A few months ago I wrote a blog article about fitness trackers. This was a fairly comprehensive study that took a few months to complete. I was looking for the perfect activity tracker which would accurately track my daily fitness levels, while at the same time being convenient to wear on a regular basis. This proved harder than I thought.
5.) The Mio Fuse had rave reviews on its ability to track heart rate better than any other wrist worn heart rate monitor. The bad part was the bulkiness, lack of sleep tracking and a horribly boring phone app.
4.) The Garmin Forerunner 225 seemed like the the perfect mix of heart rate, GPS and activity tracking all in one. It ended up being uncomfortably large and a little out of my budget to hold onto.
3.) The Misfit Shine 2 is very slim and the most comfortable out of the bunch. It has a beautiful app which gives you the ability to choose what specific activity you're about to do before you start tracking it. The tracker also allows you to wear it on your belt, in a pocket or even on your ankle. The not so great part is that the tracker fell out of the wristband on more than one occasion and was almost lost. 
2.) Fitbit's Charge HR is great in just about every category. It tracks all activities while constantly monitoring your heart rate. Its app is well designed and allows for easy fitness challenges with friends. However, having to take it off to shower or swim since its not waterproof bothered me.
1.) And the best fitness tracker of 2016 is the Garmin Vivosmart HR! It's waterproof, tracks all activities and has a pretty nice app. The profile is slimmer than the Fitbit Charge HR but sticks out a little bit more on the wrist. To me, it feels more like a rubber bracelet rather than a watch and I liked this. Its harder to find friends on Garmin's network and this was the one downside for me.
Below is a video version of the list you just read. Please use the links above or look below the video to buy these products because each purchase helps support future product reviews!

Buy Fitbit Charge HR - http://amzn.to/1JtdsB0
Buy Garmin Vivosmart HR - http://amzn.to/1Zod8N7
Buy Misfit Shine 2 - http://amzn.to/1JtdIQu
Buy Garmin Forerunner 225 - http://amzn.to/1JtdOaS
​Buy Mio Fuse - http://amzn.to/1JtdUz2

Thanks for reading!!

ChiroElite Chiropractic is having a new patient challenge/competition: Core Strength. A good majority of patients and public alike sit for most of their work day. Sitting has been labeled the new smoking. It not only tightens muscles in your back and legs but also prevents many muscles from being used. This tightness and weakening can wreak havoc on your back, SI joints and even cause issues such as sciatica and digestive problems. 

Over the years I've done quite a bit of core strengthening both at the gym and in my living room. Many exercises require equipment of some sort but there are also quite a few which don't need anything. The latter just call for yourself and a soft surface incase you lose your balance and take a tumble. However, to really be able to do a full assortment of exercises,  a few basic pieces of equipment are handy to have. This includes a yoga/exercise mat, swiss ball, stabilizer platform and the optional kettle bell weight.

Here are the three core challenge exercises we're doing at the clinic:

Stand on one leg. Reach down with both hands to touch the floor, keeping the weighted leg straight. Kick your other leg straight behind you so you make a horizontal line with the ground from head to toe. Come back up and repeat a total of 15 times per side.

Standing on an uneven surface, stabilizer platform or bosu ball; bend your knees as far as you can into a seated squat position. Be sure to keep your back straight by looking up the entire time. Slowly go back to standing and repeat a total of 15 times.

Using a yoga mat and swiss ball, climb onto the ball with your feet until you can securing wrap them around the ball to stabilize yourself. Keep your arms extended at all times and look forward to keep your back straight. Bring your knees to your chest as far as you can, being sure your pelvis doesn't rock down or back while do so. Extend back out and do 20 times total.

Our challenge comprises a before and after tally. Counting how many floor touches, squats and tucks patients can do at day one and comparing the improvement at day 30. I encourage everyone to do the same and see how much stronger and more balanced you can become.

Yours in Health,

Dr. T

The brain uses a quarter of the body's entire energy supply, yet only accounts for about two percent of the body's mass. So how does this unique organ receive and, perhaps more importantly, rid itself of vital nutrients? New research suggests it has to do with sleep.


Follow ChiroElite Chiropractic on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+

Thanks Mike Rhinesmith from DaVinci Massage for providing free massages today for the patients and public. If anyone is interested in having him come again to get their free 15 minute massage just let us know! Mike can be reached at 715-379-1922 or [email protected].

Follow us on Google+, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook!

Do you work at a desk all day, play video games, text on a cell phone or drive long hours? Do you notice your head sitting unnaturally forward compared to your shoulders? You might experience upper back pain and maybe even a bump at the base of your neck. This all could be due to a loss of cervical curve and an imbalance in the musculature of the neck. Treating the curvature in the neck is simple: contact your local chiropractor. Strengthening the muscles in the neck is also easy: see the video below to find out how.

Follow ChiroElite on Google+, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

ChiroElite Chiropractic + Rehab | 1219 10th St W | Altoona, WI | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Walking at work has been touted as a great way to normalize blood flow, decrease low back pain and increase morale in the workplace. This video sums everything up nicely from a walking study done by Indiana University. An increase in muscle activity thus creating better blood flow was shown to normalize arterial function in the body. If workers are allowed to sit for periods, blood tends to pool in the legs since muscles are not effectively helping circulation go back to the heart as talked about in this video from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Please take the time to read all of our health and wellness blog posts or visit ChiroElite Chiropractic's main page.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Pinterest!