When it comes to fitness, tech has been a lifesaver for me. Eight years ago, I entered a competition using the then-nascent Kinect camera and a video game to lose weight and get fit. I lost eight kilos in a month, started cycling to work and even entered the London Marathon.
There’s something about being able to measure your progress, analyse the data and then challenge your friends that can make a HIIT workout, dare I say it, fun. OK, that’s a stretch, but seeing your friend heading out for a bike ride can be some motivation to get you out of bed on a Saturday morning rather than marathoning Game of Thrones. Thankfully, the days of strapping a plus-sized phone to your arm to track your running route and listen to music are long gone. Fitness tech is now better, lighter and smarter. To celebrate the Ben Nevis Triathlon in September (bravehearttri.com), this issue of Stuff is an outdoor fitness special – and if it doesn’t quite get you running Ben Nevis, I hope it at least encourages you to head out for a 5K run this summer.