How To ... Use technology to get fit

Cedric Bryant, chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise, said emerging technology provides immediate feedback and can help people meet goals, even if they are not yet seeing inches melt off their waist.

Getting wired doesn't require a major overhaul, according to Bryant, who says people benefit from simple exercise tools.

He suggested people get started with an easy-to-read heart monitor with alarms that alert you when you're above or below your target heart rate. Bryant said heart monitors can help people push themselves but keep them from overdoing it.

And many fitness experts say some of the best tools out there are simple and cheap, such as a basic pedometer that costs as little as $2.

Walkers who wear pedometers and log their steps walk about one to two miles more a day compared with days they go without the pedometer, according to a University of Michigan analysis of pedometers.

Bryant said the pedometer and other gadgets are effective because they offer continuous accountability and can motivate people to step it up.

Here are some examples of technology introduced to quickly track or motivate those looking to keep healthy and fit:

Nike+iPod uses a special sensor in shoes to automatically transmit data to an iPod and then a computer, allowing runners to see distance traveled on their iPod screen.

Wristwatches and rings that monitor everything from heart rate to speed and pace.

A Verizon cell phone service that tracks subscribers' total distance walked during a given day.

Bodybugg, using an armband, measures calorie output by monitoring temperature and sweat.

-- Cox News Service