The smartphone really is a time thief, with social apps and the need to always be updated with others make it much much easier to get depressed and feel that you're inferior to others that seem better than you.
I listened to a podcast about training and the speaker said that once in a while you need to show your failings too. When a workout really turns to shit and all you want is to go home and let it be over with.
We all had to hose days when it happens. And we all struggle through them because we are bull headed instead of going home because results won't matter that day, that's my conviction anyway.
We all need to call in sick someday and that's true for training too.
But back to the subject.
The smartphone can be a saving angel, with all apps about fitness and mindfulness and dietary recepies. And I say some apps can help you in your quest for fitness. (Because that's what we want? Not to play the guitar or the piano or learn a language :-))
Whatever our goal is there is an app for it, I believe.
So what do you need?
I would say four or five apps or more I have a couple (like 12) and don't want to mention names, because I don't get any money's worth from making you use them.
One
A calorie counter app, that's for sure, if you can't count for shit pick a good calorie conunter or diet logger, because I don't know what half of the stuff I'm eating is worth in calories, so I wheigh them and put them in my phone app and it counts it for me.
Choose one with a good food index database it can vary from country or continent which one fits your needs the best. Do not trust it blindly, often we misjudge our spent daily calories or add the wrong calories from our intake. Be skeptical and paranoid towards yourself. Listen to your body to, if the scale doesn't point in the right direction, you're over/underestimate your efforts or, calorie intake
Two
A workout logger, or even better activity counter. That contains the basic things you'll like, to do, (walking running bicycle skiing swimming)
I have a couple here to, like for cardio I have two one for seriousness and one for virtual/augmented gaming)
Most phones have an built in pedometer, accelerometer and GPS tracker.
Enable it and watch your daily calorie needs get higher 😅 no but take this with a bucket of salt or even a big shovel, most activities we do gets more point than they're worth. But it's fun though, breaking records speeds, heights et c.
Choose one that can sync with your calorie counter app.
Three
A wheight lifting app, there are a couple out there and then some.
I only found one I liked, when I was weight lifting. It had very much information and many different programs to choose in between, you could choose between building mass or strength. It even cycled you through it. A tip is to go through your daily workout routine prehand so that you don't get stuck with your fap hand and your phone when in the gym. It might get embarrassing for you.
Nowadays I'd only do body weight exercises, and there are a couple of loggers of them to. More bad than good but there is some gold grains in the sand if you like to dig, see what suits your style.
The sad part is that it seldom shows how much calories you burn during a gym workout.
Guess you'll have to wing it big here.. 😊
Four
Okay what's left?
I cannot see that you'll need much more but, many gym chains have their own apps for booking tickets to training classes, look out for your chain gang.
Five
One music app with the soundtrack of your life, different styles may apply. Or if you preference sound s la naturelle that's your choice. But I hate my gyms music. Sometimes I go with audiobooks documentary, a podcast. But don't do it in training class, if you don't listen to the instructors accidents may happen. Think of Murphy.
And six seven eight
Well the app market is a jungle filled with predators, or the other way around, they are the sheep, they want to be eaten. Used, rated and payed for.
A couple of apps gets you money for filling challenges or quests, if you get motivated by money that's the way for you. (I know I am 🤑)
Choose wisely out there, don't pay for nothing you can't try first. If you like it pay for it. But watch that what you pay for is what you want.
Choose apps that make you motivated, and not those that want you to instafacebook everything. I prefer the strongman look rather than the bodybuilder poser look.
Choose apps where you can motivate others and get positive feedback yourself, brag about your achievements sometimes is good for the energy to keep up.!
There is hardware that lets you monitor sleep pulse, activity, scales and yada yada yada. Most of them are glorified pedometers that leaves an empty hole in your purse, and you use it because you don't want the money spent on it to be wasted.
Look for the one that suits your needs. Pulse is a good thing to be able to measure IRT (in real time) when you want to step up the game by pulse training.
I still have one on my wish list, with gps and pulse tracking, for those days I really want to skip my phone.
Doin it old school
Skip the phone and go out for a run or bike or hike, without anything is nice, and relaxing, and very stress releasing.
Pencil and paper works to. I often use them, and that in conjunction with my phone, due to not get distracted I log the workout in the app afterwards. (I tend to forget that often though)
Apps to avoid install on your phone
Social apps, none mentioned. None forgotten, at least turn of the auto update and notifications. It's so relaxing.
Flight mode is frequently used when I do not to want to get disturbed.
Addictive games, or games whatsoever, turn of the notifications here too. I don't like them. They stress me out.
This is my conviction, now get out there and do something you like, I do not have patience with you.!
