The Top 5 Fitness Apps For your Smartphone


These days there is almost nothing you cannot do with the help of your cellphone; depending on the cellphone, that is. If you are an owner of an Andriod or iPhone you have endless possibilities of application to download to suit your needs. From time management, the latest Angry Birds and Fitness applications, you now have the world at your feet.

No matter your exercise level, there is an application out there to help you keep track of your progress, assist you in weight loss, count the calories of your meals, track the distance you ran or even monitor your heart rate. This article will take a look at some of the Top Fitness Applications that you can download for your iPhone or Andriod device.

CardioTrainer
If you are looking for a form of motivation, this is it. The CardioTrainer is designed to track your cardiovascular workouts whether in the field of running, walking, hiking etc. The great thing about it is its racing feature. This allows you to take the challenge in trying to beat your own best time or keep track with how far behind your ‘competitor’ is. This way you can make every workout count and improve your fitness skill and level. CardioTrainer is an Andriod App with a pedometer and GPS installed and it will trace every aspect of your race such as steps, distance, elevation, and pace as well as other statistics. There are also notifications for distance, time, calories and racing intervals. This application is available on the Android Market for $2.99

My Fitness Pal
The most spectacular feature of this application is that it’s not only a tracker or motivation tool for fitness, but it is a community. With your own profile you can track your goals and keep a diary of your food intake as well as communicate with others. Think of it as the ‘Facebook’ for fitness. Here others will be able to see if you have lost weight, what you ate during the day and if you did any exercise. This is the perfect application for those individuals looking for an accountability partner, even if that person is across the world from them. The App user will be able to make status updates, comment on other people’s status and keep others motivated. If you feel like you would rather be a private user and not share your statistics you also have this option.

The main functions and features of this application includes a calorie counter, with a wide variety of foods to choose from, measurement tracker, weight loss tracker and also a list of exercises and routines and how many calories you burn while doing them. My Fitness Pal is the perfect tool for every fitness fundi and is available on the Android and iPhone markets.

Sleep Machine
If you want to improve your fitness, it is not just about eating healthy and working out, but it is also about getting enough sleep. A lot of people have problems with shutting down, and instead of drifting off peacefully then lay awake for hours hoping to fall asleep. This is where Sleep Machine comes in.

Sleep machine creates certain sounds and white noise designed to help you wound down and relax. These 61 mastered stereo sounds and music tracks are played at the ideal volume to help you get in your optimum sleep. You can decide if you want the tracks to play through the night or just certain hours. The application also allows you to include some of your own music from your iPod, set a meditation timer or even an alarm. This application is not only ideal for those struggling to sleep, but it also helps with focus and relaxation. Being in control of your sleeping patterns and getting in much needed snooze time has never been easier.

Instant Heart Rate Pro
This application helps you to monitor and measure your heart rate through the use of your iPhone. The application won The Best Health & Fitness app at the Mobile Premier Awards in 2011, so they must know what they are talking about. The application is seen the most accurate heart rate monitor on the smartphone market.

Men’s Health Workouts
If you always wanted to look like the cover girl/guy on the Men’s Health Magazine, this might be your chance. This application will help you to up your game when it comes to your fitness regime. The application allows you to download particular workouts that might be of interest to you. If you have a problem area such as arms, abs, legs etc you can choose a program designed to work on those areas. The application guides you through these exercises so that you know you are doing it right.

These are just a few of the endless fitness applications out there. Through the use of your smartphone and these iPhone and Android application you now have no excuse not to take your exercise and fitness regime with you wherever you go.

Written by Victoria Abrams, author of health and fitness related articles. She currently writes on behalf of Dualfit. If you want to learn special exercises like the brazilian butt lift, head over to their site.