Fitness Apps: The Cure or the Problem
Don’t worry I am not bashing your favorite fitness App. Just helping you makes a choice if you are on the edge of using one or not.
You can achieve your fitness goal using pretty much any option available out there today. Availability of a resource is not the problem for someone looking to improve their health and or appearance. Is there a Perfect solution? No, but you do have the ability to choose your best fit.
The future is now and the future of fitness is here…Fitness Apps. I am sure you have heard of them from a friend, on the news or even just stumbled upon them while you were bored. If you have NOT simply click here to get introduced with a google search: FITNESS APPS
The truth of the matter is that Fitness Apps are great to use but they can also be not so good. Simply to state my bias, the list of pros and cons below was formed from my stance as a trainer and my perception as an enthusiastic exerciser who is not a fan of the current state of these Apps.
Lets Get Started…
The Good Fitness Apps Bring to the table
Tracking your journey
Easily the most attractive feature offered by the many Apps available. There is no need for you to waste your time setting up equations or formulas to produce graphs on your own because they have already done that for you. You can focus your efforts on your own journey and progress using the systems they built.
Community
Simply by default, the format of an app is for the masses to use. Just like the community feel you can have using a certain fitness disciple ( Crossfit, Yoga, Bodybuilding, Zumba etc.), you can have a community with the people using what you are using.
Pre-made workouts
If you were to install only the top 5 fitness apps on the market you would have the availability of 1000’s upon 1000’s of workouts in which to chose from. If you are not sure what exercises to do just simple chose a workout that is already made for everyone to use once or many times.It is a not thinking or set up approach to getting your fitness journey started.
Usually free training
What is better than cheap Coffee…Free Coffee. The same hold true with these Apps; Try it, use it, Like it or hate it. It doesn’t matter because as the user your pockets are still filled(or not filled) with he same money you started with. If you like the App you are using they usually have an option you pay for; mostly with additional features to use, but it is rarely a requirement to pay.
Sometimes depending on how popular the App is there could be celebrities using the App or actual big time trainers too. They can publish their own workouts for you to follow and then you can use these workouts in your journey.
Demonstration videos
Lets face it, not everyone understands how to move simply my reading a description of a movement. However, A video literally shows the movement quite easily. There is minimal room for interpretation of a movement because you will be trying to copy the video. Some of these videos even go as far as not only showing you but include audio with specific coaching cues to perform the movement correctly.
No physical instructor needed
The App is your instructor. It has nothing better to do than to wait on you (unless it is down for maintenance or being upgraded.) If you were to look in the mirror with your mobile device in your hand you would see both the trainer and the client. essentially you yourself are your own trainer.The only limitations you will encounter are ones you have placed on yourself.
Social Accountability
Share your journey with those you care about and care about you. A solid system of support is quite important when you are doing something that not only challenges you physically but emotionally as well. These Apps hold a community of people who are on the same journey with whom you can share your struggles with. They also have the availability to use social sites like Facebook for you to post achievements and successes in your journey which can only further increase your support system.
Introductory Option
Unfortunately starting a fitness journey can be an intimidating one. I am in favor of almost any resource that allows someone to take that first step. If using an app will get you closer to your goal, then I do see only a positive. Are there other options to use? Absolutely, but if there was one option that worked for everyone the word failure would be a lonely one in our vocabulary.
The Bad Fitness Apps Lay on the Table
Best for the Successful and already Committed
The way these apps are set up really is nothing new. Sure the technology of mobile applications is new but has it really made the fitness environment more successful. Unfortunate to say but these apps are self governed, if you were unable to reach your goals without the technology it is highly unlikely you will with it. You will see success stories and advertising images of the successful with no mention of the ones who failed to reach their success.
The ones who will get the most out of these apps are the people who would have reached their goal no matter the use of the app or not. The app simply gives these people more tools to track themselves instead of actually helping the people who need guidance in their journey.
Analysis Paralysis
Can you interpret the data you are given when you look at your App results? If you can, what exactly are you doing with it? If you can not, why pay attention to it? The data you see can be used as a great motivator to continue on your journey but it becomes something that hinders your progress when all you care about are the numbers. You can start to workout or train only for the numbers and not for the continued progress for your goal.
