Listen up Carrington College California students! When you’re trying to get healthy, or even stay healthy, having moral support can make all the difference in the world, but technical support can be just as important. Why not use technology to track your progress and provide some much needed accountability? So if summer hasn’t yet inspired you to kick-start your healthier lifestyle, now’s the time to get started. Charge up your iPhone, round up some friends and make the most of the remaining month or two of summer! The iTunes Health and Fitness category has thousands of apps to choose from, but these five are some of the most popular, and more importantly, free ones! Use them to help you jumpstart your health-and-fitness regime, and if you don’t have an iPhone, check out the app store on your own smart device.
- Nike+ Running – This is the most popular running app on iTunes. Add friends and see how you stack up against them; keep tabs on who’s logging the most runs and miles. From the trail to the treadmill, your iPhone’s GPS and accelerometer accurately record your distance, pace, and time. In-run audio feedback lets you know these metrics at every mile, so you can stay focused. Plus a function called PowerSongs allows you to import your favorite tunes for a little audio encouragement with the press of a finger.
- MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker – This app claims to have the largest food database of any calorie counter (over three million foods). With amazingly fast food and exercise entry, it may help you shift those extra pounds! Set goals based on weight, height, lifestyle, frequency and length of workouts, and the number of pounds you wish to lose each week. Track your progress from week to week, a daily nutrient intake recap allows you to see where you’re exceeding recommendations, falling short or hitting the sweet spot.
- Fooducate Diet Tracker & Healthy Food Nutrition Scanner – This app encourages you to get ‘fooducated’ and change your shopping habits! Use it to scan product barcodes in the store; the app analyzes the nutritional information/ingredients and provides feedback including a grade, number of calories per serving and a few facts about the item. It even offers healthier alternatives. It claims to have the largest database of UPC-based nutrition information – over 200,000 unique products and growing.
- Workout Trainer – Can’t afford to hire a personal trainer? This app encourages you to get in the best shape of your life with workouts ranging from casual to intense, including routines for circuit training, cardio, yoga, full-body, and target areas such as abs, butt and arms. This app has thousands of free multimedia workouts coached by expert personal trainers who guide you through every exercise with timed, step-by-step audio, photo and video instruction, complete with encouragement!
- Healthy Habits – An app that helps you turn your good intentions into healthy habits! Bring a nutritious lunch to school each day, sleep for a certain number of hours each night, or limit your caffeine intake, this app picks up where calorie-counting and fitness-tracking apps fall short. It holds you accountable to the aspects of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. It takes up to 60 days to form a new habit. First define a habit, then set a goal, track your actions and celebrate your success!
