I love swimming laps -- I might not be able to run long distances (at least, not at a respectable pace), but swimming? Swimming, I can do forever. In fact, I often swim long enough that I completely lose track of how many laps I've done.

Obviously, other people have this problem, because there is a solution -- the Finis Lap Track. This device can attach to the side of the pool in a variety of ways (suction cups or a weight bag and hanging arm -- see the site for a picture), and performs several functions.

First and foremost, it counts your laps, and the whole thing is a button, so you don't have to try to find any small buttons to push -- just bop the entire thing. It can also keep track of split times and calories burned. And, you can opt to count up, or, if you have a set number you want to reach, you can count down to zero.

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If you have paid any attention to cool, new fitness gadgets, you know that Polar is one brand that just keeps on popping up. Polar is a leader in heart rate monitoring, known for creating highly-advanced training management systems for athletes of all types. Now, the company has come out with the most advanced and versatile of them all -- the Polar RS800CX.

This device records your route using GPS technology, and it's compatible with Polar's range of W.I.N.D. running, cycling, and GPS sensors so you can track speed as well as distance, no matter what your terrain.

It's also designed with the multi-sport athlete in mind. Many of us don't just go for a run -- we run, bike, swim, rollerblade, and more. The RS800CX allows you to change your data from miles per hour to minutes per mile (pace), so you can always get the appropriate data for your training. Then, you can combine all the data from the different sports into one file, seeing where you're working hard, what you could put more effort into, and then congratulate yourself on how great you are!

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The first rule of looking slim is to stand up straight -- good posture can take 10 visual pounds off your frame, easily. So, it's no surprise that someone has come out with a gadget to help you maintain better posture. Allow me to introduce you to the iPosture.

This handy dandy gadget is small -- the size of a necklace pendant (and can actually be worn as one, although, as your fit fashion consultant, I have to dissuade you from doing so) -- and alerts the user with small, short vibrations when he or she begins to slouch. You're allowed three degrees of deviation from your chosen posture -- if you slouch more than that for longer than a minute, it lets you know.

According to the website, there are a multitude of reasons you should be trying to improve your posture, including:

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Looking for the newest, hottest way to listen your your favorite workout tunes or mp3 workouts? We've got it right here, and we're giving it away to you!

If you haven't entered this week's Fit Beauty Giveaway, you could be missing out on your chance to win a Motorola MOTOROKR S9-HD Wireless Headset! You might have seen it on the The Biggest Loser, or, you know, in your dreams.

Head over to the giveaway now and enter for your chance to win. It ends Friday at 5 PM, so act fast. Good luck!

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Even if you truly love working out, I'm going to bet that you don't love the muscle soreness that comes afterward. I mean, there's something kind of rewarding about a little soreness the next day, but the kind of pain that makes it hard to walk like a normal person? I'll pass on that, thanks.

I recently read about a product called The Stick on one of the running blogs I follow. It promises to "prevent and predict muscle injuries, dramatically improve strength, flexibility and endurance, rapidly prepare muscles for physical activity, disperse the effects of lactic acid following activity, and accelerate muscle recovery." I don't know about you, but those are all things I could use some help with.

Lots of professional sports teams use it, including the New York Knicks, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Orioles, but it can also be used by non-athletes who are just looking for the best way to massage and warm up muscles.

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Around here, we're fans of The Biggest Loser. While we might not always agree with everything the trainers say, one thing that's tough to dispute is that having the right equipment can go a long way toward staying motivated. Just imagine trying to complete a long run without rocking out to your favorite playlist!

A few weeks ago, The Biggest Loser featured the Motorola MOTOROKR S9-HD headset (check out the video right here), which is a device that allows you to listen to music (or a workout) via Bluetooth while taking hands-free calls from most Bluetooth-enabled cell phones so you won't miss that call about the race coming up next weekend.

The S9-HD wireless stereo headphones offer high-def surround sound with noise-isolating ear buds. Plus, from a girlier standpoint, it goes around the back of your head, low enough that it shouldn't interfere with your ponytail. It also goes over your ears, so it won't slip or move out of place even during the most grueling workout. But it gets even cooler.

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I love that in the first paragraph of the description of this product, it states that you'll have the body you've always wanted by using the Ston-O-Max Turbo Body Toner ($129.95 on sale for $89.95 on epartyunlimited.com), "in conjunction with a proper diet and exercise regimen." Because, hey, learning to speak Latin in conjunction with diet and exercise might get you the body you want, too.

So what exactly is this device? Well, it's a belt that uses "the patented CBS (Centrifugal Body Stimulation) technology. Its elliptical motion causes muscles to contract and in turn build muscle and break down fat." That description doesn't really clear it up for me, so I went to the video (warning -- loud, automatic music). And ... I'm still not totally understanding how this is supposed to get me in shape. It massages and heats up the area you put it on, but I'm not sold.

A lot of people are sold, however, and quite a few of the reviews actually state that the user felt like the machine was truly working their muscles. However, a number of other reviews said exactly what I expected -- it works well as a massager, but is no replacement for exercise. This is one gadget I don't think I'd spend my money on -- would you?

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There have been machines at the gym that I felt a little silly using for the first time. I actually had to get help on the kayak machine, and I'm pretty sure nobody has ever gone slower on the stepmill than I did my first time -- I was certain I would fall and die. Certain.

However, neither of those compare to the humiliation I imagine would accompany the use of the iGallop. Which is probably why it's something for home use, and not available in gyms.

