Losing Weight With Cool Web-Biking

Exercising, either to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight is often frustrating. It can be boring and inconvenient. How can it be more fun? What if you could bicycle through the Alps or along the seaside in Greece when you hopped on a stationary bike? Now you can, through the use of an electronic bike, called the Web Bike, and a computer with an Internet connection. Such an exercise bike is being used at the INSULA Obesity-Rehabilitation Center in Berchtesgaden, Germany. It just might change the way you exercise.

The INSULA is a clinic designed to help obese adolescents and young adults lose weight.  (click here to see a cool panoramic view of the INSULA) Drs. Wolfgang and Alena Siegfried at INSULA direct a weight loss program which includes an exercise, nutrition, and counseling program. As part of the exercise program, Dr. Siegfried has developed and utilizes a unique Internet connected stationary bicycle called a Web-Bike. The Web-Bike allows you to ride virtual bike tours in places like the Alps and Greece, and  shows your real time exercise data like pulse, heart rate, and energy output on a computer screen that is attached to the web-bike. And what is most amazing is that you can share the experience, and your data, with anyone else in the world, via the Internet!

The web-bike computer software allows you to be transported onto the screen into a virtual bike ride so that you experience the exercise session virtually.  You can experience bicycling down the Alps or any number of other exciting and beautiful places, choices of which can be selected from an online menu, without ever leaving your home. Many teens who use the web-bike at the INSULA center say that they enjoy the thrill of “riding” with others and the exercise competition. The web-biking group can also be very supportive.

The riders screen position during the ride is based on the speed the biker pedals and changes throughout the video as the biker’s endurance peaks or wanes. Useful clinical data such as pulse, heart rate and energy output can be projected unto the screen as well as be recorded and stored in a rider’s exercise log.

A Web-Community of Web-Bikers

The web-biker can either use a bicycling video by themselves or share the riding experience with other online web-bikers, who can be connected simultaneously via web connection from any place else in the world. Those that choose to ride with other online web-bikers can interact with other riders using a webcam and microphone. This creates a group bike riding exercise session and allows the user to be part of an online web community of other web-bikers. This approach can increase the pleasure of the riding experience and teens seem to enjoy the thrill of exercise web competition.

The Web-biker: How it Works

You mount the stationary bicycle (web-bike) which is connected to the computer.

You select a tee shirt color and name and choose a bike route video to bicycle. If you want to “ride” with others, you “meet” at an appointed time and ride on bicycle tours (Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, England, USA, etc.) on your stationary bicycle simultaneously. Each biker is projected unto the screen into the video with your represented t-shirt color and name. This data is sent to the server synchronizing all rider participants. Imagine, virtually riding in the Alps with others!

The bike ride beings when you begin to pedal. The person riding the fastest rides ahead of the group and this is shown on the screen.   Let the competition begin!!!

You can talk with others riding using a webcam and microphone. This makes the experience fun and interactive. Hey, what’s up!!

Online Exercise Log

During the bicycle tour you can monitor your progress and data can be stored in your personal exercise book or log. You can review the data with your provider or trainer to assist
you in goal setting and monitor your progress.  If there is a group leader, the leader can see every rider's data on a master screen.

Robert’s Story – Age 17 – An Online Exercise Community

"While exercising along, I now have the option of virtually exercising with others.  Without leaving home I can experience the support and encouragement of an online group of exercise friends.  We can compete or just 'hang out' via webcam while enjoying a ride together."  -  Read Robert's story at INSULA in Germany.

The Benefits of the Web-biker Concept

Web-biking can be convenient, and fun. Teens love it!

The web-bike could also benefit school health programs, health and fitness clubs and post-bariatric surgery hospital programs. Imagine school health programs linking with other schools anywhere in the world promoting not only exercise competitions but fostering international friendships. Health and fitness clubs could add new programs that would encourage obese and overweight persons that are too embarrassed to join exercise groups by offering facilitated virtual group exercise. And, hospital post-bariatric programs could improve post surgery results, utilizing such a web-bike.

Other Web-biker Applications – Facilitated Virtual Group Exercise

The web-bike in exercise and weight loss management has great possibilities. You can get exercise and at the same time receive support and encouragement as part of an online exercise community. Boring, inconvenient, embarrassing, not any more! The web-biker might just be one way to make exercise more fun!

         Let’s get biking!!!

 

 

For more information regarding the INSULA or the web-biker, Drs Wolfgang and Alena Siegfried can be contacted at www.insula.de or www.web-bikers.de

 



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