I’m totally digging CardioTrainer, a fitness app for my Droid. I especially appreciate how it’s keeping my accountable and on track with my weight loss goals. I don’t know how it is with you, but eight years of blogging can take a toll on a girl. What started out as a little extra baby weight spread out of control as I spent every spare moment working instead of taking care of myself. Now, I realize that if I want to be a good role model for my son and teach him good habits, plus maintain my own healthy lifestyle, I have to work on my own bad habits.

No More Excuses

I had lots of good reasons for not working out:

• I need my spare time to work.
• I’m too tired at night after working and playing Mom all day.
• The house is a mess.
• I’ll do it tomorrow/later/next week
• I don’t need to exercise, I just need to stop eating

Really lame, right? The truth is, I don’t enjoy going to the gym. However, I do enjoy walking, hiking and swimming. So when a bunch of my neighbors invited me to join them on their morning walks, I jumped at the opportunity.  I have been taking the dog for a walk to get exercise but I’d rather have human company. My friends are interesting and engaging and breaks up that work at home isolation.

Facebook Updates

I noticed some of my friends had apps on their smart phones that updated their Facebook statuses as to how many miles they walked each day. If some of them didn’t post their update on a particular day, other friends would call them out (in a nice way) for not walking. I liked how the app and Facebook update held them accountable for their workouts.

Cardio Trainer Pros and Cons

What I like most about my CardioTrainer app is that it records all the miles I worked and calories burned.  Here’s the kicker: If I know I just walked off 450 calories, the last thing I want to do is put that food back in my mouth. As mentioned earlier, I set it up so each workout is automatically posted to my wall on Facebook. I’m sort of proud at displaying my results and I get encouragement from my Facebook friends. I pair this up with a subscription to Weight Watchers Online and I’m accountable for my fitness and weight loss and it’s all apps and online geeky fun.

CardioTrainer, the brain child of WorkSmartLabs, isn’t without its faults. Though my friends keep their Droids in their pockets and fanny packs, I walk with mine in my hand because when it’s in my pocket I bump into it with my legs somehow and it pauses. It also pauses on its own if I slow down too much. Also? I’m still trying to figure out the swim option. Because I don’t know how I can swim and hold my Droid in my hand or attached to my side without getting it wet. I’m thinking swim updates won’t happen with CardioTrainer.

If the sound is on, a monotone male voice will call out periodic updates while I’m working out, letting me know how long I’ve been at it, my miles per hour, and how far I’ve gone so far. As my friends and I walk, someone’s pocket is always shouting out an update.

I like CardioTrainer. It holds me accountable for my workout, encourages me along and even displays the calories burned so I’m not tempted to over indulge once my workout is over.  My only gripe is that it pauses on its own in the middle of my workout sometimes and I have to restart it from time to time. If your body is suffering from Blogger’s Spread and it’s time to get back into shape, consider CardioTrainer or another smartphone app. It adds an element of motivational fun and I’m not inclined to give up after a few days of working out.

What apps do you use to help stay in shape?