There are plenty of health apps available for Android or iOS devices, and any of these will help to make the process of going to the gym, learning exercises and tracking calories much easier. However what few apps can really achieve is to make exercise fun which is really the major challenge.
If you want to get into great shape and reach your fitness goals, then the singly most important thing is that you choose a training program and then stick to it. It doesn't matter what your workouts and diet plan involve – as long as you rigidly keep to them and don't get distracted or bored as soon as the going gets a bit tough.
If you could make exercise actually fun and enjoyable then, you could turn it into something you didn't have to force yourself into doing. You'd exercise because you wanted to and that would make it much easier to stick at your plan.
And though there aren't many, there are a few apps that can make this possible…
Zombie Run
Zombie Run is a fantastic fitness app that uses augmented reality to make exercising more fun. Not a big fan of jogging? Then see how much your enthusiasm and motivation increase when you hear the sounds of a zombie breathing on your neck and have to run for your life. Using the headphones your GPS, Zombie Run creates a narrative around the way you run and provides you with a fun purpose for keeping going. Escape back home without getting eaten by the horde outside, then fortify your base using items you collected along the way! Working out is much more enjoyable when it feels like you're Will Smith from I Am Legend.
Fitocracy
Fitocracy is a smart app that utilises something called 'gamification' to make exercise more fun. Essentially 'gamification' means turning everyday chores and objectives into games by showing your progress towards goals and by rewarding you for achievements. Gamification is actually a concept that's very popular among psychologists and that has been shown to help motivate us in many situations – even being useful in helping patients through difficult illnesses.
Geocaching
Geocaching involves hiding small packages anywhere in the world - by burying them, putting them in bushes, or sliding them underneath park benches. You then tag their location and invite users around the world to try and find them by following cryptic clues and geocaching apps. This provides another great incentive when you're jogging around – why not set off on a mission to find as many as you can in a short time, or to bury your own?
Chatting
Sometimes the best 'apps' on our phones are the ones that have always been there – like the 'phone' app. Invest in a hands-free kit, and then you can chat to friends while working out – or even call a gym buddy for some on-the-move motivation and inspiration.
Get inventive, search the store, and you'll find there are a few ways that technology can help make exercise fun. And then it's a matter of time until you get the body you want…
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Daniel Blank, the author of this article, is a part of the team at Walk ‘N Comfort, leading providers of custom made shoes in Toronto. Daniel is a technophile and keeps himself updated with the latest trends in the world of technology.
