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!
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
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! 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
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!!!
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
Let’s get biking!!!
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