Tricks to Use Your Cell Phone to Get Into Physical Shape
Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle tone or increase endurance, getting into shape is easier said than done. The good news is that your cell phone can be a helpful tool for reaching your fitness goals.
Here’s how to use your cell phone to get into better physical shape.
- Watch free workout videos on YouTube
YouTube is an excellent place to find a variety of workout videos and burning extra calories. As long as you have access to the Internet, you can exercise without a DVD player and squeeze in a workout—whether it’s five minutes, 10 minutes or 30 minutes.
Pull up YouTube videos on your cell phone and get into shape anytime, anyplace.
- Download workout videos to your phone
Browse your app store and download apps that give you access to different workout videos. With the Fitbit app, for example, you can choose from Pilates, cardio, lower body sculpting, arm workouts, ab workouts and more. Several workouts are short, which is perfect for squeezing in activity before work or on your lunch break.
- Track your daily steps with a pedometer
You can also find apps that turn your cell phone into a pedometer. These apps can track your steps throughout the day, which is a must-have if you set a daily goal of 10,000 steps.
Depending on the app, you might be able to track your distances and calorie burn. Keep in mind, you must have your phone in your hand or pocket to benefit from these apps. And because your cell phone doesn’t have a heart rate monitor, these apps don’t provide an accurate calorie burn. Even so, some apps can provide a rough estimate based on your weight and the number of steps you’ve taken during the day.
- Use a fitness tracker that syncs with your phone
To track your steps and receive a better estimate of the number of calorie burned, you’ll need to get a fitness tracker that syncs with your cell phone.
Fitbit is one option. Simply place the tracker on your wrist, and then access your information from the Fitbit app downloaded to your phone. If you have an Apple Watch, there are apps with similar features.
Not only can you track calorie burn with some apps, you can also track your number of stairs, sleep, log food, and monitor your heart rate.
- Use your phone’s GPS to track distance
If you enjoy riding your bike, walking or jogging, your phone’s GPS can also be used to track distances. Based on your distance, these apps can estimate your calorie burn if you don’t have a fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor. For this to work, however, you need to use your GPS in conjunction with fitness apps like Runkeeper.
- Create an upbeat playlist
There’s no rule that says you have to hit the gym or take a workout class to get into physical shape. If you have a cell phone and plenty of music, create a work out/dance playlist of your most up-tempo music.
If you can squeeze in 10 minutes of fun, high-energy dancing three times a day, you’ll get a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio every single day. This is perfect because you don’t need any equipment or a lot of space.
Bottom line: Being physically fit can improve your health. You’ll not only lose weight, you can reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and even improve your mental health. So if it’s difficult to get motivated, pull out your cell phone and discover the many ways you can use it to get into better shape.