Still eating Thanksgiving leftovers, torn between eating the rest of the pumpkin pie or throwing it away and bemoaning your post-holiday weight gain? Oh wait. That’s me. I have been gaining and losing and gaining the same 10 pounds for so long, I’m considering changing my name to Duncan. Since I’ve gotten older, the weight packs on after a couple of days of debauchery but takes weeks (or more) to take off. I really hate that. I try to exercise regularly and am generally pretty good about it but can always come up with a bazillion reasons to bail. And, I sometimes give in to those. It’s a conundrum. But perhaps there’s a light at the end of the weight gain tunnel — and it may be in the form of an app.
A study published this past summer in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) found that “nearly three-quarters of current [fitness] app users reported being more active compared to under half of non-users and past users.” The study included 726 participants with three backgrounds: those who had never used exercise apps, those who had used them but discontinued use and those who were using them at the time of the study. Participants were asked about their long-term levels of exercise and about their levels of exercise during the week prior to the study. Results indicated that current users had lower BMIs (Body Mass Index) than those in both the past users and non-user groups. Study leaders concluded that “exercise app users are more likely to exercise during their leisure time, compared to those who do not use exercise apps, essentially fulfilling the role that many of these apps were designed to accomplish. Data also suggest that one way that exercise apps may increase exercise levels and health outcomes such as BMI is by making it easier for users to overcome barriers to exercise leading to self-efficacy.” (Self-efficacy is defined here as the belief that one can effectively exercise.)
I get that! My husband just gave me an Apple Watch for my birthday. I’m still not sure how to use all of the functions but I have the Activity App down. I’ve also added Steps, an app that I have on my iPhone that counts your daily steps, measures your distance and computes how many calories you’ve burned. I set my daily goal at 10,000 steps and I try hard to set aside time to achieve that. I begin to feel guilty if I don’t so, yeah, I see how fitness apps can work towards helping with motivation. I sometimes use the calorie counter in Steps as my goal. “I’m going to burn 500 calories today.” Sometimes it’s the distance calculator. “I’m going to walk at least five miles.” However I use it, it does work towards getting my buns moving and I feel good about accomplishing a goal.
Want to try a fitness app? Below are a few that may appeal to you.
FitClick – A source for weight loss programs, diet plans and exercise routines. Also offers a calorie counter, food journal and workout tracker. With FitClick, you can also create and share diets and join weight loss groups.
CycleCast – Got a stationery bike and a WiFi connection? Then you can stream spinning classes from qualified instructors on your device with Cycle Cast.
7-Minute Workout Challenge – This research-backed app will show you high intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises that you do in seven minutes but are the equivalent of working out for an hour.
Hot5 – Quick workout videos designed by personal trainers to get you moving and optimize calorie burning. Specialize the type of routine you want from fitness basics to Pilates to Crossfit. The latest update allows you to talk to a trainer to get personalized advice.
Fitnet – Workout effectively in five minutes with this app. Your device’s webcam analyzes your synchronicity with that of one of Fitnet’s certified personal trainers and provides real-time feedback on your performance.
DailyBurn – Hundreds of workout videos from Dance Aerobics to Kettlebells to Yoga and more keep you from becoming bored. The lead trainer is Bob Harper who has been featured in EverBeautiful.com.
YogaStudio – Train in the comfort of your own home, office or anywhere you have internet access. This app offers 24 hours of ready-made high-def video classes, developed and performed by qualified instructors.
StrongLifts 5×5 – StrongLifts coaches you virtually through a series of weight training exercises, tells you which exercise to do for each workout, how much weight to lift and how many sets and reps to do. Use this app at the gym or at home, if you have free weights and a bench.
Steps – Track your steps, distance and calories burned.
RunSocial – I’ve written about and use this app which makes running or walking on the treadmill more fun as you hike through beautiful trails found around the world. Click here to read that post. The app allows you to connect – and run with – friends from around the world as it accurately tracks your progress on the treadmill.
Please note that some of these apps are available for a fee and some include in-app purchases.
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Great compilation and review of useful apps. Of course, there is the Health app that comes with the iPhone. Going to get the motivation to try some of the others.
Thanks! And yes, the iPhone does have a health app but I find it too complicated and somewhat limiting. But that’s me.