Five of five stars.
If you can’t afford a personal trainer, get the next best thing: RunKeeper.
This free app, available for iPhone and Android, tracks your exercise, helps you reach your fitness goals and displays your stats with easy-to-understand graphics.
Before beginning any workout, open the app and click “Start.†Whether you’re running, biking or swimming, select your activity from the list and hit “Start Activity.†The app will track your pace, time and distance.
Under “settings,†select which audio cues you’d like to hear and when you’d like to receive them, for instance, after each mile, every five miles or after a designated time.
If you’re running in a city with a lot of stop lights, I recommend turning on the auto pause. When you get to a red light, the timer will pause, so your splits aren’t affected.
After the workout, the app displays a map indicating your route and a chart showing your pace and the elevation throughout the workout. You have the option of adding notes about the weather and how you felt, which you can share on Twitter and Facebook.
If you’re training for a marathon or trying to lose weight, the app allows you to set a goal with a start and end date. For extra encouragement, add your friends and hold each other accountable for exercising every day. The newest update allows you to “Like†and comment on your friends’ workouts.
The app also keeps track of your personal records for fastest average pace, most calories burned, farthest distance, longest duration and biggest elevation climbed.
My favorite part of this app, though, is the built-in training plans. Whether you want to run a 5k, half or full marathon, select the training plan that fits you. The app will automatically add the plan to your future activities. Just find the day, click “select this workout†and begin. If you stick to the training plan, you’re sure to be ready for race day.
Maki covers Arts & Entertainment and Life & Style for the Herald and can be reached at (701) 780-1122, (800)477-6572, ext. 1122; or jmaki@gfherald.com.
Tags: smart phone , app snap , accent , updates , apps
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