5 apps to get you into shape

Spring has sprung here in northern New England. The snow is melting away, the flowers are peeking through the ground, and evidence of winter hibernation is visible on my thighs. With only a couple of months until bikini season, it’s time to get in shape. Here are my iPhone app picks to whip you into shape.

1. Livestrong Calorie Counter, $2.99 (App Store link)
   The first law of thermodynamics is energy in, energy out. The Livestrong Calorie Tracker, previously reviewed, lets you track everything you eat and drink (energy in), and everything you do (energy out). It’s perfect for seeing your total caloric balance, and you can use it to look up nutrition info of restaurant items while on the go.

    

2. Nike+ GPS, $1.99 (App Store link)
   To help with energy out, you need to pound the pavement. Nike+ GPS, previously reviewed, uses your iPhone’s built-in GPS and accelerometer to map your route. It will show you total miles, speed and calories burned. iPod Touch users won’t be able to map their route, but you will still get distance and speed.

    

3. Jillian Michaels, FREE (App Store link)
   To shape up and slim down it’s critical to build muscle. Jillian Michaels, of The Biggest Loser fame, offers this free app to help you meet your fitness goals. It lets you create goals, manually track calories, and will also map your running route. But what I really love about this free app are the weight training exercises — there are dozens of strength training exercises, with videos. You can use a built-in routine, or create your own.

    

4. All-In Yoga, $1.99 (App Store link)
   Weight training builds muscle through contraction, while yoga strengthens by extension, making you long and limber. The All-In Yoga app features 200 yoga moves in the pose base, and dozens of yoga routines. The routines are broken into categories like back strength, energy, general stretching, and then subcategorized by skill level. You can also enter in your goal, skill level, and time, and the app will choose a program for you. Finally, you can easily create your own program by choosing poses from the database.

    

5. Heart Rate, FREE (App Store link)
   To keep you in your fitness zone, it’s important to keep tabs on your heart rate. This handy little app for iPhone 4 uses your phone’s camera and flash to measure your heart rate. Simply place your finger over the camera and flash; after a few seconds, a readout will appear on the screen. To find your target range, check out this chart from the American Heart Association. For cardio fitness, aim for the upper end of the range, and for fat burning, the lower end.

It goes without saying that before beginning any fitness program you’ll want to clear it with your doctor. Once you get the OK from the PCP, hit the ground running!