MOBILE APPS |
STEPPING IT UP! WALKMETER WALKING AND HIKING GPS Walkmeter is the most advanced application for walkers and hikers: it makes your phone a powerful fitness computer with maps, graphs, splits, intervals, laps, training plans and more. It tracks all steps all day, as well as cadence during workouts, and excludes stopped time, with automatic stop detection. This app will record an unlimited number of workouts, and no website login is required. You can view your workouts on a calendar, or by type of activity or route – view your performance on the bar or pie charts to monitor progress. What is really cool is that this app also records the weather on each workout! That’s particularly handy to analyse whether it was too cold and wet to get the most out of your performance – or perhaps if you suffer in the heat.
MAP MY TRACKS WALKING Walking, hiking or just out and about on the move – you can track it all AND stream it live with Map my Tracks. This app turns your phone into a highperformance all-sport GPS tracker that is easy and fun to use. Track your distance, speed, pace, heart rate, calories burned, time and get a breakdown of your activities for every day, week, month or year. You can compare and compete with others by logging your performance on the online leader boards. An added feature is to identify nearby peaks, places and even other users by tracking live on your phone camera. Don’t get lost – browse maps and new nearby routes to try.
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IT’S BECOME QUITE THE DONE THING TO COMPARE HOW MANY STEPS YOU’VE TAKEN PER DAY. DO YOU HAVE A 5 000 OR 10 000 STEP LIMIT – AND HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO REACH YOUR GOAL? DAVID BOWMAN EXPLORES A FEW WALKING APPS.
PACER PEDOMETER AND STEP TRACKER Pacer is like having a walking buddy and fitness coach alongside you. Track your steps 24/7 with just your phone using Pacer’s simple interface and beat your goals. The fitness programmes are personalised and the guided workouts assist in achieving your own unique fitness goals. You can also get motivated more by joining the amazing pacer community. No wristband or other hardware required, no login required – download, pick an avatar and get going! Pacer tracks your steps all day long whether your phone is in your hand, pocket, in your jacket or on an armband. It records steps, calories, distance and active time and uses GPS to track your outdoor running, walking and biking on a map for you to check out later.
WALKING FOR WEIGHT LOSS An ideal app to get used to before the cold days of winter take hold. You’ll see results in less time by combining walking and speed-up technique. The training programme includes interval training designed specifically for weight loss; a ready-touse three month training programme that includes five to seven workout days a week; three program options for various levels of fitness; indoor and outdoor workouts; GPS maps of your walks; audio instructions to each training session; detailed statistics and easy access to unlimited workout music right from the app! Personally, I loved this feature! And here’s why: the tempo of the music adjusts to your workout rhythm. The app integrates with Apple’s Health app, Runkeeper, Fitbit and MapMyRun.
