One of modern man's greatest battles is with inertia. Everything from the car to the television to the computer you're in front of right now is just begging you to sit down and stay for a while.
According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 50 percent of Americans don't get enough physical activity to be healthy. To be sure, there are those who will inevitably claim, in their own defense, that sitting is to the enjoyment of modern technology what kneeling is to prayer. And to that we say hogwash.
Today, technology is everywhere — and it is increasingly designed to be used in motion. From the gym to the office to the home to the great outdoors, being a geek and being physically active are no longer mutually exclusive.
There are basically three kinds of technology that can be applied to sports and other kinds of activities: technology that improves your technique or skill; technology that makes your life easier; and technology that keeps you alive.
What is important to note, of course, is that, in all but the rarest examples, technology cannot replace hard work, discipline and common sense. A GPS device may save you if you get lost in the mountains, but a few minutes spent studying a map can prevent you from getting lost in the first place.
One of the great things about summer is that there are plenty of sports and activities to get you vertical — whether they are outside or inside, on the water or in it. The following slide show will help get you outfitted for all types of action-packed interests. So spend a little time looking it over and jot down a few notes. But then get on up, shut down this computer (stopping briefly to look at the ads, please, they support us) and get out there.
