After a discussion with the team regarding weight loss and working out, I noted that a number of the staff here at Ausdroid have seen some great results when it comes to their personal fitness. So I asked my fellow writers to help put together their success stories as well as a list of Android apps that helped them in their battle of the bulge.
Daniel :
I started working out in September of 2009, I had been doing shift work, which encourages a sedentary lifestyle, my body weight hit 143Kg and I decided enough was enough, 18 months later I hit my goal weight of 82Kg and have managed to maintain it to this day. I did consult with a Dietician and also with Personal Trainers at the Gym.
Daniel’s Tips…
- Plan to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, I normally go during my lunch break as otherwise I normally just sit at my desk
- Persevere, part of getting in shape is to lessen the recovery time between sessions
- Go easy at first and remember to consult with professionals like Personal Trainers
Apps that helped…
- My Tracks : My Tracks is an app from the Google team, that tracks you whilst working out via GPS, it then logs the information and allows you to upload it to a Google map. One of the features I like about it is that whilst you are walking/jogging/cycling etc it will advise you how far you have travelled and at what average speed. I`ve now compiled a Google map with all the places I`ve been jogging. The My Tracks app is free
- Hiit Interval Training Timer : When I first started jogging I had trouble doing it for longer than a couple of minutes, so I used an interval timer, I set it to 1/3, so i`d walk for a minute then jog for 3, I haven`t used it in a while as I just jog but it can be used to time intervals between sets of exerices, circuits etc. There is a free ad supported version and an ad free version which costs $2.74.
- Pocket Casts : When I first got into exercise I found the best thing to take my mind off it was listening to podcasts(Like the brilliant Ausdroid podcast). Pocket Casts is brilliant it has an excellent layout and updates all your podcasts automatically. Unfortunately no free version but it`s $2.70 well spent IMHO.
Irwin :
It was also September 2009 that I decided it was time to get into (a less round) shape. When I started I weighed 129Kg. My approach was to completely cut out takeaway food & to work out 5 days a week (workdays). I started out easy, walking 3KM on the treadmill in about an hour. Within the first 2 weeks I lost 7Kg, so that was enough to keep me motivated. As I worked out and the walking became easier, I’d walk faster and/or longer. It only took me about 9 months to lose 40Kg & build up the fitness enough to be able to run 5KM in 28 minutes on the treadmill. I have now incorporated some weights training & have still remained at a steady weight of 90-95Kg.
Irwin’s Tips…
- My personal advice is to make sure that whatever you choose to do, it should feel comfortable to you. If you find yourself dragging your feet to do it, then you’ll most likely falter.
- Make exercising a routine. We all have to work to pay the bills, so making exercise an extension of that same routine feels more natural.
- Set a goal weight and a target date. It’s important to work towards a deadline, this helps to keep focus & push yourself when you feel you might miss your target.
- Lastly, commit. Just keep at it, because if you take days off it just makes it harder to get back into it.
Apps that helped…
- I use MyTracks to keep an eye on how far my walks are, which is good for planning a one hour walk to a nice cafe on a sunny day.
- I use Mortplayer for my music while I am at the gym. The best thing about it, is being able to drop a folder of music onto the SD card and it’ll play it without having to set up a playlist or ID tags for the MP3’s. Mortplayer Music(beta) is free but there is a Donation option which you can buy for $2.72 to support the Developer.
Matt :
Apps that helped…
I’m very competitive so I like to be able to track my performance and improve on it. Runkeeper is perfect because it lets me track my run via GPS and also notifies me at time or distance intervals. At the end of my run I can review my pace in a bar graph and share the results back to Facebook or Twitter.
Phil :
Apps that helped…
I use Runkeeper when I jog, as an app it`s a no brainer -Hit go when you start, hit stop wehn you finish. It keeps your run times – distances and avg speeds, it tells you if you’ve done really well on a specific run, beaten PB’s etc.
Geoff :
Apps that helped…
For when i`m running outside I use Podrunner Workout Music. Podrunner is a free app which delivers essentially a podcast from DJ Steve Boyett which is desinged to offer fixed Beats per Minute music in hour long hits, it also offers an Intervals version that gives varied Beats per minute music to help improve conditioning.
Scott :
Apps that helped…
- VidaOne Lifestyle Pro, I used their program on windows mobile and they have since made this for android. Has GPS, Diet and Food intake tracking, records Strength and Cardio workouts and a whole heap of options. VidaOne costs $5.82, there is a free ‘Lite’ Version available
- Diabetes Nutrition LifeStyle : I also use diabetes nutrition lifestyle by nutridroid.Com this is good when trying to follow a low glycaemic diet. This app costs $4.82 and unfortunately no free version is available.
- Poweramp 2.0 : For working out, I recommend all heavy metal ;). PowerAmp Music Player has a free trial version or the Full version unlocker which costs $4.60 and unlocks the trial version so note you do need the trial version installed.
Pleae note Scott is an ex Bodybuilder and knows alot about what he is doing with his body and diets such as the low glycaemic diet should only be followed in consultation with a health care professional.
All recommendations and opinions expressed by the team are subject to their personal experiences. Finding what works for you is important, so make sure to consult health professionals if you need a more tailored approach.
What other apps are out there that you utilise to help you in your fitness routines?
