CONTEST: Exercise MY way -- how I use my iPhone or iPad to stay in shape!

Rene Ritchie

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Jan 12, 2007
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February is fitness month at Mobile Nations, and you know what that means? we all get together to get in shape, share tips and tricks and recipes for success, review amazing apps and accessories, give away great prizes, and have a ton of fun!

This here is our Exercise MY Way contest. Simply tell us how you use your iPhone or iPad, to stay in shape. What are your favorite apps? What are your go to accessories for keeping fit? How does your device fit your active lifestyle? We want to know!

Write them out like a blog post. Yup, use paragraphs, list apps, list accessories, make it really helpful for anyone else interested in using their tech for exercise!

We'll post the best entries on Friday, so get them in ASAP! Need more incentive? We'll pick one winner a week and send them a $100 gift certificate!

What are you waiting for, start posting NOW!
 
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Alli

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Fitbit. I'm anxious for the new one to be ready. I've already pre-ordered it and plan on giving my old one to my mother.
 

iirishassassin

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I use Workout Builder.. Has a great library of exercises, pre-built workouts and allows you to customize your own. You can add in new ones as needed and take pictures of how they should be performed. They also have a 'plus' plan for fitness instructors that allows you to keep logs for your clients.

Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/b_mcdonnell
 

Beezzy

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Two apps I use for working out is my Notes App and YouTube and Safari.

Safari and YouTube:
I like to search for different workouts and see what has worked for certain body times. YouTube videos are great for learning how to perform certain weight lifting exersizes because with free weight. Perfect Form > Amount of Weight your lifting. Get your form down perfectly at whatever weight then move up in weight.

Notes:
Then before I go to the gym I typed out what I wanna do at the gym that day cause changing my works has been key for my fat loss and muscle gains.
I'll use my notes app to record what I do.

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Greg Warren

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I use Fitocracy to plan out and record my workouts. I've been using BodBot some also to generate workouts some other days when I'm not quite "feeling it" that way I can't just go to the gym and slack off. When I used to track all of my calorie intake, I used MyNetDiary Pro. The barcode scanner for a lot of the food was really helpful!
 

Enforcer25

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I use gym hero, zombiesrun, Runkeeper, fitocracy, and GymPact. These apps help keep me motivated to workout and it's easy to log runs and lifts.
 

Rene Ritchie

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Here's what I do. Every morning (well, whenever I can, but I'm trying harder this month!) I do my 30 min. of Muscle Balance and Function exercises. Think: pre-emptive physio.

I use an Elements file synced to Dropbox to keep the list of 12-15 exercises handy on my iPhone and iPad mini. I use the Clock app's timer to measure the 1 minute rounds I need to do most of the exercises for. I've tried using a todo app for this, so I could mark off each exercise, but I haven't settled on the right one yet. If anyone has any recommendations, let me know.

I try to do a 30 min walk every day as well. In winter, I do it at the shopping mall. I listen to podcasts in the Podcasts app to keep my mind busy, or audio books in the Audible app.

I have a Nike Fuel Band for keeping track of that, and the Nike Fuel app, which sucks, syncs to my iPhone via Bluetooth.

After doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a decade, I've gone back to standup with Muay Thai. I haven't really found a good way to integrate tech into either yet, though. I can't have anything on me when I train, but a good round keeping app might help?

That's my current setup. Anyone have anything else that might fit in?
 

gddoering

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Great idea mobile nations! Exercise MY way is perfect to keep me motivated.

I started getting back into routine the first week of January. Since then I have managed to get in five runs per week. Four of those runs are inside on my treadmill. Running inside can me really boring to say the least. I have been wanting to start watching Breaking Bad on Netflix so to keep me motivated I have been watching it on my iPad 2 while running. I made a pledge to myself I can only watch Breaking Bad while on the treadmill. I'll bet you Netflix never thought of adding their app to the exercise category ;). (iPad 2, Bluetooth headphones and Netflix)

The other real health and wellness app I have found useful is the Lose It! app. It has been great keeping me on track with my caloric intake and exercise balance. I like the interface and it is very easy to use.

So that's it so far for me. I'm now through season 2 and have lost a total of 13 lbs!

