My New Obsession: Healthy Living Apps

I only got a real smart phone in November. I had been using a BlackBerry for the longest time and was a totally loyal customer. It had a keyboard! And great battery life! It was a love affair of epic proportions. I defended my stodgy BlackBerry to everyone.

I even weathered stories of BlackBerry users' embarrassment in the New York Times, with quotes like, "Blackberry users are like Myspace users," sneers Craig Robert Smith, a Los Angeles Musician. "They probably still chat on AOL Instant Messenger." FYI, Craig Robert Smith, I have used Gchat for years. So hah. (P.S. how was this article actually published in the NYT? This is legitimate news?)

But then, my battery kept dying randomly and mysteriously, with no warning. It was after I saw a movie with a friend and was headed home by myself at 1 AM with a dead phone that I decided I needed a new phone.

I thought I'd just get something refurbished off of eBay, so I was shocked when Sourabh surprised me with a Samsung Galaxy SIII! I really love the phone, especially having a great camera with me at all times without my phone dying when I snap a shot. I thought I'd have a hard time adjusting to the touch screen, but I now find myself wanting to touch my laptop's screen as well, so clearly I'm used to it.

I can take shots like this while on my runs! 

One of the most exciting things is my newfound ability to have apps. I might be a little app-obsessed. I've discovered some really great healthy living apps and wanted to share them, plus I'm hoping to hear about other great apps from you guys!

Running Calculator

For Android (free!)

This app was recommended by Abby, although I'm not sure she has the exact same app since she uses an iPhone. At any rate, I love it! I reference it much more than I would have expected. If I didn't use a Garmin and only know the distance of a run and how long it took, I can figure out what pace I was at. If I want to calculate what pace I need to run at in order to finish in a certain amount of time, I can find it instantly.  And I really like the fact that it's such a simple app with only one interface!

ok, maybe I just check it constantly to see the pace I'll need to break 2:00 

Attitudes of Gratitude Journal

For Android (free!)

Kristine mentioned this app on Twitter and I downloaded it immediately. Honestly, I can be really bad at being grateful for all the wonderful things I have, and the reminder on this app lets me get a gentle electronic nudge once a day to reflect on at least one thing I'm grateful for. It's shocking how often I'm grateful for much more than just one thing! And it's so nice to reflect on how many wonderful things you have in your life when you look back at past entries.

helpful happiness hints and quotes are included 

Foam Roller Techniques

For Android, for iPhone ($2.99) 

This app is great for those of us who aren't well-versed in the wonders of foam rollers. Simply choose the area you want to target, the activity you're doing, or the injury you're recovering from. The app then gives you step-by-step guides to how to use the foam roller to target different muscles, including video demos, which I need since I'm bad at translating written directions to physical movement.

Nike Training Club

For Android, for iPhone (free!) 

Nike's Training Club app is incredible. You choose a goal (get: lean, toned, strong), then your fitness level (beginner, intermediate, advanced). You're then presented with 7 workouts, so theoretically you could do one a day and never repeat a workout in a week. They vary from 30-45 minutes and are totally kickass. Each exercise is demonstrated step-by-step with images and descriptions along with an accompanying video so you can see the exercise performed seamlessly. You perform each exercise for 1 minute and can set a playlist from your phone's library to play during the workout! There's also a "get focused" option that consists of 15 minute workouts which focus on certain areas of the body, like your abs, arms, legs, butt, shoulders, or back. There are also special workouts you get as a reward that consist of things like pro-runner Kara Goucher's stretching routine.

And the usual suspects...
I also am hooked on use apps for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, all of which provide great motivation (Twitter especially) as I see others tweeting about runs that made them feel better, workouts that had them wanting to puke but loving it, spin classes that caused emotional breakthroughs, etc. etc. etc. If you were planning to skip a workout and read a status like that, it's kind of impossible to skip it. Peer pressure can be good, too!

with this kind of motivation, how could I skip a run?

What are your favorite healthy living (or unhealthy living!) apps?