Stop playing Angry Birds on your iPhone and use it for something productive — like exercise!
Men’s Fitness compiled a list of the best fitness apps out there. Check ‘em out and start losing weight!
Lose It
Cost: Free
Consolidate your workout journal and food diary into one (or start keeping them) with this handy tracker. Inputting data can get tedious but the food library is extensive and includes name-brands plus generic categories like fruit, coffee and chicken (broiled, oven roasted, etc.). Each food type includes accurate calorie, carb, fiber, fat, sodium and protein values, which you can track on a separate page. Add in your daily exercises├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥including the intensity and hours spent├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥and it calculates how many calories you ate, how many you burned and how much more you can eat that day. For added motivation, a graph based on your data shows how much weight you’ve lost.
GoodFoodNearYou
Cost: Free
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.
NutritionTips
Cost: Free
Did you know that cut melon must be thrown out after two hours? Or that the leanest beef cuts include round steaks and roasts? Or that oysters contain protein, calcium, phosphorus and iron? This colorful app has fun factoids like these and more than 500 others to help you have a safe and healthy diet. Each tip is written on a sleek Post-it look-alike. Swipe the page or shake your device for a new tidbit.
RunKeeper Pro
Cost: $9.99
Frequently compared to Nike+, this app, which is only compatible with the 3G or 3GS iPhones, finally offers a tracking system to runners, cyclists, hikers and skiers alike (Nike+ is only for runners). The app uses GPS technology to track your route and speed, and automatically uploads your data to the RunKeeper website (runkeeper.com) after your workout. You can log in to view a history of all your activities, see the exact paths you’ve traveled (including elevation!) and share your progress with a built-in option to post to Facebook or Twitter. A free version is also available but only the Pro shouts updates at five-minute intervals through your headphones.
C25K
Cost: $2.99
The appropriately named C25K (Couch to 5k) app is perfect for those who are new to the jogging world. A nine-week regimen├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥at three days a week├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥guides you through 30-40-minute sessions, each designed to improve your endurance. The first week calls for 60 seconds of running followed by 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes plus a five-minute warm up and cool down. The second week increases to 90 seconds of running and two minutes of walking. Intensity continues to increase each week and an audio prompter tells you when it’s time to run or walk so you can focus on more important things.
[Image via AP Images.]
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