Technology. Say what you want about it, but our lives wouldn’t be the same without it. Whether it’s keeping in touch with loved ones, making new friends, deciding what to cook for dinner, which movie to see (not to mention where and when), the weather, the stock market, the news…whatever and whoever you want to keep in touch with, there’s an app for that. Like many, I’m pretty attached to my phone and I am unapologetic about it. If the technology is out there, I figure, why wouldn’t we use it?
Of all my apps, I’m most thankful for are the fitness apps that I use. I only have a few on my phone, but I am pretty dependent on all of them. I feel deep gratitude towards the people who created them and keep the going. They help me see an overview of how I’m doing, keep track of what I’m doing and recognize when I need some help.
Here are the three fitness related apps that I’m hooked on in order of hookedness.
I’m not a real stats keeper type of person. I’m not someone who pays a lot of attention to distances or times. Pre-Runkeeper, my training plans consisted of starting to run and then running until I couldn’t anymore or until I had to go home. People would ask me how far I went or how fast I ran and I had no idea. Now, if they answer, I’d just tell them it’s none of their business, but at least I’d know the answer. (If I looked it up.) Runkeeper will track your run, walk, bike and a number of other activities (although, not snowshoe…) while recording a map of your route, your average pace, your splits, etc. It keeps a running tally of your monthly activities, time spent doing them, average pace, elevation. As you can tell, it’s a stats rich app. Way more than what I need, but I’m learning to use it more.
things i love about runkeeper
- Free training plans for all distances and time frames
- Tracking for mileage in your shoes including a reminder when you need new ones
- Integrates playlists from your OS music app
- Records of personal bests and comparisons of all activities
- Periodic challenges and deals open only to users of the app
I love Runkeeper the most, but I don’t run every day so I only use it on the days when I do. MyFitnessPal, on the other hand, now this is an app I use every single day. I got started with it when my naturopath wanted to see my diet diary and suggested that it would be easier to use that than paper and pen. In it, you can record your food intake using the huge catalogue of foods already in there or creating a new food (or a new recipe) to reflect what you’re using. Based on your fitness goals, the app will estimate your recommended caloric intake then adjust it as you eat throughout the day and burn additional calories through exercise.
things i love about myfitnesspal
- Syncs with both of my other favourite fitness apps as well as many more
- Ease of use
- Goal management
- The ability to add additional activities manually
Again, I use this app every day. Honestly, Fitibit isn’t actually my favourite type of fitness tracker, but I do enjoy the social aspect of their software. It’s easy to use, it’s nice to look at and they’ve really upped their in app games. Fitbits track their wearer’s steps throughout the day and estimate distance traveled and calories burned. The key to getting the most out of your Fitbit is to make your step goal reasonable and reachable so that you hit it regularly and then increasing it again when you’re ready.
things i love about fitbit
- Great social tracking and interaction
- Fun challenges for solo or group engagement
- The user interface is aesthetically pleasing
Which fitness apps are your favourites? Which is the fitness app you can’t live without?
