Tech and the health industry have a pretty healthy relationship. Gadgets like pedometers have been around for years. Even so, at this year’s CES I saw more examples of tech designed to help you meet your health goals than ever before. Some were sophisticated devices that break down your every move into quantifiable results. Others relied on a simpler technological approach but employed social games and challenges to keep you motivated to lose weight or tone up.

One company I had seen the previous year was BodyMedia, which markets a few different versions of its FITarmband. The basic armband has a gadget containing several sensors to help monitor your activity levels and caloric burn. With the device comes a subscription service that gives you raw data presented in easy to understand charts, graphs and breakdowns. By entering in your meals and syncing your device, you can monitor how many calories you take in versus burn (there’s no screen or readout on the device itself – you have to use your computer to see your results). Hint: burning more is good if you’re trying to lose weight. The newest version of the technology will even suggest new types of exercise you can try to help you meet your goals.

While at the show, I also got to see a demo of MOTOACTV, Motorola Mobility’s answer to the activity sensor. You can pair it wirelessly with a smartphone, receive calls and texts, listen to music and keep track of how many calories you’re burning on your morning jog all at the same time. The MOTOACTV includes a GPS sensor and accelerometer as well as sensors that detect your heart rate. And MOTOACTV can sync to your computer through Wi-Fi. Motorola’s software takes the data collected by the device and generates charts and plots progress for you to review at your convenience.

One of the simpler approaches I saw at CES was the Striiv. Billed as a “personal trainer in your pocket,” Striiv is a next-generation pedometer. It doesn’t just keep track of your steps. It has a touch-screen interface and games built into the device. You can choose to challenge yourself with varying degrees of difficulty or you can convert the physical effort you’ve put forth into in-game currency in a Farmville-like game. You can even challenge friends who own a Striiv device and compete in fitness activities. In my mind, the best feature of the Striiv is that you can help others while using one. Here’s how it works: use your Striiv device to count your steps, sync your device with your computer using a USB cable and Striiv and its corporate partners will donate money to one of three charities. You can take a stroll in the park and save the world at the same time!

There were other examples of fitness technology at CES. Some were full-sized exercise machines. Others were gadgets that monitor one or more factors to help you get a handle on how your workouts are going. Last year, I used tech to help me drop several pounds. Remember, these tools can’t do all the work for you. Ultimately, losing weight is going to come down to discipline and hard work. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun too!