Lifestyle changes — there’s an app for that!
So you’ve decided you need to start getting some exercise, but have no clue where to start? You don’t have a gym membership. You don’t have any workout equipment at home. So what do you do? Maybe there’s an app that could help?
There are a whole lot of apps! I was overwhelmed by how many apps there are for exercise, eating right and even apps that remind you to drink more water. I downloaded and tried a bunch. Soon my phone was waking me up in the morning with a reminder to workout, buzzing every hour to remind me to drink water, and reminding me throughout the day to track my calories and the food I was eating. It wasn’t too long before I had notifications saying, “It’s been 48 days since your last workout.” I was working out, I was drinking water, I was eating better, but it seemed like my apps just didn’t think I was doing a good enough job. I couldn’t keep up with all that my apps required from me.
All I really wanted was an app that would encourage me to get out and walk or ride my bike, track my workouts, and somehow challenge me to keep it up and go a little further or faster each time.
After trying and deleting a whole bunch of different apps I found one that was gonna work nicely for me. The free version of Runkeeper was simple enough to use, kept track of my workouts, and sent me a nice encouraging email after every workout. That was all I needed to get started exercising. The app has a lot more features, but I can learn those as I go. I just love that I can press a button when I start my walk or bike ride, and press a button when I’m done. Runkeeper tracks my route and talks to me every 5 minutes during my workout to let me know my pace, distance, and time. Then after my workout I get a nice encouraging email comparing my workout with past workouts.
Maybe it’s just me, but I really like the Personal Records tab in the app. I find that I’m always trying to set a new personal record. The personal record categories are:
- Longest duration
- Fastest average pace
- Most calories burned
- Biggest elevation climbed
- Farthest distance
- Fastest average speed
So if you are looking for an app that will help you get up and get moving, I’d recommend Runkeeper. It won’t overwhelm you when you are first getting started. It will encourage you to make progress. And it has plenty of features to start using later if you want. You can connect with friends to celebrate progress. You can accept challenges the app offers. You can use prescribed workouts. There is even a Runkeeper DJ that matches the rhythm of your workouts to your music.
Just remember, it is small daily choices that will lead you to the success and happiness you desire. Don’t try and tackle too much, too soon. Don’t get overwhelmed with apps and programs that have a zillion features. Just start moving. Make small steps everyday, and gradually tackle more as you go.
Here are a couple book recomendations. They aren’t exercise books, but they talk about starting where you’re at today and making little everyday decisions that will take you to the life you desire.