It looks like Nintendo and Marriott are currently testing out a potential partnership.

As a test Nintendo will be outfitting several Marriots with units of the Wii specifically made just for them.

There will be a variety of different games offered, one of which is Wii Fit.  I’ve spoken to many a geeks who have trouble fitting in their workout routines just because of travel.  Now I know working out on the Wii Fit doesn’t seem to offer the same benefits as hitting the hotel gym but at least it’s something.  And if you’re familiar with my content you’d know I prefer doing a good bodyweight routine in my hotel room as opposed to using some crappy and potentially dangerous machine found down in one of those factory style gyms.

I think this partnership is a great idea and it only seems natural.  Where other gaming units have failed in the past I think the Wii is actually a really good fit.

Let’s hope this works out for the sake of Nintendo, Marriot and the few who would benefit from a little extra activity when on the road.

I’m interested.  What are some of the things you have tried when trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle when traveling?

Is body weight training the way to go?

How does progressive overload effect our workouts?

If you’d like to make up your own quick and easy body weight routines check out Ryan Lees Body Bot.

Here’s something I’m really excited about.  Not so much this initial product.  But I think it says something about the future of fitness.  If the FitBit is successful I can only imagine what will come in the near future.

Allow me to geek out a little …

I know it could be a far off dream but how cool would it be to look down at your iphone to simply check things like blood pressure, cholesterol, body fat, blood sugar, heart rate and other measurements that to this day you need a specialist or technician to tell you.

Here is the official press release.

Fitbit Inc. Launches at TechCrunch50 Providing Preview of Health and Wellness Device and Website

Ultra-Compact, Stylish Fitbit Tracker and Website Offer Effortless Way to Manage and Maintain Healthier Lifestyle

SAN FRANCISCO – Sept. 9, 2008 – Today, Fitbit Inc., a new company devoted to making America healthier, introduced the Fitbit Tracker and Website at the TechCrunch50 conference. Fitbit inspires people to exercise more, eat better and live a healthier lifestyle. The company’s newly introduced health and wellness monitoring tools make it easy for anyone to achieve a healthier lifestyle by automatically collecting data about a person’s daily activities and by presenting this data in a motivating and entertaining way.

The Fitbit Tracker is an ultra-compact wireless wearable device that automatically tracks and wirelessly uploads data about a person’s activities, such as exercise intensity levels, calories burned, sleep quality, steps and distance. It is as small as a pack of matches and clips securely onto any article of clothing or slips easily into a pocket. The Tracker uses motion sensing technology to precisely capture all moment-to-moment physical activity throughout the day and night. It also measures sleep quality to provide a holistic view of a 24-hour period. At the click of a button, calories, steps and distance are illuminated and displayed on the Tracker. In addition to these numerical measurements, the Tracker also displays a user’s progress toward their goals in the form of an avatar that changes as a user advances toward or falls behind their goals.

Data collected by the Fitbit Tracker is wirelessly uploaded to a Website where the wearer can see their information and track their progress toward personal goals. The Website’s motivational interface encourages users to share progress and lets people create groups made up of friends, family or co-workers to jointly work towards a common goal. On the Website, users can also log nutrition, weight and other health information in order to gain a complete picture of their health.

“We are excited to launch our company at TechCrunch50. Our goal is to make people aware of their overall fitness and well-being - and to use technology to accomplish this in a motivating and entertaining way that appeals to people beyond just hard-core athletes,” said James Park, CEO of Fitbit Inc. “At a time when studies show more than 60 percent of Americans are overweight, the Fitbit Tracker and Fitbit community Website are designed to break down barriers to physical fitness by offering a new and easy way to stay aware and motivated about your daily physical activity level and eating habits.”

The Fitbit Tracker and the Fitbit Website will be available by early 2009. The Fitbit Tracker will retail for less than $100; signing up on the Fitbit Website is free. Pre-order information is available today on www.fitbit.com.

Fitbit was selected as one of 50 up-and-coming companies to present at the TechCrunch50 conference in San Francisco out of more than 1,000 applications.

About Fitbit Inc.

Fitbit is devoted to helping people achieve everyday health and wellness. Fitbit provides a complete wellness solution focused on behavior change via awareness and motivation. For more information and to pre-order the Fitbit Tracker, please visit www.fitbit.com.

About TechCrunch50

Founded in 2007 by leading technology blog TechCrunch and entrepreneur Jason Calacanis, the TechCrunch50 conference provides a platform for early-stage, and frequently unfunded, companies to launch for the first time to the technology industry’s most influential venture capitalists, corporations, angel investors, fellow entrepreneurs and the international media.  Companies are selected to participate exclusively on merit.  TechCrunch50 is supported by corporate sponsors Google, Microsoft, MySpace, Salesforce, MSN Money, Symantec, Thomson Reuters and Yahoo!, as well as venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital, Mayfield Fund, Clearstone Venture Partners, Charles River Ventures, Founders Fund, Perkins Coie and Fenwick & West.

Been working at your desk all day?

Playing video games for way longer than you should be?

Hunched over a text book studying for hours on end?

Chances are you either feel or will feel neck pain at some point during your career as a full time geek.

A while back I did some serious damage to my own neck.  Only this came as a result of being in a submission fighting tournament, not poor posture.  You see,  I was put into a very painful neck crank and instead of “tapping out” I tried to withstand the pain for as long as possible or until I gained a better position.  End result, I won the match but spent the better part of 3 months afterward rehabbing my neck.

Till this day I have to be very careful not to aggravate my neck during my workouts.

Here are 5 of my favorite exercises I use to keep my neck and shoulders mobile and pain free.

1. Levator Stretch:

Sitting in your chair or on a bench, reach one arm back and around your body.  Tilt your chin and point your nose to your opposite hip.  With your free hand, place it on the back of your head and apply gentle pressure.  You should hold each side for at least 30 seconds.

2. Thoracic Mobility:

I use a half foam roller but 2 tennis balls taped together will work just as well.   Start at your mid back, roll back for 2 or 3 repetitions keeping your hips down.  You should then move the roller up your back towards your shoulder blades and repeat this process 2 or 3 more times.  (Do NOT try this on your lower back.)

3. Face Down Touch Down:

Lay face down on a bench.  Keeping your thumbs facing the ceiling, raise your arms above your head like a football referee calling a touch down.  Perform 10-15 repetitions.

4. Wall Slide:

Back against the wall keeping contact with your head, shoulders, hands, and elbows.  Slide your arms up the wall as high as you can go and then bring them back down without losing contact with the wall.  (You should feel this between the shoulder blades.)

5. I Give Ups:

Seated or standing.  Raise your arms above your head.  Then shrug your shoulders.  Perform about 10-15 repetitions.