High-tech toys can lead us down the path to a sedentary lifestyle, so it's only fair that some high-tech toys help reverse the trip. These devices record and measure your workout and even provide a much-needed shot of motivation.

If you want sweet and simple, such as a device that checks your heart rate and records burned calories, try the Highgear Pulseware Duo ($100; www.highgear.com). You can attach the Duo's chest strap to continually monitor your heart rate, or you can simply touch its finger sensors to get a reading. The device also has a countdown timer and an alarm that sounds when you're near your recommended maximum heart rate.

The Polar F55 ($220; www.polarusa.com) is a device that functions like a personal trainer. In addition to checking your heart rate and computing the calories you've burned, it offers strength-training and cardio programs that, when used together, help you get a full-body workout.

For strength training, you program in movements, repetitions, the number of sets and the recommended weights. To make your workout harder when you become stronger, simply change the settings. In addition, the F55's cardio program tells you how long to exercise per week to reach your goals, the number of calories you need to burn and how intense your exercise program needs to be.

All of this information is stored in a diary that you can use to track your progress. Download the data to your PC, and you can get a personalized exercise program online. The Polar F55's simplicity and strength-training options, plus a variety of other features, make it our favorite.

For those who like to exercise outdoors, Garmin offers the Forerunner 305 ($350; www.garmin.com). Take the 305 with you, and it will tell not only what you did but also where you did it by tracking your movements with a GPS receiver.

The 305 lets you create a workout or use one of its stored programs, and it charts your performance over time. If you get tired of competing against yourself, you can try to keep up with the 305's Virtual Partner, a digital doppelganger who runs at a programmed pace or for a set duration or distance.

Cyclists can also get the GSC 10, a $60 accessory that attaches to your bicycle and wirelessly transmits your pedaling strokes per minute to the 305. If you also train on an indoor treadmill, you may want to spend another $100 for the Foot Pod. This device attaches to your running shoe and transmits your "distance" and pace to the Forerunner. The downside: The Forerunner is bulkier than the other devices and a bit more complicated to use.