Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Smartphone Apps to Improve Your Health

It is no secret - smartphones have changed our world. There are apps for everything! You can check the weather or news, play games, and even see if your favorite store has that item you are looking for in stock – all in a matter of seconds. There are also some pretty neat apps to help you improve your health.  I’ve downloaded some and a few of my favorites are listed below.

·         MyFitnessPal - This app allows you to track what foods you are eating each day and tells you how many calories each piece of food you are eating contains. You can also track your weight and input your goal weight so you know how close you are to achieving your goal.  I am definitely more conscious of what I am eating when I track my food on MyFitnessPal.

·         MapMyWalk – Ever take a walk and wonder how far you actually walked? If so, MapMyWalk is definitely an app you should download.  You can track how far you walked, your average speed, and approximately how many calories you burned on your walk.  You can save your workouts so you can see how you are improving. 

·         Coventry – at BRT we have HealthAmerica/Coventry as our health insurance provider.  Recently, HealthAmerica/Coventry has released their own app.  It’s pretty neat – you can download your medical card and email or fax it to your provider right from your phone. 

·         5k Runner – Running is a great form of exercise; however, many people decide they want to start running and go full steam ahead and then get discouraged when they aren’t able to run as far as they had hoped.  The 5k Runner app is a great solution to this issue.  In just six weeks you will go from not running at all to being able to run a 5k.  The app tells you when to run, when to walk, and when to cool down.  Follow the plan and you will be up and running in no time.  
Don’t have a smartphone? No problem, most of these apps are available on a website as well.  Just type the name of the app in a search engine and you will be directed to their website. 
Have fun! ~ Janae Leaman

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