My Favorite App of the New Year

Like most people, I've fallen down the typical well of setting some new year's resolutions.  And also, like a lot of people, mine has to do with being healthier.  I have vowed to focus, not on weight loss, (although that would be a great by product) but on committing to being healthier.  I have both committed to get to the gym three days per week and to start counting calories.  I usually eat healthy foods, but I eat too large of portions.  So, I'm going with the simple plan of eat less, move more for 2011. 

It's week one, so its definitely early to start declaring any successes.  But I am off to a good start.  One thing I was looking for was a way to track work outs and calories, which I found and will post about another time, but I stumbled across this.

This is an app for your iPhone that Nike has put out for women that is like a trainer in your pocket.  And, even better it's free!

It has over 60 workouts that are 30 - 45 minutes long with audio guidance while your doing the exercises.  There are also 15 minute targeted workout if there is a specific area you want to really focus in on.  The app even lets you select music from your iPod to play while you're working out.  Each exercise has step by step instructions you can look at before you do it, and a video demo to help clarify.

There are four different categories of programs you can choose from  

And within each one of these categories there are three levels of experience:  beginner, intermediate and advanced.  Once you choose these you then select from about 6 or 7 different work outs.  It then tracks your progress and rewards based on how many minutes you have worked out cumulatively with special workout programs from famous athletes and trainers.

One of the greatest things about it is that you can workout anywhere.  For a lot of the programs you don't need any equipment.  For the ones that require equipment it is dumbbells, a medicine ball, or a jump rope.  So, while I've been doing these at the gym, I could get a workout in from the comfort of my home or from my hotel room when traveling.  

This week, I have done the beginner sweat + shape program twice, and it completely kicked my butt.  I was so sore after the first time on Monday, my second workout this week had to be something different.  I got on the elliptical for 30 minutes vs. the NTC program.  But this morning I did it for the second time.  It still kicked my butt - but I wasn't feeling as much muscle fatigue as I did on day one.  I think next week I'm going to try one of the programs that calls for weights. 

I like that I can mix this in with other workouts to keep things fresh.  That way I shouldn't get bored, and it is probably better for me to mix it up more anyway than live on the treadmill.  I'm hoping Nike continues to update it with new workouts.  What a great app!