Guest Post: Top Cardio Workout Apps for Fitness On the Go

Four Tools to Keep You Focused on your Cardiovascular Goals

Did you know that smart phone apps are your best ally if you expect to stick to a fitness regime?  It’s true; you always have your smart phone with you—so it makes sense to use it as a fun, handy, exercise aid.  When it comes to seeking workout inspiration, scheduling workouts, tracking workout progress, and receiving fitness alerts, you can always count on your iPhone, droid, or one of those T-Mobile Android phones to ensure you’re not lazing around on the couch if you’ve planned a sweat session.  Plus, because you’re smart phone is so mobile, it’s the ideal fitness aid for ensuring you get in a workout if you’re traveling or away from the gym.

Here are my top picks for top cardio workout apps for fitness on the go…

1. Cardio Trainer (Free – for Android)
Consider the Cardio Trainer app your own private personal training partner when it comes to getting your butt in gear!  This app is ideal for walkers, runners, cyclists, hikers, and more because it seamlessly tracks indoor and outdoor cardio activities using a built in GPS, heart rate monitor, calorie counter tool, as well as a pedometer.  This app even boasts a social networking app so you can seek motivation if you feel like exercise burn out is setting in.  The Cardio Trainer lets you schedule workouts, sends automatic reminders, and even works as a music player to energize your workouts.

2. iTreadmill ($1.99 – for iPhone)
The iTreadmill app keeps close track of your steps, speed, and calories burned during your workouts so you can concentrate on your run or walk.  This app is literally a virtual “treadmill” so there’s no need to be at the gym to get a good workout.  You can sweat from anywhere by just launching the iTreadmill app and beginning your walk or run. The app will do the rest—accurately measuring your steps (pedometer), distance (miles/km), calories burned, speed, pace, time elapsed, and strike Rate (steps/min).  And you can take it with you anywhere—to the mall, the park, on a run around your neighborhood, etc.  And if the weather is bad, you can use it at home on your staircase or as you skip in your own living room as you watch television.

3. FitSync ($2.99 – for Android)
Seeking a little workout inspiration?  The FitSync app offers plenty of free workout ideas to keep your cardio workouts fresh and engaging.  Simply download the app, register with your personal information, and the app will sync your personal data with custom exercises that suit your fitness goals.  Just add the exercises to your own workout to create a custom program. Or you can browse pre-set workouts and apply them to your dashboard to shake things up or for a
quick sweat session on the go!

4. RunKeeper (Free – for iPhone)
The RunKeeper app isn’t just for runners so don’t be intimidated by it if you can’t make it around the block. This app uses the GPS in your smart phone to track your time, distance, speed, heart rate, and calories burned during a variety of cardio activities—such as running, cycling, walking, swimming, hiking, downhill or cross-country skiing, and sweating it out on the elliptical machine.  The RunKeeper app will trace the map of your route, complete with mile markers, so that you can track your favorite routes and compare old routes to recent routes to see how far you’ve progressed.  Plus, you can brag about your cardio progress via Facebook or Twitter when you share your route and statistics with other members of the RunKeeper community.

About The Author
Pearlie Davis is a staff writer for GoingCellular, a popular site that provides cell phone news, commentary, reviews.

Do you guys use any SmartPhone apps to help with your health and fitness goals?!  Please share!

P.S.  It’s the last day to enter my pasta sauce giveaway!  Contest ends tonight — I announce the winner tomorrow morning.