I am going to start training with a TRX system. Does anyone know of a good app to use for that system?
 

ZOFOURTWENTY

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although I usually use my iPod 5G for my running needs with the Nike+ app, I do like to use the Runkeeper app on my iPhone5 since I can log the different activities like walking (around NYC), mountain biking and hiking. It's like an all in one app to track different activities.
 

marc britten

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Started out using Fitocracy as a simple way to journal workouts. The challenges were novel and they got me trying new routines. Unfortunately, the data entry got tedious after a while and I simply stopped entering it. I still work just as hard, I just don't bother writing it all down.

Now I'm looking forward to the Fitbit Flex. I like the wristband form factor and the automatic monitoring appeals to me.

Other than that I use my iPhone to listen to music while on a cardio machine and watching a captioned news program.
 

Hogosha

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I'm a CrossFitter and have been since Feb 2011. This month is the two year mark, w00t!!! Anyway, since I started CrossFit I have seen nothing but improvements in all the 10 General Physical Skills:

1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance – The ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.
2. Stamina – The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy.
3. Strength – The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force.
4. Flexibility – The ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint.
5. Power – The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time.
6. Speed – The ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.
7. Coordination – The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement.
8. Agility – The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another.
9. Balance – The ability to control the placement of the body’s center of gravity in relation to its support base.
10. Accuracy – The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity.

Here are some highlights of what I've improved on:
5K run (with my German Shepherd "Yume"): 18:30
Deadlift (1RM): 415lbs
Strict Press: 155lbs
Back Squat: 315lbs
Thruster: 165lbs

I'm 29: 69": 175lbs. Work in the U.S. Army SOF and am currently supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The sole app I use for tracking my progress and WoD (Workout of the Day) is: [URL="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wod-workout-logger-for-crossfit/id333770085?mt=8&at=10l3Vy]https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wod-workout-logger-for-crossfit/id333770085?mt=8[/URL]

I do a 3 day on 1 day off cycle, working out a total of 6 days a week. Before the WoD I run 2-3mi for a warm-up with my dog. Following the run I do some mobility and stretching followed by a brief 2-3 rounds of functional movements that will mirror the lifts I'll be doing during the WoD. All-in-all it's pretty awesome being a CrossFitter. I unfortunately do not belong to a Box (CrossFit Gym), but am a solo athlete. When I'm home my "Box" is my garage. When I'm deployed, I use what I can, but never without my iPod for my music and the app "WOD - Workout Logger for CrossFit"

Thanks iMore and Mobile Nations for having an excellent contest yet again, especially where Fitness is a lifestyle! Good luck to everyone!
 

edoeding

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I use several Health and Fitness apps.

  1. P90X - a great way to do a round of P90X on the go. Full workouts and nutrition tracking too.
  2. Kaiser Permanente - got to stay healthy! Plus, my Dr responds to the in-app messages VERY quickly. I can avoid visits this way.
  3. Lose It! - You ain't nothing if you're not tracking your nutrition.
  4. RunKeeper - for the occassional run
  5. Workout Hero - crossfit. Need I say more?
 

henrymagnusrex

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I consistently use about five apps in my quest to lead a healthy life. Of those five apps though, only one is a dedicated fitness app. So here's what I use and how I use it.

#1 Pandora is my easy, "set it and forget it" workout music. It isn't the perfect solution, but for me it beats the heck out of spending excessive amounts of time building what are inevitably destined to become highly repetitive workout playlists. Its free, its simple to use, it provides good variety, and even if the song selection isn't always perfect, when it is all said and done the music is there when it needs to be, I don't have to spend time managing it, and the rest of the system gets out of the way.

#2 AirVideo- The DVD workout system p90x was what really got me started taking fitness seriously. Since I finished it, I've expanded my workout regime quite a bit into other workout videos as well as some self designed stuff. Consistently, however, I want easy access to p90x or another workout video, and since I've ripped them all to a computer, AirVideo gives me access to them no matter where I am or who is using the main tv. AirVideo streams all of my workout movies to my iPhone or iPad whether at home or abroad. I don't always use it, but I can always turn it it if I need it. It is very, very handy.

