There's An App For That

Oh, iPhone! How I love thee! With you by my side, I am never alone.  We play games, share old memories and create new ones.  You gently remind me to keep at my to-do list and follow through on my goals each day.  How did I manage to live so long without you?

 

Say what you will about overuse of technology.  Tell me how annoyed you are by the person chatting away through the checkout line, oblivious to the eye rolls of those around her (hey! I will take grown-up conversations whenever I can get them, thank you very much).  My love of my smartphone does not abate.  We share so much, iPhone and me.  She has aided me on my fitness journey every step of the way, from calorie counting to marathon training.  No matter what sort of guidance I needed, I soon discovered that there was indeed an app for that.  Here are my favorites.

1.  mapmyrun - I have all of my running stats in one place.  Awesome.  Even more awesome?  I can track each run in real time, and hear voice feedback informing me of my current pace and time (which makes my interval training tres easy).  When I finish, I have instant access to my workout info, so I can see how speedy I've become since my last outing.  I can then post my route and stats to Facebook and Twitter so everyone else knows how speedy I've become, because I know they've been waiting on pins and needles to find out.  Well, they don't have to wait!  Here it is!  Thank you, mapmyrun!  Also, I can go online to find local routes to match my mileage for the day, set workout goals, and find other friends using the app so we can brag to each other about how badass we are.

2.  RunCoachPro - I have a tailored walk/run marathon training program, complete with crosstraining days and pace runs.  I have charts and graphs to track my increasingly incredible progress, which is kind of like my gold star (I think we should all still be receiving gold stars for jobs well done, but this will have to do).  I can change my goals at any point and receive an entirely new schedule as well, which is applied right to my calendar for my convenience.  Now I have reminders every day (as if I needed them, but still...it's nice).

3.  myfitnesspal - Although I am active enough now that I don't feel quite so calorie-conscious, I still find myself curious about how much I'm actually burning during a given workout.  I can plug in virtually any of my exercises and get a rough number of calories burned.  It's another gold star (they sure do rack up, don't they?!?) and I like telling Hubby the unfathomable caloric burning heights I reach.  I also find it useful when we're on the road and forced to eat at a chain (*shudder*), as I can simply enter the name of any given spot and view a list of meals and their nutritional information, thereby making better choices.  And again, friends can link up and monitor each other's progress or lack thereof, leaving congratulatory comments or gentle reminders ("WHERE THE  HELL HAVE YOU BEEN???? YOU HAVEN'T LOGGED IN FOR THREE FREAKIN' DAYS!!!) for each other.  It's all about a positive support system!

4.  P90X - a Beachbody app at last!  Like RunCoachPro, I give it my start date and it autoprograms my workout schedule for the remainder of the program.  I can track Fit Test results, nutrition, before&after photos, and measurements to monitor my ever-amazing progress.  (Really, it is amazing.  I can do pushups without my knees touching the floor.  Soon, I'll add the clapping and one-armed versions, too.  Stay tuned for increased bragging.)  Now, I'm just waiting on a TurboFire app to really get my juices flowing.

The only app that could kick these down a notch would be my very own app - instant SweatItOut and event updates combined with results and stats and in-your-face catchphrases to get me motivated.  I suppose Facebook will serve for now. *sigh*

No matter what your fitness goals may be, I can guarantee you they have an app for that.  I mean, there still isn't an app to remove excess calories from chocolate cake or make it stop tasting so delicious, but I'm certain someone, somewhere is working their little brain around that.  Until then, total avoidance will have to suffice.

Accessorizing: What's Hot This Year

No matter what workout you choose, you're gonna need "stuff." Even running, which I believe to be the simplest of all workouts in terms of equipment, requires the right shoes.  The right playlist.  And eventually, the right fuel belt.  Personally, I love the "stuff." Walking through a sporting goods store gives me butterflies.  Everywhere I look, I see fitness possibilities! Exercises I haven't tried! Clothing to showcase my new muscles! And shoes...oh! the shoes...

My favorite stuff varies from workout to workout.  I love my new Brooks Ghosts for running; my iPhone, with mapmyrun and my music to keep my legs pumping; my fuel belt for lip balm, Gu, and water. When I punch and kick my way through TurboFire, I have to wear my weighted gloves (sculpting those bi's and tri's while burning an unseemly number of calories) and Under Armour sportsbras (my girls are happiest in those).  P90X and ChaLEAN Extreme require weights, which require lifting gloves to keep my hands callous-free and make me look like a serious contender.  Yoga...I must have a mat in a pretty carrying case, yoga gloves and slippers so my sweaty extremities stay where I put them, and yoga pants to make my rear view extra appealing (solely for the hubby's benefit, I swear!).

Sometimes, the stuff can provide that extra motivation.  I want new stuff.  I want to wear new stuff and use new stuff.  I enjoy the purchasing of the stuff, the unwrapping of the stuff, the new smell emanating from the stuff.  If I don't actually exercise, the stuff seems a tad superfluous.  Plus, I like being able to say, "I need stuff."  It's a valid excuse to shop! I really do need new shoes, new sports bras, yoga pants, running skirts...and whatever else may catch my eye as I wander the brightly colored aisles inhaling the myriad scents of rubber and spandex. No guilt here.  Just a conscientious member of society, doing my part for the economy while I maintain my personal health.

Soooo...pick yourself a workout you love.  And make sure it requires some stuff, even if said stuff is just a bangin' new outfit you wear during said workout.  Sometimes the best smiles I get all day are the admiring ones I aim at my reflection during a particularly sweaty session of HipHop Abs.