A well-built nutrition plan is more efficient if the patient has an active lifestyle. As a nutritionist or RD you must know it sometimes gets tough to motivate patients to move it, move it. We found some really cool health and sports apps that will help you in your mission to get them off the couch.
Pact
What can make one get off their chair faster than losing money? Pact is a sports app that was created around that very logic. Earn cash for living healthy.
Users must set an amount that they put on the line and establish a goal related to their diet and gym activity. Along the way, they must log in their activity, their meals and add some images to prove it. If they succeed, they get to keep their money and get a bonus from those who failed and lost the bet. The app is free.
Diet Bet
Also known as the Weight Loss Games, Diet Bet is a diet app that helps people lose extra pounds and earn money for it. User can choose between two games: Kickstarter (losing 4 percent of their weight in four weeks) and Transformer (losing 10 percent of their weight in six months). Whoever reaches their goal gets paid, after betting money on their success, of course. Statistics show that 96 percent of all Diet Bet users lose weight. It’s not all about money, though. This app also offers motivation, support and advice for those looking to shed a few (more) pounds. Your patients can choose games led by other players or led by celebrity trainers. Referees are always on call to answer questions and check each individual’s performance. This app is free.
Charity Miles
While some might be motivated by money, others need a more altruistic motivation. This is where Charity Miles comes in. As you might have guessed, this very atypical sports app will help people make donations as they work out. One can earn up to 25¢ per mile while walking or running and up to 10¢ per mile while biking thanks to the app’s partners and sponsors.
As a user, one can choose from the thirty available charities to donate the amount. So far, Charity Miles users earned more than $2.5 million by staying active. The good news is walking also counts, so one can earn a pay while walking the dog or grabbing coffee. The app is free for download.
Nike+ Training Club
One of the most well-known sports apps, Nike+ Training Club has something for everyone. It’s also great for those who want to work out at home and not at the gym. Users can personalize their workout and focus on a certain area or choose a full body workout. There is a selection of more than one hundred exercise programs made by trainers and athletes. Duration also varies, from 15 minutes to 30 minutes and more. Cheers and comments are also available and many times helpful for users. The good news is the app is free and it gets smarter as you use it to track your other fitness or sports activities.
Stand Up! The Work Break Timer
This is not necessarily a sports app, but it’s definitely useful for those that are too lazy and who forget to get up from their office chair hours in a row. Any doctor recommends that we get up and walk around a bit every two hours if our job requires sitting down. If it’s hard for your patients to remember that, Stand Up! will remind them. Besides, who wouldn’t like a reminder to take more breaks? An insistent alarm will surely get them out of their chair. This app is also free and fully functional.
MapMyWalk
While many patients coming to an RD for a meal plan might not be very fond of working out, they can embrace a more active lifestyle by taking walks. It’s a known fact that a daily 30-minute walk can do wonders for one’s health. MapMyWalk, now part of the UnerArmour family, will help track distance, pace speed, elevation and the number of calories burned during the walk.
If your patients don’t even feel like creating a route for their evening walk, this app will do that for them. There are more than 70 million routes to choose from, but also the possibility to plan a new one. The app can be downloaded for free.
Fitocracy
Believe it or not, there is a fitness app that is similar to a video game. Actually, its description says it is an online game and social network for those aiming to improve their fitness game. So, it can be a great choice for all those gamers who find it difficult to be in the outdoors or even get up and move. This may not be the best option for those who are not willing to share their score in a social media stream. Fitocracy offers the possibility for other users to view, comment on, share and motivate one’s results. The best part about it seems to be the amount of encouragement coming from fellow users, as well as the advantages brought on by earning points and leveling up. The app is free for download.
Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout
OK, so the most common excuse for those who don’t work out is that they don’t have time to. You must have heard this so many times—people sitting across your desk complaining that they can’t squeeze in some physical activity in their busy lives. Well, there is a sports app for them too. It’s called the 7 Minute Workout and it’s a great way to start moving.
This is not only an app for beginners, as advanced routines, complete with videos, are also available. It has features that substitute a personal trainer and offers users the possibility to personalize the workouts. You don’t even need to be in the gym to use it. Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout offers home workouts or on-the-go routines. This app is also free.
Sports Tracker
This is a great sports app for those who wish to take physical activity seriously. You can recommend it to your most ambitious patients who dare to set goals and dream of being in a competition. Sports Tracker, as stated by its name, will help them track their progress while practicing various sports, including cycling and skiing. As expected, users will get a chart with various metrics for each workout. This app also has a strong social component, complete with likes and comments. Sports Tracker offers a great way to discover routes for cycling or running while in a different country. This app is also free.
Couch to 5K
This award-winning app is one of the most popular sports apps for those looking to start an active lifestyle. As its name states, it helps people get off the couch and make their way towards their first 5K run. There are even a few replicas of the sports app, but you’ll recognize the original one by the full name and trademark symbol. Users get virtual coaches, lots of motivation and training courses for a nine-week program. Success requires discipline and for those looking to work on this, you can recommend Couch to 5K. Of course, for those who succeed with their five kilometers, there are programs for 10K or 21K. This app costs $2.99.
If you have other sports apps that help your patients stay active and in shape, feel free to share in our comments section below or on our Facebook page.