How Your Mobile Phone Is Your Best New Workout Buddy

Everywhere you go you can find at least one person sporting some kind of wearable tech. Health and fitness is sweeping the nation to address the rise of obesity cases, leading people left and right to count their steps and calories. However, purchasing popular brands of wearable tech can be quite the investment.

Studies have even shown that wearable devices are not as accurate as they are perceived to be. Does that mean we should all give up our workout goals and drown our sorrows in a large pizza? Hardly. Although the use of mobile phones has been attributed to a decline in health, they can actually be the key in helping us get back on track. Here’s how your phone can be your new fitness partner.

Better, Faster, Stronger

Why do we need tech at the gym? Staying committed to or even starting a new exercise routine is difficult even at the best of times. However, certain factors do affect whether or not we stick to achieving our fitness goals, such as accuracy and convenience.

With some wearable devices sporting a 20% chance of reporting an inaccurate calculation, people could react negatively to the faulty information. If a fitness tracker reports that you exercised more than you did, it may prompt you to consume more calories than you actually should. However, if a fitness tracker under reports, it could cause you to feel discouraged and give up.

On the other hand, it could lead you to overworking yourself or restricting more calories than you should. Also, if a device is more of an inconvenience to use, people are much less likely to use it and may neglect to exercise altogether. Affordability should also be mentioned since expensive equipment and memberships are not always feasible for individuals.

However, mobile phones are proving themselves to be far superior than other fitness trackers by addressing many of these issues. Not only are health apps for phones affordable (sometimes even free), but they also boast the same or higher accuracy rates than many top wearable tech brands. Plus, you always have your phone with you, and the health apps are easy to use, answering any questions about convenience.  

All the Bells and Whistles

With so many mobile phones to review and choose from, it would take a whole novel to explain what all of them have to offer. For now, we’ll focus on the Galaxy Note 8. This phone has a lot features for people who are just starting out on their exercise journey and for those who go to the gym everyday.

Ranked as one of the top best fitness-friendly phones for working out, you can’t go wrong with it. One of its benefits is that it already has a built in health app called Samsung Health. This app keeps track of your steps and has a feature that helps you keep on top of your exercise routines.

The Note 8 is also the only phone where heart rate sensors are a standard feature, measuring both heart rate and blood-oxygen saturation. Being able to review this data is also made easy since your fitness information can be viewed even when your phone is locked.

By activating the always-on display setting, you can quickly glance at your fitness readings while in the midst of exercising, making sure you’re on track and getting the most optimal workout experience. Its long battery life and its screen’s outdoor visibility makes it a great companion to take with you when exercising in the great outdoors too.

How Your Phone Can Help

So now you know why you should take your phone on workouts with you, but what exactly can it do to help encourage you to stay on top of your exercise goals? Apparently, quite a lot. There are a plethora of apps for getting into shape to choose from that address and provide all sorts of exercise routines.

If you’re a runner, cyclist, or weightlifter, there’s an app for you. Here are some to check out:

Some apps even connect you to entire communities that provide support and advice. These networks and apps can also inspire the spirit of competition between others and yourself as you try to beat your best times or increase the amount of steps you take.

Along with these and other digital health tracking tools, your phone can also be used as a scheduling tool to help you plan your workouts and even help you to remember to exercise in the first place! Mobile phones also come in handy when trying new fitness routines.

It can be scary to try out different workouts you haven’t tried before. However, by streaming how-to guides and videos on your phone on how to perform the exercise you want to try, you can confidently take on any new workout that piques your interest.

Mobile phones are changing lives. Some people think their impact is negative, but it doesn’t have to be. Phones can actually be your greatest ally in achieving your ultimate fitness goals. Not only are they easy to use and accurate, but they come with a variety of features that make having a good workout as convenient as possible. With plenty of apps to get involved and compete, you will never be without encouragement and support. So the next time you’re looking for a workout buddy, why not give your phone a try?

11/29/2017 8:00:00 AM
Nicolas Cesare
Written by Nicolas Cesare
Nick Cesare is a writer from Boise, Idaho. He completed his Masters in medical ethics at the University of Colorado at Boulder and now enjoys writing on cutting-edge topics in healthcare.
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