Fitness apps make it easier than ever for users to create their own workouts and eating regimens tailored to their individual preferences and needs.
“It can be quite motivating to see daily and weekly improvements in your diet and increased frequency in your workouts,” says Bridgit Kin-Charlton, personal trainer and owner of B-defined Innovative Personal Training and Wellness in Williamsburg, Va. “Fitness apps help bring awareness to your diet and exercise program, or lack thereof, and will help encourage behavior modifications that can lead to a healthier lifestyle.”
These Fitness Apps are for People of all Fitness Levels
NIKE TRAINING CLUB
Nike professional trainers have put together more than 100 full-body workouts for the Nike Training Club app. Users choose whether they want to focus on getting leaner, more toned, or stronger with 15, 30-or 45-minute workout options. The app features workouts from some of the highest profile athletes in the world, like Hope Solo’s muscle defining workout or Maria Sharapova’s stability routine.
MYWOD
Matt Midnight, a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and owner of CrossFit 1607, suggests trying myWOD, a fitness app dedicated to CrossFit workouts. Within the program, users can generate their own WOD (or workout out of the day), track personal records and time how long it takes to complete a circuit.
“An app like myWOD gives you a way to track your progress,” Midnight explains. “In general, when you’re not taking the time to track workouts, you tend to get a little stale.”
TEMPO RUN
The TempoRun app takes the music you already have loaded into your phone and categorizes the songs based on their tempo. These categories translate into levels of intensity for your run or walk. This means that you will walk for level 1 songs, jog for level 5 songs and sprint for level 10 songs. Varying run intensity this way will ultimately help you improve your pace and endurance.
MY FITNESS PAL
MyFitnessPal does double duty as a free calorie counter and food and exercise journal. The searchable food database boasts more than 3 million items and users can build their own bank of preferred foods and recipes.
Kin-Charlton uses the MyFitnessPal app with her own clients. “It’s one of my favorites because the library is so extensive,” she says. “Once you start making regular entries, the app begins to recognize your preferences and it becomes even easier to use.”