#3 AlienBlue is the exceptional Reddit app. Reddit itself is simply a collection of online communities that encompass any imaginable interest, but the fitness and healthy cooking communities in particular are very robust and helpful. Every day--literally, every single day--I see two or three things that grab my attention and teach me something new and helpful about fitness and living healthy. AlienBlue gives me fast and easy access to reddit and the r/fitness and r/fitmeals communities. If you are serious about working out and eating healthy, whether you are a beginner or an expert, I highly recommend checking out these two communities (this is my fair warning: once you go down the Reddit hole, don't blame me when you find yourself closing the reddit window only to open up a new one to see if there is anything new on reddit.) Reddit Fit Meals, Reddit Fitness. If they are interesting to you, head to the app store and grab AlienBlue (the free version is great, the paid upgrade is one of the best $1.99 I've ever spent.)

#4 Myfitnesspal helps me to eat healthy. The app makes it very easy to add food items and portion sizes and thereby track your caloric and other nutritional intake. The strength of the app is that it really seems to have every imaginable food's nutritional information available to you, and its quick and easy to search for and add food to your food journal. It also provides several statistical tracking mechanisms that can help you visualize your progress and set goals. I don't always use it religiously, but it continues to be a great resource. I find that after about a month of hardcore diet tracking, I start to keep pretty good track of my calories, protein, etc. in my head, but Myfitnesspal is still a great resource when I need to look up a new item. As well, of particular usefulness are the incorporated restaurant menus, which brings the nutritional information of thousands of restaurant meals and dishes to your fingertips with just a quick search. Being that I am not from a highly populated metropolitan center, I am consistently surprised at how many restaurants, including many small, hole-in-the-wall type places, have their menu information listed in the app. That really makes it much easier to keep eating healthy when it otherwise might not be.

#5 Podasts- I know, I know. Everybody loves to hate the Apple Podcasts app. For my uses, however, I don't find it lacking. If I'm not listening to music while I'm working out, I love catching up on my podcasts. And all I need out of a podcast app is that it provide a reliable search function and the ability to stream the podcast without downloading it to be stored on the device. I'm sure there are other apps out there that are better designed etc., but for my uses I find that Apple's free podcasts app fits my needs very well.
 

aferlynn

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Runkeeper has been my SAVIOR for my running routine --- I make a goal for how far I want to run that day, turn on Runkeeper & some music, and just GO. I don't have to have a route in mind, because Runkeeper tracks my distance.

Basically, I just input a distance (say, 5 miles). Then I run all around wherever I feel like - around my neighborhood, around a local park, etc. until I hit the halfway mark (2.5 miles). Then I can choose to turn around and easily find my way back, or try to figure out how to make it a loop. It's great because often times when training for a specific race, I have different distances I need to run different days, Now I don't have to worry about mapping my route out ahead of time because Runkeeper enables me to just WANDER on my run until I hit the correct distance!

Using it like this removes two primary obstacles to my runs: 1) not knowing what route to take / how long a route is, and 2) getting bored of running the same routes over and over (since now I can run anywhere I want!)

It's awesome.
 

msiry

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I use My iPhone to help me stay in shape. Below are the Apps and Accessories I use:

- Lose It: I use this app every single day to help me track how much I eat. Its very useful as I try to keep my carb intake at a minimum of 18% daily. I believe it is free in the AppStore as well, and very simple to use. Just recently it has added an extra bonus for users with the Nike FuelBand, which leads to me my next section.

- Nike+ FuelBand: Best thing to ever happen to me to keep going at the gym, and stay active. It's worn on the wrist, and actually has taken place of my watch. So, each day you set a goal for yourself and how many FuelPoints(its a measurement of how active you are) you think you will achieve. I started out low around 1500 FuelPoints for my first week, but when I was destroying those goals, I decided to up it up 2000 for my second week. I am now consistently at around 3200-3800 after a month of use. To reach my goals, I do what I have to stay active, as I no longer take escalators and take the stairs when available to me. I try to walk everywhere, and my dog loves it, as she gets extra long walk walks now. A friend of mine actually got one as well, and we have a daily competition of who is where, and what they set their goal too for the day, if it's too low, we talk trash to each other about it. Also, the FuelBand keeps track of Calories burned, Steps taken, and has a pretty nice watch on it as well. The one downfall of the FuelBand is the price tag, as it retails around $150 dollars. Luckily, I found a good deal on Ebay and was able to score one for $100 dollars after shipping and handling. Nike has a wide range of products to track your daily activities, so If you're interested, I would visit your local sports store, nike store, or google, and do as much research as possible before getting any product.

