Fun and useful apps that can improve your health and fitness
Gymkit
Gymkit combines a customizable, preset, countdown timer that any interval exerciser will find useful. The countdown timer allows you to assign eight time intervals to large buttons (easy to tap while exhausted) you can efficiently time your exercises or rest intervals. It even provides a set counter so you’ll never forget which set you are on.
Sports Tracker
Turn your mobile into a social sports computer with Sports Tracker – now finally on iPhone! Track and analyze your performance, share workout data and photos with your friends, and most of all – get fit and stay healthier. Detailed maps and an enhanced experience – Sports Tracker is the most powerful social sports tracking solution available for the iPhone..
Food Diary
Never mind pulling out pen and paper – just point and snap a picture of all of your meals using the Thin-Cam. Not only will your photographic food diary make it easy to keep track of what you’re eating, you can share it online and have an expert analyze your dietary habits. The Thin-Cam also gives you access to recent weight-loss news and the fitness videos on Thin-Site.com
Sleep Cycle
If you have trouble sleeping, the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock app may be your answer. It analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you when you are the most rested and relaxed within the 30 minute window prior to the time you set the alarm for. To use this app, you must be able to charge your iPhone by your bed and place it on the corner of your bed. The app won’t work if you have a Tempur mattress.
RunKeeper
Take the RunKeeper Free app on your run to track your distance, time, speed and calories burned. After your run, your information is sent to RunKeeper.com, which keeps a history of your data to track your progress, which you can share with friends on Facebook and Twitter, or creating a profile on the website. Another fun feature shows your route on a map using the technology of the iPhone.
Push-Ups Dojo
Make push-ups fun using the Push-Ups Dojo app. Just place your iPhone on the floor and smash the objects on the screen with the tip of your nose. The app allows you to play music from your library and. You can record how many reps you do each time and share your progress online.
iFitness
The iFitness app has over 300 exercises and 20 routines with video and step-by-step instructions to help keep your workout routine fresh. You can select your exercise by body region or the exact muscle you want to work out, as well as create a list of customized workouts for different days of the week. After your workout, you can log what you’ve done and send it to your e-mail so that you can track your progress over time.
Handy Logs Heart
The HandyLogs Heart app monitors blood pressure, cholesterol, diet, exercise, medication, body weight and glucose A1C and compiles that information into daily, weekly, monthly and yearly graphs. It retains multiple years of information and allows you to keep records for loved ones as well.
A.D.A.M. Symptom Navigator
If you’re feeling sick or have injured yourself, the A.D.A.M. Symptom Navigator app can help diagnose your symptoms using an illustrated encyclopedia. Just choose your gender, body type and which area of the body is bothering you, and a list of possible causes will generate, each with detailed information on what the symptoms are, what treatments are appropriate and when you should contact a doctor.
Fast Food Calorie Counter
Fast food consumption around the world is at an all-time high thanks to its ubiquity and cheapness. This app is a smart way to know exactly what’s in the fast food you eat. It is not judgmental at all – it’s just a collection of menu items from over 70 popular fast food chains so you can make your own decisions about what you order and how often. (After seeing that there are 670 calories in a Double-Double at In-and-Out, I now only order the regular hamburger with just 390.) This app also includes a calorie counter so you can see how a fast food meal fits into your daily calorie and fat intake, allowing you to make necessary adjustments if you so wish. I must stress the lack of judgment in this app again. It is refreshing to get calorie information without editorial.
Epicurious
Epicurious is an ongoing recipe collection that is nearing 30,000 dishes. The recipes come from food magazines like Bon Appetit and Gourmet (RIP), cookbooks, and popular chefs. It’s easy to sort through the recipes depending on meal types and what ingredients you already have in your pantry or fridge. And though users do not submit recipes, they can rate and review them, which is useful as an extra filter. The app includes an interactive shopping list so you can check off ingredients at the grocery store. Epicurious is a universal app, too, so it runs native on both your iPhone and iPad. The new iPad format looks like an actual cookbook, so if you have a standing dock, you may just find this to be your new best friend in the kitchen.
Good Food Near You
Perfect for frequent travelers, this app recommends healthy food options based on your location, which is tracked by GPS. It targets popular casual dining restaurants, fast-food restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores nearby. Tap one of the suggestions and a lengthy list of healthy menu items appears, complete with calorie, fat and carb totals. Once you decide on a place, simply let the built-in map guide you to gastro-satisfaction.
Lose It!
Succeed at weight loss with Lose It! Set goals and establish a daily calorie budget that enables you to meet them. Stay on track each day by recording your food and exercise and staying within your budget. The average active Lose It! user has lost more than 12lbs and more than 85% of our active users have lost weight. Lose It! is completely free- get started losing weight with Lose It! today! Lose It! has appeared on the Today Show, and in the NY Times. Join the millions of others who have downloaded Lose It! and give it a try yourself?
iHeart Rate Monitor
Keep track of your resting heart rate as well as your training heart rates to ensure you are getting the MOST out of your work out by staying in your optimal training zone and achieving your Target HR. To get a heart rate reading, simply take your pulse (your neck, just under your chin is best) with one hand, and use the other hand to tap the iHeartRate button on the screen. You can quickly get an accurate reading in seconds! The elegant and simple interface enables anyone to take their heart rate quickly and easily.
Fitbit
The Fitbit App helps you log food and activities wherever you are and track progress towards your goals. With the Food Goal feature, you can set a daily calorie target that updates when you manually log activities. Food Goal and Steps data in the app also update whenever your Fitbit Wireless Tracker* syncs with a base station. As a bonus, the app syncs up with your account on the Fitbit website when you have a network connection so you can do a deeper dive on your stats and back up your data. If you don’t already have a web account, you can easily create one in the app.
BeatBurn
Featured by Apple as a Fitness Essential. BeatBurn uses lolo’s exclusive beat-sync technology, changing the beat of your iPod music to perfectly match your pace! No one else combines the expert guidance from a personal trainer in your ear with your favorite songs at the exact pace you need. Beat-sync analyzes the BPM (Beats Per Minute) of your music, selects the best songs from your iPod playlist to fit the intensity of your workout, then changes the beat on the fly, perfectly matching the pace of your feet on the treadmill or road.
Instant Heart Rate
See every heart beat on the monitor, just like in ER rooms. Measure your heart rate instantly! Instant Heart Rate uses your iPhone’s camera to detect the pulse in your fingertip. The same technique used by medical pulse oximeters is now available on your iPhone! Place the tip of your index finger on the iPhone’s camera, and in a couple of seconds your heart rate will be shown. Instant Heart Rate will beep with your pulse. A real-time chart will show you every heart beat. Join over 15 million users who are already using it.
