With the Olympics over, Ian McGurren
shows you how you can get fit using your phone
We've all had that moment where even the
most active of us have seen the amazing Olympic athletes in action and
questioned our own fitness. Some of us have even vowed to do something about it
too! Thankfully there are all sorts of clever apps and gadgets to make the
often grueling task of getting fit somewhat more interesting.
Fit kit
Nike+ Fuelband
Yes, it's a daft name, but the Fuelband is
at least an interesting piece of kit. It's built on the established Nike+
technology that's been a fixture of the iOS fitness scene, a combination of a
hardware pedometer-like sensor and computer-based tracking of runs and
challenges. The Fuelband differs because its accelerometer based, sits on the
user's wrist and has a display to let you know how much 'Nike Fuel' you have
accumulated that day. This can be accumulated in any way, so it's not just
restricted to running; any activity can do it.
Like the Nike+, there's also a heavy
interaction with mobile devices, allowing goals to be set, changed, tweeted,
Facebooked and more, so it's a great way of showing off, or just getting some
encouragement. It's not cheap at $205, but it's certainly a different approach
that may well suit some better than straight up running -just be aware it's
only on iOS.
Garmin Fit
From GPS and fitness favorites Garmin come
the Garmin Fit app for iOS and Android. Using GPS the app tracks your running /
cycling / power walking, providing useful information such as your route
distance and speed, plus encouraging stats like the amount of calories that
have been burned away from your belly. If you happen to have an ANT+ enabled
phone (such as the Sony Xperia Active or using the Garmin iPhone adapter), you
can use Garmin sensors for additional stats, including accurate speed and
cadence sensors, essential for any sort of enthusiast's cycling.
Like Nike+ there's also a community aspect
if you will so wish to indulge, here called LiveTrack. Offering the same sort
of social element with Twitter and Facebook, as well as automatic uploads of
data to the LiveTrack site to track your fitness programmer’s progress.
However, this does come with an additional cost, but it's optional not
mandatory. The app itself is priced at a keen 69p.
ProAktivo
It's good to know that Windows Phone can
now boast apps that are more than a match for their iOS and Android
counterparts. A great example of this is the very fancy ProAktivo Sports
Tracker, an exercise tracking app bursting with features including a
comprehensive set of data export types for those of you wanting to study your
workouts in greater detail or upload it to the myriad of social fitness sites.
In fact, the app itself provides a wealth of analysis, breaking your workouts
down into charts of many types. You'll find ProAktivo in the Windows Phone
Marketplace for $4.55.
There's no doubt that some find exercise
somewhat boring, and of course most of us will look for the first excuse to
give up when the going gets tough. But seeing the gains being made in real
time, plus the socially competitive elements can all add up to keeping the
experience fresh and exciting. Don't forget though that it's always worth
speaking to a health professional before undertaking a significant change in
your exercise regime.
