Can you really get your exercise in front of your computer? Dozens of fitness sites are popping up and Inc. has rated the best.
Best of the Web
Online workout sites can help you get fit, but our CEO testers recommend exercising caution
Starting an exercise regimen in front of your computer may sound like fodder for a Saturday Night Live skit. ("Now sit! And click! And point! And click!") But Web-based workouts are no joke. Dozens of sites offer fitness advice, information, programs, and tools, some free, some for a price. Checking them out can be almost as time-consuming as training for a 10K race. We decided to help you cut to the chase by road-testing some top exercise sites.
To narrow the field, we focused on general-interest fitness sites. We sought a blend of content and interactive tools, such as training logs, customized workout plans, and discussion groups. We eliminated sites for fitness-industry pros, retailers, and sports and health magazines. We also filtered out several good medical sites offering exercise, diet, and nutrition information. That left us with a handful of contenders that could appeal to busy executives, whether they're hard-core jocks or novice weekend athletes.
Regular Best of the Web readers may notice a change in the way we evaluate sites, beginning this month. We'll still base the column on frank feedback from independent judges who are, like you, busy entrepreneurs. But rather than compile responses from a large, diverse panel of testers, as we've done before, we'll recruit just a few with serious interest, expertise, or experience in the subject they're surveying. (Naturally, we'll always weed out judges with conflicts of interest.) And because we believe you'll find our judges' insights particularly valuable, we'll replace our old letter-grade system with their comments and recommendations.
This time around, we recruited three company leaders, all with excellent fitness credentials, and asked them to put the sites through rigorous workouts. They evaluated content and tested free interactive features such as workout builders and training logs.
Their general conclusions: Exercise Web sites won't put health clubs out of business, but they're a solid source of information and inspiration. And the best of the sites offer a reasonable alternative for healthy folks looking for a fitness regimen without dropping a ton of money. (Of course, as you would with any exercise program, check with your physician first.) "Online fitness sites can't compare, in terms of personal motivation, with a training partner or personal trainer," says ServerVault CEO Patrick Sweeney, a former champion rower. "But they have a much higher level of available knowledge that can be quickly and easily mined."
Sometimes, though, that knowledge translates to inaccurate advice, warns Lisa Johnson, founder and president of a Brookline, Mass., exercise studio. For example, some Web sites included exercises that Johnson wouldn't recommend, because she felt they were ineffective or, if done improperly, could cause injury. (For that reason, she recommends occasionally checking in with a human personal trainer.) But Johnson says workout Web sites do fulfill one critical purpose: "They offer hope."
Former World Games pole-vaulter and Novo Corp. CEO Kelly A. Rodriques emerged as the most critical of our panelists. "Many of the sites fail to deliver on quality," he says. Among the flaws he pointed out: sloppy design, skimpy content, and poor performance.
Despite their reservations, our CEOs each picked a winner. For Sweeney and Johnson: Asimba, no contest. "It fully encompasses the three components of wellness: nutrition, cardio, and resistance training," says Johnson, who planned to use the site personally for at least a month after the Inc. test period. Sweeney, too, bookmarked the site for return visits. Rodriques, however, didn't share the other panelists' enthusiasm for Asimba, which he ranked among his least favorite sites because of what he viewed as limited content. "Users can calculate the number of calories they burn while having sex, but they can't find a single running event in San Francisco during the upcoming year," he says. Rodriques chose Active.com as his top pick. "The site speaks well to athletes and adventurers," he says. He also praised the site's "sleek and professional" design.
Active.com
What it's good for: Serious jocks who are interested in outdoor activities or team and league sports.
Don't waste your time if: You're sedentary, a fitness-machine aficionado, or a loner.
What our CEOs had to say: "Great site for weekend athletes and anyone looking to participate in organized activities."
What you should know: Its features include a comprehensive database of state parks and recreation facilities. The company also makes software for managing league scheduling and similar activities.
Asimba
What it's good for: Savvy fitness recommendations; customized progress tracking; training programs for many sports.
Don't waste your time if: An avalanche of ads bothers you.
What our CEOs had to say: "The site is geared toward urbanites who train in gyms and city parks." "Poor design; thin, narrowly focused content."
What you should know: The site offers expert advice by E-mail and a find-a-coach service.
FitnessLink
What it's good for: Credible, no-nonsense articles on health and fitness topics ranging from Pilates to pregnancy.
Don't waste your time if: You're seeking sophisticated applications; you'll find only a few basic calculators and planners.
What our CEOs had to say: "Great repository of information." "Seems more like a magazine than an interactive Web site." "Lively online community."
What you should know: Founder Shannon Entin is coauthor of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Health and Fitness.
