Portable Basketball Systems
The T-Rex 54 portable basketball system features spring-assisted setup and is designed to fit smaller facilities. The system is built for aggressive play at recreation centers, practice facilities, multipurpose sport centers or anywhere a durable, easy-to-set-up basketball court is needed. One person can set up and transport the system. The 42-inch-by-54-inch tempered glass backboard features a direct mount designed to eliminate glass breakage. The system features a 54-inch setback when the goal is at the official 10-foot height. Covered ballast is built-in to allow aggressive play without tipping. Base front and side padding is 2-inch-thick urethane with heavy vinyl cover available in 12 colors. The system includes floor-friendly, 8-inch-diameter, 2-inch-wide urethane casters and adjustable front-leveling feet. Goal height lowers easily for play at any age.
Contact: Bison Inc.; phone: 800-247-7668; www.bisoninc.com.
Stationary Bikes
Expresso Fitness' S2r recumbent stationary bike comes equipped with interactive fitness capabilities. Like the company's upright bikes (including the S2u), the bike fuses Web-based exergaming features with a customized workout experience. It includes advanced hardware and software while providing riders a low-profile machine and a 19-inch wide screen for viewing the virtual biking tours and chases. Additional features include an ergonomic seat and back rest that accommodate a wide range of rider types, and a lower walk-through design that enhances stability and allows riders to easily get on and off the machine. The handles of the bike come equipped with integrated steering and shifting mechanisms.
Contact: Expresso Fitness; phone: 408-636-2200; e-mail: [email protected]; www.expresso.net.
Trampolines
The Trampoline Station is a heavy-duty trampoline for jumping and rebounding, which provides a fun, safe and effective whole-body workout. The Trampoline Station has a safe and secure frame for people of all ages and of all exercise abilities. Users can adjust the angle of the rebounder, making it ideal for plyometric medicine ball training. The Trampoline Station retails for $495.
Contact: Motion Fitness; phone: 877-668-4664; e-mail: [email protected]; www.motionfitness.com.
Ellipticals
True Fitness' True Strider TS1 is an elliptical cross trainer that features the Core Drive System, which delivers a natural motion through a user-defined stride that is more like running or walking. The elliptical's motion has a significantly smaller footprint than traditional rear-drive elliptical cross trainers, allowing fitness centers to place more machines in the same space, reducing users' wait time and improving member satisfaction. The elliptical was designed to meet the expressed wants of consumers while providing a reliable, durable, easy and safe machine for club owners and operators.
Contact: True Fitness Technology Inc.; phone: 800-426-6570; e-mail: [email protected]; www.truefitness.com.
Alternative Treadmills
THOROTREAD is a patented exercise machine that allows the user to perform an exercise called Resistance Retro Walking, which is the motion of dragging or pulling something backwards. The treadmill goes forwards and backwards. In the backwards mode, users can unlock the grab bar in front of the console and pull it backwards to simulate dragging a weighted object. To change the weight resistance while exercising, users can push a button. The treadmill also can be used to perform additional upper-body exercises, such as bicep curls, tricep presses, shoulder pulls, lat rows and more.
Contact: Fitness Tools LLC; phone: 800-805-4591; www.thorotread.com.
Literature
The Aquatic Play Feature Handbook provides guidance on how to operate and manage facilities that have water park-type features. The handbook concentrates on risk reduction to the users, the employees and the facility itself. It describes the different types of play features and discusses the unique considerations to operate them, proper maintenance of water quality, and management and operations. Other critical topics include how to deal with cloudy water, excessively high water bills, high sanitizer/oxidizer consumption, short filter runs, maintaining automated control systems, management of water and of water chemistry, and play-feature operational considerations. The full-color, 76-page handbook is illustrated and retails for $19.95.
Contact: National Swimming Pool Foundation; www.nspf.org.
Hydration
Athletes' Oasis allows users to stay hydrated while walking or running without impeding the rhythm of their workout. Athletes' Oasis containers are used in both hands, so body balance is maintained. The patented trigger release allows users to open and close their drinking valves easily, so they never have to slow down to take a sip of their water or energy drink. The product features add-on weights to add resistance.
Contact: Desired Innovations Inc.; phone: 800-403-5350; e-mail: [email protected]; www.athletesoasis.com.
Cardiovascular Equipment
Life Fitness' Classic Cardio Series includes the Classic Series Treadmill, Elliptical Cross-Trainer, Upright Lifecycle Exercise Bike and Recumbent Lifecycle Exercise Bike. With a contemporary industrial design and high-performing durability, the equipment is built with comfort and ease of use in mind.
Contact: Life Fitness; phone: 800-634-8637; www.lifefitness.com.
Fingerprint ID
Carrying a membership identification card when going to swim, work out or jog can be inconvenient. A card also can be easy for members to lose. Biometric Fingerprint ID Technology simplifies the member-verification process. The system helps members enter a club without the hassle of carrying, locating and displaying a membership card. It also cuts the costs involved in manufacturing new cards and replacing lost cards, as well as eliminates the fraudulent use of cards by nonmembers. Club members enroll by placing a finger on the reader, which is then converted into a number, so the fingerprint is never stored. Enrollment is typically done at member sign-up.
Contact: FSS Inc.; phone: 814-949-2037; www.biometricsolution.com.
Adhesives
Pool and Spa Adhesive is flexible and convenient. The two-part, high-strength, fast-drying white adhesive is made for plastic and metal bonding. Its average setting time is 10 minutes, and it cures under water. The adhesive can be used to repair filters, leaking PVC pipes, light housings and more, without having to drain water or remove an object from the water. Application and mixing require a manual dispense gun and static mixer.
Contact: Extreme Adhesives Inc.; phone: 800-888-4583; www.extremeadhesives.com.
Nutrition Tools
Balance Bands are a strategic tool designed to remind people to consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The product includes five elastic bands, worn on the right wrist. Throughout the day, each time users have a serving of fruits or vegetables, they move one band to their left wrist. It's a game, and the goal is to get all five bands on their left wrist by bedtime. Perfect for fitness facility members and clients, the basic set includes five bands and an instructional booklet with tips, information on portion sizes and rules of the game. Balance Bands are available for women, men and kids.
Contact: Balance Bands; e-mail: [email protected]; www.balancebands.com.
Rope Climber
Viper MX is a multi-mode rope climber and features three exercise modes: vertical rope-climbing mode, diagonal rope-pulling mode and horizontal rope-pulling mode. Users can easily switch between modes with a simple and safe one-step carriage move. Each mode provides a distinct set of cardio and strength workouts that emphasizes different muscle groups in users' arms, back, chest and core. The longer bench allows various positions closer or farther away from the climber, enabling longer or shorter hand strokes, along with accommodating a wide variety of users. Viper MX also provides seven rope resistance settings and an electronic display to keep track of distance, time, speed and calories. The unit is compact, lightweight and easy to move around.
Contact: Marpo Kinetics Inc.; phone: 925-337-4205; www.marpokinetics.com.
Software
Whagaa Software delivers a state-of-the-art, complete mobile-training solution that utilizes video/audio on handheld devices such as Smartphones, iPods and PDA's. Applications include gym/home fitness, running, cycling, golf and more. Whagaa can customize software for corporate wellness programs, fitness clubs, hotel gyms and golf courses, creating a cutting-edge advantage against competitors.
Contact: Whagaa Software; e-mail: [email protected]; www.whagaa.com.