No more Excuses: iPhone brings out the Workout applications!

by Veronica Wu  |  July 10, 2009

Because it's summer again the iPhone gives you a hand in your attempt to look fit; and if you loved  your iPhone up to now, you will really find it irreplaceable from now on. Instead of going to the gym and spending money and time, iPhone offers you an easier and much cheaper alternative: workout applications. I have to admit that the diversity of such applications available online is quite surprising and ready to satisfy any ambition.

Attention! The following applications are addressed mostly to women, but that doesn't mean that men can't stretch :).

The first application and my favorite one is the “iPump Pilates”. If you are familiar with the “Pilates” concept (good for you!) then this application will make your life easier. If you really don't have a clue what it's about, I have to tell you that Pilates is a program made of exercises which rely on breathing techniques for toning your body. So, with the help of the Pilates trainer Kristin McGee, this fitness application will guide you through 3 challenging levels of Pilates mat exercises. The application contains 63 Pilates images, videos and audio training which will make you stretch and work your abs so that they finally look like Kristin's. The best part is that you can still listen to music while performing the exercises.

This ”iPum Pilates” app was launched in 2008, as part of the “iPump & FitnessBuilder” program, and is available for both iPhone and iPod Touch. The price of the application is $2.99 and can be bought from iTunes Store, and apart from an investment in a good mat (my personal advice) it's all that you need this summer to look good. Keep in mind that this application brings Pilates wherever you go, but a certain amount of concentration, endurance and will are compulsory.

From the same “iPump & FitnessBuilder” program comes the next iPhone application: iPump Yoga. If Pilates takes care of your physical shape, Yoga is going to improve your spiritual health. So, get ready to perform various flows from the basic “Sun Salutation “ flow to more elaborate and difficult ones, with the help of 61 Hatha* Yoga images, audios and videos, and of course with the help of an experimented Yoga coach -  Kristin McGee. Your big gain from following this program is a stronger and more agile body and a more aware and peaceful mind. The price of the application is $2.99 and is available in iTunes Store.

Another Yoga application is “Yoga Stretch”. This application is for the experienced Yoga practitioners who want to exercise some basic poses individually. “Yoga Stretch” has more than 60 Yoga moves depicted in detail by an audio instructor. Moreover, it allows you to customize a session of exercises according to your needs and even to choose a background mediation song from 6 possible choices. The latest version of this application  - 3.1 is available starting with June 2009 at a price of more or less $1 in iTunes Store and is compatible both with the iPhone and with the iPod Touch, with the requirement to have an iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later. The benefits of “Yoga Stretch” is that it makes your body more flexible and it improves your balance and posture.

There's also a bundle of workout applications for the iPhone which can be found online for free. One example is the “iPump Workout”. This free fitness program provides exercises which will work your entire body and will make you become more fit. The iPump Workout consists in 2 guided workout sessions concentrated on the major muscle groups which will tone your body while listening to your favorite music.

So, no matter the free time that you have, the endurance limit and the location where you are, there is an iPhone workout application for everyone. With a little bit of will this modern kind of workout can be transformed into a habit and then into a lifestyle.

From now on: No more Excuses!

*Hatha is a stage of physical purification in Yoga, introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, which prepares the body for higher meditation. The word “Hatha” means Sun (ha) and Moon (tha).

Next articles in this series:

1. Apple iPhone Applications – How to get things done in and out of office with your iPhone
2. No more Excuses: iPhone brings out the Workout applications!
3. This Summer don't forget about iPhone Travel Applications
4. Let’s cook with iPhone!

Not the info that you're looking for? Ask Tuva and you'll get your answer!

Comments

Your Comment: