We live in a modern world where technology is constantly advancing around us, without any hesitation. Companies around the world work tirelessly to develop new items, while also refining them until they are perfect for the task that they are intended for.
This technology has been utilized in the fitness industry, enabling us to monitor our fitness while we are on the go, tracking every important statistic by using either the top fitness watch of the moment or the best fitness tracker app.
The introduction of fitness tracker applications for mobile devices has really changed the goal posts that cover the fitness industry, as they make monitoring and tracking your own statistics an easy task. Making these applications fully functional can be difficult, so you have to be certain that the application that you are looking at is suitable for you.
What makes a fitness tracker app good?
No matter what your overall goal with regards to fitness actually is, you could benefit from using an application on your phone that tracks your fitness for you. Imagine, a personal assistant to do all of the hard statistical work, just without the required monthly wage that you would usually have to pay to hire a personal assistant!
Most fitness tracker applications are capable of monitoring your routine and providing you with an array of vital statistics. These statistics differ depending on your chosen activity. Some fitness tracker applications can also monitor you throughout the entire day, going as far as enabling you to track all of the calories that you consume and expend. Either way, your application should be tailored to you, proving you with the ultimate immersive experience.
Whether you are looking to lose weight, get out of the house more, or partake in some rather brutal workouts; you could benefit from using a device to track your fitness. These devices are important because they enable you to watch your own fitness develop and change. Seeing your improvements on a screen can give you a major confidence boost.
A great fitness tracker can also offer you all of the natural benefits that come with improving your overall fitness level. You could lower your cholesterol and your blood pressure, or you could aim to gain more muscle mass, energy, and stamina. We spend an awful lot of time using our mobile devices while sitting still, so why should we not use them to benefit our bodies and our health?
What fitness tracker applications are available?
A simple look on the internet will show you an array of different fitness tracker applications that can be found floating around the market. Some of these applications are free, while others have to be either purchased or paid for on a monthly basis.
Before you even begin to look for a specific application, you need to work out what your own requirements are.
Do you have a specific goal in mind?
Whenever you approach fitness, having a specific goal in mind is really important. Your desired goal will help you decide which fitness tracker application is suitable for you, rather than contorting your goal to suit the application. A lot of applications have been developed for different purposes.
Some fitness tracker applications are there to aid people while they try to lose weight, whereas other fitness applications are there to enable professional athletes to check their workout statistics. This enables people to see how they are improving, or where their body is struggling.
Do you plan on pairing your application with a fitness tracker?
If you do plan on pairing your application with a fitness tracker, then you need to check beforehand to see if the application has a list of devices that it is compatible with. Some applications are compatible with a massive range of devices, whereas some will only be compatible with one or two different fitness trackers.
This is not to say that your application will not work without an actual fitness tracker, as most applications will. A fitness tracker simply unlocks the door to more statistics, including your heart rate while you exercise.
Do you want an app that monitors you for a specific workout, or through the entire day?
Mobile applications are always designed with a specific purpose in mind, and fitness tracker applications are no different. Some applications will have been designed to be used only while you work out, while other applications will have been designed to be used throughout the entire day. This will be evident in the way that the application works.
Do you want to be able to input the calories that you consume over the course of a day?
If your goal is to lose weight, then you would probably benefit from being able to input your daily calorie intake into an application so that you can track everything that you eat. This enables you to monitor your daily intake, spotting areas that you would like to improve on and bad habits that you might have developed without realizing. A lot of applications also allow you to track your calorie expenditure at the same time, allowing you to see a deficit.
Our choice for the best fitness tracker application can be found in the next section, but here you can find some of the most popular applications that are available on the market:
- MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is an application that is used by a huge number of people around the world, having been featured frequently on mainstream media. This completely free application can be downloaded on a variety of different devices and enables you to input all of the calories that you consume over the course of the day.
You can do this easily by searching through the database of different foods that can be found on the application, and with millions of different options, you should be able to find the right product.
The application is also capable of counting the calories that you expend over the course of the day, enabling you to see your own calorie deficit. This is really good for people who are looking to lose weight, where a calorie deficit is important. It can also be linked to a large number of different fitness trackers, subsequently pulling activity from your tracker for instantaneous statistics.
One of the best things about MyFitnessPal is that it makes you fully accountable. You can see what you are doing wrong if you are struggling, and you can see how to fix it. The application does this by making you more aware of your own life, using a simple layout to show you everything that you need to see.
- Couch to 5K
Couch to 5K is a popular application that has managed to ease a lot of people into their first running adventure and experience. The application itself takes note of how easy it can be to fall into a routine of just sitting on a couch all day, and it has been developed to tackle that standard head-on.
The reality is that most people are physically more than capable of completing a 5K run, but a little bit of work and training is required beforehand. Some people can just get up and go, while other people need easing in. This particular system enables you to select your own interactive session and motivating coach, giving you a helping hand every step of the way.
A system of separate graphs within the application allow you to monitor the overall distance that you cover and the pace that you run at over a distance, allowing you to see and track your own improvements over time. Most people actually surprise themselves with how much they improve over a relatively short time period.
- Strava
Strava is an application that has become increasingly popular among newcomers, mostly due to the easy to use interface that it features. Despite this, it also has the ability to collect a huge array of data that allows users to analyse their own exercise and patterns, making it perfect for experienced fitness fanatics too.
This particular application also enables you to connect with other athletes, letting you access a number of virtual friends or rivals, depending on how competitive you are that is. It even allows you to see your own performance on particular trails compared to your past attempts, to see just how much you are progressing.
For a more immersive experience, you can use Strava on a desktop. Doing so allows you to delve deeper into a number of different factors. You can plan new training sessions, or view pre-made training plans. You could map out new routes, or see routes that other people on Strava have followed. Or, you could simply spend some time analysing your own statistics to see your progression as you advance.
The Best Fitness Tracker App
In our opinion, the best fitness tracker that can currently be found on the market would have to be Garmin Fit. Most people will be familiar with Garmin, a worldwide company that specialises in producing high-quality GPS technology for a variety of purposes and industries, ranging from aviation and marine purposes to the sporting activities that benefit us.
Garmin Fit is a brilliant application for a number of different reasons, ranging from the features that the application possesses to the number of people that it would be suitable for. This particular application actually turns your smartphone into an easy to use training device, while also utilising your weight, height, and age to ensure that the measurements that it provides you with are accurate. This provides you with an experience that is tailored to you.
Fitting in with the technology that Garmin is familiar with as a company, this particular device actually utilises the GPS tracker in your phone to track everything that happens while you exercise. It tracks the speed that you go at, the distance that you cover, and any additional elevation statistics.
Tracking all three of these factors gives the application the chance to work out exactly how many calories you will have expended, while also using your own body statistics to ensure that these measurements are accurate.
After you have finished analysing your fitness routine, it can be really easy to forget about everything. Garmin Fit offers something to let you tackle that head on, as it uploads all of your workout data straight to the Garmin Connect service. This service acts as a storage facility, and functions in a way that allows you to go back and analyse older data.
When used with other devices, you can push what the Garmin Fit application can do even further. The use of a Garmin wireless heart rate monitor will also enable the application to track how your heart rate changes while you exercise, the use of a Garmin cadence sensor can be used to track your own pedalling cadence with the application,
When used with other Garmin devices, you can push the Garmin Fit application to do more than ever. For example, the use of a Garmin wireless heart rate monitor will also enable the application to track how your heart rate changes while you exercise. The use of a Garmin cadence sensor is similar, as it enables the application to track your own pedalling cadence. All of these extra statistics enable you to analyse your own statistics in a thorough way.
So, why should you use a fitness tracker on your smartphone?
There are a number of different fitness tracking devices that work in a variety of different ways, but having one that you can access as easily as you can access your smartphone makes things a lot easier. You can see all of your own results and statistics while you are on the go, enabling you to set more goals and push yourself further than before.
The most important thing to remember is the fact that having an application that you can access so easily will simply make your life much easier. You will be able to see your statistics on charts, tailor your application to meet your own needs, and even share your updates and results on social media.
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