post by Stephanie Nelson
After falling off the wagon for awhile, I recently got back into working out and watching what I eat. Being the social media and tech geek that I am, I knew that a large part of my accountability would be found in my phone, on my computer, and in my iPad. Here are the tools that are keeping me on track.
Apple Watch
I was a Fitbit fangirl for YEARS, and I’m still on the Apple fangirl bus. I decided in March to bite the bullet and give the Apple Watch a try, mainly because it would have the functionality of the Fitbit, PLUS I could use it for business to stay on top of emails, texts, etc without having to pull out my phone to look at what’s going on every two seconds.
I will say that the Fitbit was much more accurate in counting steps and in picking up on activity without me having to stop what I was doing and start the tracking mechanism. That said, I love the activity sharing function of the watch. I’m choosy about who I share my info with, but we’re all good about cheering each other on when we get a notification that a workout’s been completed or something good has happened. I like that the watch reminds me to stand at least once an hour and encourages me to workout daily. And there’s a slew of “achievements” you can get by doing workouts and keeping workout streaks. And that’s just the fitness stuff!
Fitbit App
Even though I no longer use the Fitbit itself, I still use the app to feed other apps. In December, I bought the Fitbit Aria scale. I also started using an app called Achievement, which pays you when you earn points for a variety of health-related activities like working out, drinking water, logging your food, tweeting about healthy things you’re doing, and more. Using an app that syncs what I log in Fitbit to Apple Health, I can track everything in one spot, but still earn Achievement points.
19 Minute Yoga
I was lucky enough to be in the beta testing program for this app, developed by my friend Nicole D’Alonzo. I. LOVE. IT. The app contains a variety of classes for a variety of yoga levels with the option to purchase more classes and challenges in-app. All of the classes are right around 19 minutes, give or take, and are audio driven rather than visual driven. This app is perfect for days when you can find several times to fit in a quick workout but not a full-on half hour or hour. It’s also great for when you’re traveling – just let your phone call out the yoga positions and you get to stretch out from sitting so long!
Get Healthy U
This website offers free workout videos, as well as a subscription service that allows access to even more workout videos. For days that I don’t want to or don’t have time to head to the gym, there are some great workouts here that can really kick your booty!
MyFitnessPal
I’ve tried several food diaries, both online and offline. This one is by far my favorite. It’s easy to use. The food database is among the biggest in online and app-based journals, which makes finding foods to log easier, too.
Social Media, In General
Following folks on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube that share workouts and healthy eats has given me ideas for new moves to throw into my workouts, new foods to try, new restaurants to visit, and new recipes.
So there you have my tools. What are some tools you use to stay fit, stay motivated, and track your progress? Gimme your ideas!
