Training Day
A Personal Trainer in Your Pocket

We're sorry to interrupt your workout.

Kidding—we know you're not out kayaking the Central Park Reservoir right now. But that doesn't mean you can't open yourself to some new exercise suggestions.

Introducing DirectLife, a tiny little device created with the singular purpose of finding exercises in the oddest, most common of places, available now.

It looks like a Tic Tac box with little green lights; you wear it around your neck, or slip it in your pocket, and forget about it. As you go about your day, you may find yourself feeling like a video game character, because when you check the monitor you'll see those lights lighting up to indicate how close you are to reaching your recommended rate of calories burned, energy expended, fireballs spewed and bad guys killed.

When the day is done, you'll plug it into your computer to view your personalized website and consult by email with a real live personal trainer who will give you advice. And not just general advice like "Eat fewer donuts," like some of the lesser health monitors, or "Eat more donuts," like some of the sarcastic ones.

They'll offer suggestions tailored to your lifestyle and surroundings, telling you, for example, to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or perhaps they'll give permission to go up the down escalator, for those with some time to kill and a desire for pronounced calves.

Once your eyes have been opened to the limitless exercise possibilities New York offers, you may be inspired to come up with your own: pole-vaulting over low-rise downtown bistros, running madly alongside occupied cabs, lifting tourists.

Just remember, always ask before you lift a tourist.