Achieving a fit body now has less to do with certified personal trainers and more to do with high-tech fitness devices, social media and public accountability. Long gone are the days where folks just figured out what kind of workout they’d like to pursue on their own and just privately did it. Most people now rely heavily on video games, fancy apps and twitter to keep them fit, motivated and honest. These new tools provide just enough guidance to give you some direction, a crowd of friends or “virtual friends” to brag to and more important, a crowd to call you out when you’ve been slacking off. Ah, the beauty of technology and social media never ends.
If you’re ready to plot your attack on fitness, you should know where you’re starting. Step on the scale, have some measurements taken or calculate your Body Mass Index or BMI. Once you know where you are, you’ll be better qualified to figure out where you’d definitively like to go. Will you post your stats and goals on Facebook? That’s a pretty brave thing to do, but I assure you it will enhance your dedication to changing your ways and accomplishing great things.
Once you’ve told the world what you plan to do, it’s time to figure out what you’re going to do. Downloading a free app like CardioTrainer can give you the direction and attention to detail you may be in need of. While running, biking, walking or hiking, CardioTrainer keeps track of your progress using your phone’s GPS. While your in motion, it will regularly update you with information like: how far you’ve gone, how fast you’re moving, how many calories you’ve burned so far. All of this data comes through your ear buds, while your listening to your favorite songs. Nice, right? These stats are great, because they keep you honest and will often encourage you to go just a little farther or burn a few more calories. When you’ve completed each workout, you can: save your route, share your accomplishments via social media, and use them to race against yourself during future workouts. Another great app to train outdoors with is RunKeeper.
