Friday Favs - Fitness Apps

Happy Friday! I just got a really exciting (and large!) package in the mail thanks to winning a giveaway from Fit Bottomed Eats. More on that to come. Gotta build up that anticipation :)

Y'all know I'm cheap fiscally responsible, so I don't pay for a gym membership and relay a lot on free Youtube workout videos and fitness apps to stay in shape. For this week's Friday Favs, I thought I'd give you a look at some of my favorite (free!) fitness apps.

Nike Training Club

According to Nike, Nike Training Club is like having "your own personal trainer, anytime, anywhere" and I agree! The app includes over 100 workouts developed by Nike professional trainers and there are really clear photo as well as video instructions for each move. I love that all the workouts are interval training so you get an effective and efficient workout and that there is so much variety. My favorite workouts are the 15 minute "get focused" routines that target a specific body part. 

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a free calorie counter that has both a desktop and mobile app. Now I have a love/hate relationship with counting calories (hate how time consuming it is and how it makes me obsess about numbers, love that it's the only thing that has ever helped me lose weigh) but I have to admit that it is MUCH easier to do with MyFitnessPal than when I did it back in college before smart phones (yea and we walked to school barefoot uphill both ways too). MyFitnessPal claims to have the largest food database of any calorie counter, and it is definitely gratifying to be able to scan or search and find most ingredients with no problems. Being able to find nutrition info for major restaurant chains is also really helpful for making healthy choices on the go.

MapMyRun

Since I started running outside while training for my first 5k (I know, who even am I right now?) having a great GPS running tracker has been key. I love being able to track my speed, pace, and distance to keep my training on track. It's also really helpful to search what MapMyRun says is the world's largest database of running, walking and cycling routes to find new training runs. One of my favorite features is the ability to set customized audible cues so I can monitor my distance and pace without having to look at my phone.

Gymboss Interval Timer
(Android, iOS)

I love HIIT (high intensity interval training) and having a good timer is super helpful for doing HIIT routines. Gymboss sells small, fairly inexpensive interval times that I have heard good things about, but they also make a free mobile app! Admittedly, the app is a little buggy and hard to figure out. But once you get the hang of it, it's also really customizable, allowing you to make and save multiple timers with different intervals. For example, I have a tabata timer which has 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest, and a 1 min on 20 seconds off timer which I've used to do a lot of the Blogilates POP HIITs.

Q: What are your favorite fitness apps? Any other tips for getting fit on the cheap?