Online and in Shape

If time is tight, take your training from the Internet

Dick Krissinger needed to lose weight and was hoping to drop 50 pounds. Fortunately, he loves working out. Unfortunately, as a father of four with a hectic work schedule, he could never find the time. “I tried a structured, three-times-a-week boot camp,” says the 44-year-old software salesman from Chicago. “It would have worked, had I actually attended all the sessions. But with travel and family commitments, I wasn’t getting it done.”

In the end, it was a personal trainer who helped Krissinger lose the weight — even though he never met the trainer in person. Krissinger used a “virtual trainer” whose services were available via phone and the Internet. He made his own exercise schedule, with the trainer’s help. “With my job and the kids, I couldn’t commit to a specific schedule, but I could commit to six hours per week in 45- to 90-minute blocks,” Krissinger explains. “I jettisoned 52 pounds in just over a year. I am now below my college basketball–playing weight. I’m stronger, better toned — and my abs even have some definition.”

Sandy Todd Webster, editor in chief of IDEA Health and Fitness Association’s fitness publications, says online training provides advantages for self-motivated people with limited time. It’s often a more affordable option (see “A Little Legwork,” below), and many reputable online training sites provide a range of resources, making diet tips, fitness assessment calculators, and exercise guides part of the deal as well.

Make It Personal

Most online training programs combine personalized exercise regimens, nutritional counseling, and regular assessments with trainers. Clients are asked to log their workouts, nutrition, and measurements as they pursue their personal goals. The online trainer’s job is to continually adapt the workout and nutritional recommendations to ensure steady progress. Most online trainers also make themselves available to clients by phone or e-mail.

“True personalization is critical to the success of an online workout program,” says Lynn Bode, creator of Workouts for You, a site that offers online fitness training. “Some clients may be comfortable only touching base once a week, while others need to connect online daily with their trainer.”

No online trainer would argue that his or her services can beat quality in-person training. But a good online program can get results. Virtual trainers take detailed information from telephone interviews and e-mail questionnaires and sometimes even use webcams to assess a client’s fitness level and form.

“My trainer and I first established my current state and set clear, measurable objectives,” Krissinger explains. “Then, she delivered a personalized plan of diet and required weekly activity to which I committed. We would check in each week at a set time to review the week’s activity and progress and recommit to the next week.”

Get Committed

Just like in-person training, online training works only if the client is willing to do the work. Krissinger signed up for FitByFone, a service created by FitBoot, to achieve his goals — but it was up to him follow the regimen.

“Virtual training is good for busy professionals, that’s true. But to truly work, the client must be a self-motivated individual,” says Charla McMillian, CEO and president of FitBoot. “Without the accountability of having to be somewhere at a specific time to meet an actual person, some people just won’t succeed.”

“The key is that I’m committed to my health, not to what FitBoot tells me to do,” Krissinger says. “When I check in, there is no value in lying — it is an open, honest dialogue with my trainer. And while I have to fess up if I fall short, my FitBoot adviser would acknowledge the shortcoming and then focus on the upcoming week. In the early weeks, the calls were a bit uncomfortable, but I soon learned that if I just followed the plan, the calls were wonderful, supportive, and uplifting. They’ve become a bright spot in each week.”

— Nancy Olds Smay

A Little Legwork

Sandy Todd Webster, editor in chief of IDEA Health and Fitness Association’s fitness publications, suggests asking a potential online trainer a host of questions about their certifications, insurance, services, and methods, as well as their policies and costs. Trainers should be certified by a recognized national organization like the American Council on Exercise, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, or the National Council on Strength & Fitness. As far as policies go, you’ll want to know if there are any penalties for, say, missing a scheduled phone call or Web meeting, and what will happen to your purchased package should you become sick or injured and are unable to continue. While a serviceable training program can cost as little as $35 a month (and run as high as $300 or more), pricier programs usually offer a higher level of expertise and more personal interaction. — N.O.S.