I'm not going to lie -- I think it actually looks pretty fun. Then again, I also prefer a stability ball to an office chair. But, aside from the possible fun factor, what does it do for you?

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I know what you're thinking -- it's a hand weight. Big deal. But is that really all it is? The XCO Trainer promises to "boost your cardiovascular system and increase weight loss by up to a third more" by building and toning muscles while strengthening surrounding tissue and stabilizing joints.

That sounds pretty complex to me -- let's look a little closer at what it does.

Each movement you make creates a delayed soft-impact due to the free-flowing silicone granulates within each foot-long tube. Based on the notion of "Reactive Impact," your body has to work harder to accommodate this shifting of weight, or secondary load, which generates faster results for you.

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I'm a firm believer in how powerful music can be in a workout -- the right song can help me go, quite literally, the extra mile. The introduction of the MP3 player to my fitness routine was huge, and I know I'm not alone. Recently, I had the opportunity to try out a couple of really cool workout tools -- Rhapsody, for downloading music, and the Philips SA52, a nifty little MP3 player.

I've been using the original iPod Shuffle for a few years -- no complaints. I load it up with my music and it plays all through my workout. However, the Philips SA52 also has the ability to hold pictures, video, and other recordings, which came in awfully handy for a recent trip I took.

Plus, I was able to rank the songs and add them to an "On the Go" playlist right there on the plane, without using my computer or any sort of internet access. Also, it's worth noting that I was totally able to work it by myself. I'm not terribly technologically challenged, but I'm not really into super high-tech gadgets unless they're simple to use.

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If you're interested in tracking your activity levels, you can always write down your workout and try to figure out how many calories you burned walking from your desk to the refrigerator at work. Or, you could purchase a gadget (and who doesn't love gadgets?) that will monitor all of that for you, and more.

One of the newest gadgets on the market is the Fitbit. Well, it's not even really on the market yet -- it's just available for pre-order, and won't start shipping until late December or early January.

But, they say it's worth the wait. Why? Several reasons, after the jump:

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Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to improve your health, as well as one of the most important. However, hydration has gotten a little confusing lately -- what bottles are okay, and which ones will cause cancer or defects or death? I just want some water!

Bev did a great post showing you some options of BPA-free water bottles, and now, Camelbak (one of the options Bev listed) was nice enough to send me some samples of their Better Bottles to review for Fit Gadgets. And so, aside from wanting a bottle that won't cause health issues, I sat down to think about the qualities a perfect water bottle would have:

• One-handed operation. If I have to hold the cap in my other hand, it's a pain to use running, driving, or talking on the phone.
• Large enough mouth for ice cubes. I live in Florida, and if there aren't ice cubes in my water when I go for a run, it's pretty warm by the home stretch.
• Also, large enough for plenty of water. I go through a lot of water at the gym, and I prefer to avoid refilling my bottle mid-workout.
• Easy to hold. There is nothing more frustrating that struggling to hold onto a bottle while running or walking, whether it's because of the size or the shape or the slipperiness.
• Halfway attractive. I mean, I don't need to want to make out with it or anything, but, I am putting my mouth on it -- I wouldn't mind a cute bottle.

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Can I tell you how much I wish I'd known about this 10 or 15 years ago, when I lived at home and had a pool? The StretchCordz Short Belt is a tool that allows you to swim as long and as hard as you want without having to turn at the end of the pool. I don't know about you, but most home pools I've been in aren't long enough to allow for good lap swimming, so this sounds like a perfect solution.

Four feet of heavy tubing is attached to a two-inch waist belt, allowing you to attach the tubing to a ladder and then swim to your heart's content without ever going anywhere. While initially I was concerned about the feeling -- would it be distracting? Would my feet hit the tubing? -- this review put my mind at ease.

The idea behind it is simple, and, according to a number of reviews, it's really effective for swimmers of all levels. It can be used in small backyard pools, hotel pools, or wherever else you want a good, long, continuous swim. And, at under $30, it's not a huge investment. Now, if only I had a pool in my backyard ...

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Before I begin, I think it's only fair for me to admit that I'm not a big gamer. I don't mind some of the racing video games, but for the most part, they could all disappear and I would be happy as a clam. My husband, on the other hand is the exact opposite -- he could sit and play a game for hours.

Fortunately, he's in great health and good shape and still manages to come to the gym with me occasionally, so this habit doesn't really hurt him. But it drives me nuts to think about the people who surely miss workouts because they're so involved with their games -- has that ever happened to you, or a loved one?

Today's Fit Gadget provides a solution -- the PCGamerBike requires the player to pedal in order to make his character move. The character could be a person, an airplane, a car, or anything else, and pedaling forward acts as the up arrow while pedaling backward acts as the down arrow.

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A personal fitness system sounds like such an enormous, complicated thing -- I initially pictured a gym with scales and mirrors and all kinds of things, but that's not at all what the SlimStep Personal Fitness System is.

I initially came across the SlimStep Personal Fitness System in an AskMen.com article, where it ranked in their Top 10 Health and Fitness Gadgets. And, while it's not as large or intimidating as I'd imagined, it does an awful lot. According to the website, it "measures your body fat, recommends a weight loss course, and tracks calories burned during exercise, running, or daily activity."

You start out by entering your age, weight, height, and sex, and then you'll get a body fat analysis by holding the two-ounce device at arm's length. If the SlimStep finds your weight or body fat to be over what's recommended for your profile, it will help you figure out how many pounds you'd need to lose to reach your goal weight, and will help you figure out how many calories you need to burn each day to reach that goal.

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