Oi, fitness. Exercise. Something we all know we should be getting at least 20 minutes of every day, but it’s so much easier to turn Disney+ on than it is to do 40 pushups, right? I know, I feel you. You’ve been at work all day long, and if it’s as tiring as being a nurse, you’ve been vertical all day, so there’s nothing more inviting than being horizontal on your couch. But don’t let that stop you from your workout!
It used to be daunting to go into the gym and not beeline it to the cardio equipment. I ran because it was the easiest thing to do in the gym (no thought, just start the treadmill and go for as long or as fast as you could). I ran because to me, it didn’t take much effort. Then I signed up for my first marathon. I realized that there was much more to running than going out and running 6 miles a day. My muscles were sore, I was starving, I wasn’t supplementing my training the way I should have been. That’s when I looked into incorporating other forms of training and diet into my routine, and these apps helped me stay accountable.
Nike Run Club
This app is pretty self-explanatory. I had an Apple Watch at the time and it was easy to just lace up, hit start on my watch, and go. I wasn’t using the app to it’s full potential at first because I would just to my own runs. Then they made some updates that had more guided runs to help you through interval training, endurance runs, and sprints. When I started scheduling my runs, the notification would pop up on my watch and I’d get myself dressed to go. The notification alone was a nice way to stay accountable for my training, but then I added my friends. Every day we’d run, whether it was together or on our own. The accountability sky-rocketed when we were running alone. Trying to “one-up” each other on our mileage. We’d see each other at work and say, “hey man, you’re slackin’ this week!” I probably had put in hundreds of miles before running my Athens Marathon, and I’d have to say a majority of it was because of this app.
Nike Training Club
When I decided that I needed to add supplemental training to my running, I downloaded this app. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what I was doing in the gym, it’s that I was too lazy to create a routine. This app made it so easy to choose what I wanted to work on, whether it was stretching, cardio, HIIT, or resistance training. There’s even a yoga series on the app that made it a little easier to stretch out after my longer runs. If you aren’t comfortable getting into the weight room, then find yourself a small space in the aerobic room, grab a mat, some equipment for resistance training, and start the app. This is also nice because you can link up with friends and keep each other accountable just like on the running app!
LifeSum
Okay, I’ve only used the free version of this app, but it’s been amazing. I haven’t found the will to buy the pro version, especially since I’ve become pregnant, I rarely use it. I first started using this app when I decided that I wanted to become very serious about my weight training and diet. This was post-marathon, and I was in the weight room almost twice a day. This app helps you track your calories for every meal, you water count, your fruit count, your veggie count. It can also break down how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates you eat. You can scan the barcodes of items that you buy, and if you don’t find it, the app makes it easy it manually input the nutritional values! If you’re the type of person I was, eating meal-prep, then it is very easy to input your calories into this app. If you’re like my husband who eats regularly cooked meals with a bunch of varying ingredients, cooked different ways, then this app might not be best for you.
Get moving this 2020!
All three of these applications are available on Android and Apple. If you’re struggling to keep up with your New Years resolution on being active, maybe it’s time to get some digital motivation and accountability! I can’t wait to get back into a steady routine after I give birth! Get ahead of me now, because I’m coming back strong this year with my new mom bod!