The Best Fitness Apps for iPhone and Android
Working out is hard and there is no point in arguing over this. Everyone would rather sit in front of a TV instead of going to the gym and lifting weights. Not to mention the sweating, feeling pain the next day, etc.
But, no matter how tiring, boring and excruciating working out can be, it still is the best thing you can do for your body. Just picture those ripped people popping out of magazines – wouldn’t you like to be one of them? Well, you can, but it takes hard work. Moving from “the gym is boring” to “the gym is awesome” is never easy, yet not entirely impossible.
All you need is proper motivation and, in this age of technology, there are great mobile apps that will motivate you and put you on the right track.
Here are five of the best ones out there.
Motivation is Key
Of course, you cannot be equally motivated every day of the week. Sometimes you do not sleep well, other times you come to the gym after a hard day at work and working out is the last thing you want to do. Not all days are successful – even Michael Jordan used to miss game winning shots every once in a while – but you need to keep on fighting in order to achieve success.
And the key is motivation.
Get motivated with the right app.
The ability to move past your failures and forget yesterday’s losses will enable you to focus on tomorrow’s wins. Another NBA legend, Paul Pierce, said that every one of his crucial misses and losses actually made him stronger and less afraid of taking chances. When it comes to gym motivation, you need to be positive, visualize your goals, create a supporting environment – and have a great app or two on your side.
Runkeeper
Run, Run, Runkeeper
For people who love running, living in a big city is sometimes hard, especially if there are no designated paths they can take. So, they either have to settle for a treadmill or choose the routes they are not comfortable with. But, Runkeeper will make these problems disappear.
This app actually does two things – it suggests a run depending on where you live and how much time you have, and simultaneously tracks your results. Using your phone’s GPS and a map of your town, it recommends popular routes for the designated amount of time you have. Its several modes will help you reach specific goals – lose weight, stay in shape, prepare for a race, etc. – while reporting the results back to you will greatly pump your motivation.
My Fitness Pal
My Best Friend, My Fitness Pal
Being dedicated to working out means that you also need to take care of your food intake and count calories, say people from Legion Athletics. Many fitness lovers find this exhausting, some oppose it, but this method is a good way to lose weight if you manage to do it properly. However, with an app like MyFitnessPal, you will not have a problem anymore.
Since it tracks your food intake and sets certain caloric goals, this app will make a real difference for people trying to lose weight. One of its best features is awarding points, badges, and rewards that congratulate you on your accomplishments – and this makes you enthusiastic all week long.
FitRadio
La-La-La Radio
Listening to music in the gym has been scientifically proven to produce a positive effect on your motivation and it genuinely makes your workouts more effective. Naturally, everyone should pick their own music, but some studies say that upbeat music between 120 and 140 BPMs is optimal. But how to pick such music?
FitRadio offers an easy solution. With its rich database of various genres and styles, you can easily make your own playlist and include all the songs that you know are going to make you work out more intensely. Inspiring music will encourage you to push harder and run faster and you will feel your motivation go through the roof.
Pocket Yoga
Yoga Poses in Your Pocket
Yoga is a great way to stay in shape and it does not require much – some free time, a mat and available space in your home. There is a countless number of poses to choose from and most are quite adaptable, but some are unavoidable for people striving towards a perfect body. However, even though yoga is sometimes better than the gym, it has to be done accurately. And an app like Pocket Yoga makes this a no-brainer.
The best thing about this app is that it is really detailed and handy, so even a novice yoga practitioner can learn poses from it. Guiding you through your weekly schedule, Pocket Yoga will make you enjoy this activity and perform it on a daily basis without being bored by it.
7-Min Workout
I Only Have Seven Minutes
Many fitness experts argue that you do not have to work out for hours and hours every day and that only about seven minutes are enough for a complete body workout – and certain studies confirm these ideas on a scientific level. This may be true, but only under precise conditions: you must perform your workouts properly, be concentrated and stay fully committed to them. And there is an app, aptly titled 7-Min Workout, that will help you achieve this.
Based on a strict routine and recommending specific exercises on any given day, this app will literally guide you through your workout session, telling you want to do and how to do it. There are at least two great things coming out of this – you will always know what is next in your workout session and, more importantly, will not have to come up with exercises on your own. This will relax you and remove stress, hence additionally motivating you do perform even harder.
The Purpose
When at the gym, you want to stay focused on your workout session without paying too much attention to distractions around you. That is why these apps are great – they suggest exercises, choose good music, make you concentrate on what you are doing and, ultimately, monitor you progress, which is always welcomed.
If you have other comments or suggestions for good apps, please mention them below. Also, remember to share, share, share!
