Coming up with an excuse not to exercise used to be easy, butwith an explosion of fitness apps at your fingertips -- not tomention a virtual library of online workout programs and an arrayof techno gadgets -- you can exercise almost anywhere, anytime.
"Fitness apps eliminate two major excuses people have for not working out: not being able to get to the gym, and not knowing the right way to exercise," said personal trainer Patrick Hall of 716 XFit.
"In addition, because your phone is with you all the time youtend to be more mindful of your fitness and health, and hopefullymake healthier choices throughout the day," Hall added. "Imaginesitting down to a business lunch at Chef's with your fitness app onyour phone looking right at you. You will be apt to make ahealthier choice for lunch."
Kim Mahoney, 33, of North Buffalo, has been working out since age19, and she loves the immediacy of her new cyber workout. Bizy Body Fitness (bizybodyfitness.biz), a 12-week online program developed by Hall, places a total body workout -- cardio, muscle toning, plus nutritional planning -- within arm's length.
"I'm kind of a workout addict, so I need something I can use whenever I have the time to work out," Mahoney said. "All I have to do is pull it up on my phone, log in and I can work out wherever there is Internet access. The thing is, once you have learned the exercises, you don't necessarily have to look at the demos all the time."
According to a recent survey conducted by Pew Internet & AmericanLife Project, of the 85 percent of American adults who use a mobile phone today, 9 percent have a software app on their phone that helps them track or manage their health. That translates into 20.7 million adults.
"Track your workouts. Track your weight. The most successful appstoday are the ones that interact with the user," said Brian Dolan, editor of MobiHealthNews, an online trade journal in Cambridge, Mass.
The best fitness apps engage users, are easy to learn, and encourage repeated use, according to Dolan. "They make you want to use them on a regular basis," he said. "What if the app sends you a text message every other day if you haven't used it for two weeks?"
Running
Seth Piccirillo, 28, of Niagara Falls is a tech runner intraining. The manager of government affairs for the NiagaraFrontier Transportation Authority has his eyes on summer, and hehopes to better his times in the handful of 5Ks he will again runthis season with the help of his new Nike+ GPS app ($1.99/Apple).
"It tracks calories burned, quickest mile," noted Piccirillo. "Itkeeps a history of all your runs. Say you have your longest run, a voice comes over and says 'Congratulations.' And when you're nearing the end of your run, it will tell you how much distance you have left. It also paces you, which is nice."
Nike+ GPS is considered one of the most successful fitness apps around, according to Dolan. One of the keys to its success is simplicity.
"There's not much to it," said Dolan, over the phone from Cambridge. "You just turn it on, go for a run and it tracks everything, and it provides a very rich report on the back end. It allows you to share the information and compete with other people. The social media side of it makes it very attractive."
GPS sensors allow smart phones to track steps, heartbeats -- and very soon, how much food you eat. Dolan told of a sensor coming out of San Diego that will be able to track how many calories you have ingested.
In the meantime, here are a couple of sensor-based app recommendations:
* Instant Heart Rate ($.99/Apple and Android) -- No externalhardware needed. Just place the tip of your index finger iniPhone's camera and in seconds your heart rate will show. Beepingwill sound with your pulse. Track your progress with charts thatyou can export to your e-mail, and a calculator to determine yourtarget heart-rate zone.
* All-in Pedometer ($1.99/Apple): Launch and slip into yourpocket. Pre-configured calibration values are suitable for mostpeople. Track your progress while playing your playlist. Givestime, distance, calories at once. Good for post-op recovery.Downside: You have to keep this app open for it to work.
For women only
Certified fitness trainer Nicki D'Atellis, 47, geared her workoutapp, "Everywhere Exercise," toward women new to exercise.
"I've had this urge to make exercise easy because I think people think of it as a chore," said D'Atellis, who called her fitness app EvEx ($1.99/Apple and Android). "We're trying to make exercise a natural part of people's lives, and so we're trying to make it as simple as possible. Take it anywhere and do it. It allows freedom and choice."
The app contains a menu of 50 exercises categorized by both type and muscle group. Each exercise is 30 seconds. No equipment required.
"This is for people who don't ever work out, who want to get started, who don't have time or who are overweight," said D'Atellis in a telephone interview from her office in Manhattan. "There's a lot of stretching exercises, and we tried to make the names of them something women can relate to."
For example, there's the handbag curl for biceps, and a backpack stretch to tone your upper back. D'Atellis even turns smiling into an exercise, explaining: "Smiling actually releases endorphins and stimulates blood flow."
Say goodbye to DVDs
"Apps bring a certain level of convenience and variety to the person who exercises," said James Velasquez, assistant professor in the Exercise and Sports Studies program at D'Youville College, "as long as the application itself is reliable and accurate.
"For the individual who already has made the decision to exerciseor to train for a 5K race, apps are a great thing," said Velasquez. "I think the days of ordering a DVD are over."
We all have our favorite exercise DVDs whether by JillianMichaels, Kathy Smith, Denise Austin or Billy Blanks Jr. Now youcan have them on demand with FitnessClass app, an iPad-only featurethat streams exercise videos and tracks your progress based on the profile you provide when you launch.
For those on a time budget -- and who isn't -- searches can alsobe based on "time allotted for exercise," down to 15 minutes orless. You can also search based on fitness equipment: med ball,bosu ball, resistance bands.
Feel like you're in a gym yet? You can purchase a 30-day classpass to a specific workout (usually around $2.99), which allows youto perform the class as many times as you want. Spend another four bucks and call it your own. The streaming videos include built-in water breaks, motivation, facts and tips.
Your personal page that tracks progress also features connectionsto your Facebook wall and Twitter feed so you can post your progress and maybe challenge your friends.
Workout finder
Nearly 40 percent of online purchasers plan on buying fitness technology like a GPS or pedometer, according to a recent study from the Consumer Electronics Association.
"Those can be expensive," noted Amanda Junker, senior editor of Fitbie.com, a health and wellness website launched by Rodale publishers last December. The site features a sampler of online free workouts for men and women including yoga, strength training, cardio.
"It's like having a personal trainer. You can fit it right into your gym routine without paying a lot of money," said Junker, who also recommended the following apps:
* Runkeeper Pro ($9.99/Apple and Android): GPS technology with sections devoted to cycling, hiking, skiing, snowboarding and walking. Allows you to set target pace and a virtual coach will guide you, telling you to speed up or slow down.
* All-In Yoga ($1.99/Apple): Great for beginners or yoga on thego. Details 200 poses and a few dozen sequences.
e-mail: jkwiatkowski@buffnews.com
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