The Scenic Route

A run in the Djurgården brings Stockholm’s landmarks and
natural beauty into view

Click here for larger map of Stockholm

Runners know that putting one foot in front of the other gets your heart rate up. But taking in the scenery as you jog through Stockholm’s Djurgården can really make your heart race. Your blood starts to pump with the sight of the 19th-century Nordic Museum, at the start of our route. With its stately turrets and jutting spires, the museum looks like a palace. In fact, the Djurgården, which occupies an island and peninsula in the heart of Stockholm, was once a royal hunting park and still belongs to Sweden’s Royal Court, though it is managed by the city. Nowadays, it also serves as a cultural center, with attractions including the Vasa Museum, which houses one of the world’s only surviving 17th-century ships, as well as restaurants, lush woods, and rolling meadows. Among the park’s many running routes, the 4.3-mile path around the water that divides Norra (North) Djurgården and the island portion, Södra Djurgården, provides a great workout and the best views.

Not far from the spot where the Djurgårdsbron bridge dumps you onto the island’s west end, the trail juts off to the left. Follow the trail and you’ll pass under the steel gate topped with a gold crown that marks the entrance to the island. Keeping to the path that hugs the water, you’ll soon pass two traditional Swedish restaurants: Godthem, housed in an 1874 cottage, and Ulla Winbladh, which has a large outdoor patio.

Merging onto the sidewalk along Rosendalsvägen, a quiet street with little traffic, you’ll pass a large villa on the left, between the path and the water. Here, the landscape morphs into rolling hills for about a mile. Beyond the villa, the route returns to the water’s edge and meanders to the bridge at the midway point of the run, about two miles from the start.

After you cross the bridge, turn left and continue along the path beside the canal. Passing a small ice cream stand and a rowing club on your left, you’ll briefly pad along a sidewalk before rejoining the gravel path for the final stretch. The sight of three more museums — the Museum of Ethnography, National Museum of Science and Technology, and National Maritime Museum — will spur you on. As you stride through Nobelparken, the lush, hilly parcel named after Alfred Nobel, the noted Swedish chemist and founder of the Nobel Prize, you’ll see your finish line: the Strandvägen, the esplanade along the water. Here, you may want to recharge with a quick bite. If it happens to be Thursday, order the traditional thick pea soup with bits of salt pork in it. Locals say pea soup is a tradition dating back to the time of the Vikings, and it became a hearty Thursday night meal for Catholics preparing to fast on Fridays. Today, it’s a great way to cap off an exhilarating run.

Getting There: Continental offers daily, nonstop service to Stockholm from its hub
in New York/Newark.

Child’s Play

Work out with these tools and you’ll feel like a kid again

1. Figure Eight. Sculpt your legs and improve your balance with the Rollerblade Astro and Wing 8.0, for men’s and women’s fitness skating, respectively. Both styles include ultra-light shells and breathable interior liners to provide support and comfort, so you can keep rolling for hours on end. The braking system makes stopping easier, quicker, and safer. $129; skates.com

2. Hop, Skip, and a Jump. Custom jump ropes can help you burn fat, increase agility, and improve coordination. JumpFit, a program designed especially for adults, allows you to choose from four different styles and lengths of rope to accommodate your height and preferred workout style. Refer to the step-by-step manual to create a balanced and customized workout incorporating various techniques like endurance and speed jumping. $15.95; jumprope.com

3. Tug of War. Elastic resistance training tools, like bands and tubes, can be just as effective as free weights and are much easier to store. The Bodylastics Basic Tension package has 15 levels of tension, with up to 44 pounds of resistance for each side of your body. The super-smooth elastic tubes are so light and flexible you’ll never want to hit the machines again. $49.95 (includes instructional DVD and manual); bodylastics.com

4. Jump for Joy. Bounce your way to a toned body with the Urban Rebounding System, the grown-up equivalent of your childhood trampoline. With a unique, spring-assisted design, Urban Rebounding burns calories, increases core and leg strength, and enhances balance. $119.95 (includes six instructional DVDs); urbanrebounding.com

5. Loop the Loop. As your kidlike waistline fades, often your coordination goes with it. That’s what makes the Acu Hoop so attractive: its patented design features wavy rubber foam on the inside of the hoop that helps support it on your body. Designed for adult beginners, the Acu Hoop comes in three-, four-, and five-pound versions, is easy to assemble, and breaks down into eight pieces for convenient storage. $30–$40; sports-hoop.com