed one of the largest databases of information about the human body, and the technology has been used in more than 100 clinical research studies covering health issues such as obesity, COPD, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, cancer, bariatrics, sleep and intensive care. BodyMedia is privately held and based in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, visit www.bodymedia.com.

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SOURCE BodyMedia, Inc.