Non-Qualified Individuals Giving Advice
If they look the part or sound the part, they must be the part? A man in a long white coat is not always a doctor. The ability to follow someone who has achieved their goal or seen success is great for a system of support. The positive aspects of this support fall rapidly when you start to mimic all of their actions or believe all of their words to be true and best for you. While there maybe a few qualified people using these apps, the vast majority are not. Anyone and everyone can create and share on these Apps. How are you do determine who knows what is best for you?
Glorified notebooks
What is a fitness log book app other than a digital notebook with colorful graphs and numbers. I would hope that this service is free because to be honest…it really doesn’t do anything. Sure you can Log your workouts and keep track of your results but if it costs more or takes more time to set up than a notebook and pencil…is it worth it free or not? What is your gain?
Not personal to you/ Computer generated
Like I stated above in “ The Good” section; There is no physical instructor making your workout specifically for you. Simply answer a few surveys and profile set up questions and boom a suggested computer generated perfect workout has been made for you…Enjoy. Convenient? sure; Effective? I have no idea. Your information is compiled and plugged into an algorithm that spits out a generic workout.
Even better and less personal than that. The pre-made workout, the fitness industry version of Microwaveable frozen dinners. They are generic and made for everyone to have, use and abuse. It doesn’t matter what your profile says or what your goals are; just pick a workout and go. I have even seen apps that are called “ Random Workout Generators”. Random, like picking a name out of a hat…sure that is a quality system to follow for a specific goal. Any other business would fail if all they did was deliver random solutions or generic programs to fix a problem.
Game of Fitness / Competition with others
I understand you want your fitness journey to be a fun and exciting one but, if there is one thing that will always harbor a risk of injury it is an overwhelming emphasis on competition.
No guidance/ Accountability
Just Uninstall it. The App was free right…what are you losing? Even early in its inception a popular “gamifying” fitness app” had a hard time holding their register users with only a 20% active user rate.
Our Generations Exercise Videos
While we still have the fitness DVD infomercials running like crazy during the off peak time slots on our TVs, these Apps have become the new tech version of the fitness videos in your living room. Everything about them is the same besides the technology and your ability to share it with whoever wants to look. Remember you get what you Pay for and most of these apps are free to use. So, the quality of service will often be of “ free” quality, which means generic and easy for the developer instead of best for the customer.
It’s Not Personal training
Are you Currently a personal trainer? If you answered Yes then feel free to use these apps with full confidence for tracking your own workouts. If you are not a personal trainer then good luck to you because the fate of your goals are in your own hands.
It is all on you. Unless you want to pick a generic pre-planned workout in the app, you and only you have the ability to create your fitness routines. Do you trust Yourself to know what is best or are you just winging it? Would you stand up and be your own lawyer in a lawsuit against you or, would you find someone with the expertise in the field? The App may be advertised as a personal training app but it is really just a library of exercises you pick from and input it on a device. Will you know when it is time to change your program? How do you bust through a training plateau? Should you do box jumps when your knee is hurting you? How do you warm up before you exercise? Should you do more Conditioning or just to more Cardio? Why does my elbow hurt when I do Tricep push downs? Do i need to eat more food or less food to “tone up”? What to do if I have no time for my usual workout? You are the trainer now…these are some of the questions you might need to answer…Can you Handle it?
When it is all said and done, you need to make sure that what you are doing is in line with the goals you have. If using these Apps is getting you there then keep on using them. If you find that they have failed to help or have only hurt you then it is time to look for an other option. You are Unique and often times the easy, free and generic approach will not get you to where you want to be.
To finish the conversation I will tell you to try them out before making up your mind. If you find they work for you…Fantastic, keep on keeping on. If You are like me and find that they missing the key ingredients to support a journey in fitness then find another option it is that simple.
Originally published at fitletes.com
Thanks For taking the time out of your day to read.
If you enjoyed it then I hope you follow, It would really mean the world to me.