-Nike FuelBand App: My FuelBand goes hand in hand with the Nike FuelBand App for the iPhone. It syncs via BlueTooth, and keeps track of all your goals, how far you've traveled that day, how many calories you've burned, and it has fun little animations when reaching certain goals. The App is Free in the App Store.

-Evernote: I use this app to track my workouts, and setup new workouts for myself. I basically follow a Circuit training workout I found online, that I feel has been very beneficial for me, I do that every other day, and the other days are just cardio/core exercises.

Overall these are the 4 main apps I use on a daily basis, and since January 1st, I am currently down 11 pounds to 200lbs, my goal is to be at 175 by May 30th. I am a competitive baseball player, as well as a casual golfer & surfer, and I have been out of shape for way too long. I feel great, I've received many compliments that It shows that I've lost weight, and a lot of my clothes that didn't fit me this time last year, I am now able to wear them, or the're too big on me.

Hopefully this info helps anyone, and if you have ANY questions feel free to shoot me an email at martin.siry@gmail.com.
You can also find me on Twitter at @Msiry
 

iDonev

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The online science journal PLoS One published an interesting study the other day. In the study scientists compared the daily energy expenditures of the average Westerner to those of the members of the Hadza tribe in Tanzania. Surprisingly people in the West burned roughly the same number of calories per day as the tribesmen despite the extremely different lifestyles. It seems that being seated for most of the day as opposed to walking 7-10 miles while foraging food doesn't produce the caloric gap one might expect.

The study confirmed what I already knew - the way to effectively lose weight is to eat less. This view is compounded by a second study published in Obesity Review. This second study dispels another myth: if you keep the same caloric intake and start exercising, your metabolic rate actually decreases in order to retain the current body mass. Study participants who consumed more calories during training did burn more fat, but it proved hard to maintain balance. Many of those participants' higher caloric intake negated the effects of the workouts.

Some people who read these studies may conclude that physical activities have no beneficial effect on us at all. While exercising may not help you lose weight, it has a plethora of other positive effects: it can decrease stress and anxiety, improve your mood and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers.

That being said, here's what I've found to work for me:

In the past few months I have been restricting my caloric intake by eating mainly fresh fruits and vegetables. I purchased Calorie Counter and set a daily limit of 1300 calories. In addition I staggered my meals. Currently I eat fifteen times a day - roughly every hour. As a result my body doesn't store every calorie I consume - it knows more is on the way.

As was already mentioned I'm not at all opposed to the idea of physical activity. On the contrary - every morning I power-walk to the beach, run for an hour and power-walk back home. On the whole the activity lasts an hour and a half - just enough for two podcasts. And that's where my iPod Nano 6th generation comes into play. While it is a bit tedious to have to download podcasts to my laptop and sync them to the iPod, the Nano's size and pedometer more than make up for it.

Links:
[URL="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/calorie-counter/id405722266?mt=8&at=10l3Vy]Calorie Counter[/URL]
 
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hslny05

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I use the Polar app on my iPhone. It provides great insight into my heart rate and calories in an easy to view way while doing cardio or strength training in and out of the gym. Highly recommend downloading it for the visuals and for tracking sessions.
 

heberman

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I track my calories with MyFitnessPal and track my walking and running with Runkeeper. I think I'm ready to upgrade to the paid version of RunKeeper.

So far, those 2 apps have helped me start exercising again and drop 8 pounds in 2 weeks.
 

Fausty82

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Using my iPod Nano (6th gen) to listen to local radio while tracking my walking... using the Nike+ app to track time/distance in my daily walks... Also using MyFitnessPal (on iPhone & iPad) to log exercise and food intake... In 16 days I’ve lost 10 pounds and am starting to feel great.
 

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