Fitness app could help with 2017 goals

So, it’s another new year, and some of you may feel the motivation to make some changes in your life. For me personally, before the new year even started, I decided to try and be more physically active. Last term I learned about the detrimental effects of a sedentary lifestyle as well as built-up stress. So many health problems can be avoided by an active lifestyle and healthy diet. I hadn’t really started on a “path to fitness” until I stumbled across an app on my handy-dandy cellphone.

One leisurely day, I was scrolling through the Google Play App store, looking for appealing games and apps, and I stumbled across a fitness app called 30 Day Fit Challenge Workout, created by Leap Fitness Group. All of the exercises can be done at home, and there is no equipment needed; for a poor college student, this seemed ideal.

There are six different intensity workouts – easy, medium, and hard, with two separate plans for each intensity. Being so out of shape, I chose Easy Plan 1 as my starting point. I have to admit I am proud that I’ve made it to 13 days so far. I’ll also admit I’m not perfect; I have already skipped a few days. I feel that it’s okay, as long as I come back to it the very next day.

Each workout plan spans for 30 days, and each day you have the option to focus on multiple areas. Areas include abs, arm, leg, butt, and full body. I myself do all areas every day because I want to improve my overall body strength and physique. There is a range of exercises for each area, and for each movement there is a set amount of reps or time given to complete the activity. You can rest between movements if you need to. There are also great visual graphics of a person doing the exercise as well as a description of how to do the movement, underneath the graphic.

You have the option to track your weight as you go and the app keeps track of how long you work out each time, as well as the days you worked out on a calendar within the app. You can also set up daily reminders on your phone so that you have an extra nudge to get at it. I’ve had the same reminder since I set it up: Every day at 5 p.m. I get a notification saying “Only 10% of people make it to day three, can you?” (A little more variety would be appreciated.)

After the first several days I was really hurting, sore muscles galore! I have a friendly common-sense tip for y’all, if you choose to become more active: Make sure to drink plenty of water, especially during your workout, as well as to stretch out after the workout. My levels of soreness decreased significantly after I decided to do this.

This particular app doesn’t factor in hydration or diet, which are vital components if you want to see and feel results. My workout after New Year’s Eve felt torturous, which I figured was due to the poor diet choices I had made the night before. Those party snacks are killer!

I’m sure there are many different fitness apps out there, so feel free to browse around if you feel like this could be for you. Sometimes it’s hard to plan a whole workout when you have a lot going on; this app does it for you! Another feature of this app is that it connects to Google Fit, yet another way to keep track of the amount of physical activity each day. This seems redundant, but if you have other apps which are also compatible with Google Fit, all of your health will be tracked and connected in one place. This is especially convenient if you have the Google Pixel phone.

If you’re looking for an easy and cheap way to start the year off on a healthy note, this may be an option for you. I strongly encourage you, if you feel motivated to do something, to not wait. You never know how long it will take until that motivation hits you again, or if you will ever start a positive change in your life.  As the famous quote goes, “Never put off for tomorrow, what you can do today.”

If a cellphone app doesn’t seem appealing to you, there are several fitness classes available at MHCC, as well as free open gym (for all students/staff/visitors) from noon to 1 pm on weekdays.