Fusing the Rhythm of Music & Exercise Professor Dr. Senshi Fukashiro, University of Tokyo, Japan (Sport Sciences, Executive Council of International Society of Biomechanics:1999~2005) Recent times have seen a plethora of new foods, exercises, and health products introduced as a way of treating metabolic syndrome, and we all feel under more and more pressure to diet. Dieting is often seen simply as weight reduction; however, the true meaning of the original Greek word diaita is "way of life" – in other words, dieting is not simply losing weight, it includes all aspects of keeping our bodies in good condition. In order to preserve our health, it is critical that we achieve a good balance between input in the form of food and output in the form of exercise; moreover, our current lifestyles make regular exercise a more important factor than limiting what we eat. Yet the burning up of energy through exercise for other reasons – such as increasing fitness and strength – is often not maintained for any more than a short period of time. When exercise is forced, it is bound to be an unpleasurable experience. In order that it may become a regular part of our lifestyles, therefore, exercise must be enjoyable. Getting fitter and healthier as we actually have fun may sound like a pipe dream, but with the BODiBEAT, this dream has become a reality. Tests and studies have shown that, on a subjective basis, the RPE (Ratings of Perceived Exertion) is about 10% lower when listening to music than when not. In other words, it is easier to expend energy when music is providing motivation. That said, however, if you have exercised while listening to any of the wide range of other portable players currently available, you may have had difficulty trying to stay in sync with the music. Invariably, you will have found yourself working hard to match your tempo to that of the songs being played. If so, the BODiBEAT is the perfect solution for you. Using an integrated accelerometer, this remarkable music player can detect the tempo of your motion, and it then selects the best songs to match! In terms of ideal conditions for exercising, furthermore, sport sciences tells us that we should exercise continuously for 20 to 30 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week, and at an intensity of between 60% and 80% our maximum heart rate. Of these three conditions, exercise intensity has the greatest effect on results achieved; however, it is normally very difficult to maintain your heart rate at between 60% and 80% of its maximum level (which represents "pretty tough" exercising in subjective terms). Using a sensor on one of your ear lobes, however, the BODiBEAT can detect your heart rate, which it then uses to automatically set the tempo of the music being played in order to maintain exercise intensity at just the right level. Listening to music makes us want to get up and move about, and once moving, we exercise best when we stay in sync with the music. Accordingly, the advanced functionality of the BODiBEAT makes it easy to exercise in a highly-enjoyable and effective way. This amazing music player utilizes to full effect the way in which music naturally stimulates us to move, and as such, it is an ideal way to diet both successfully and enjoyably.