Fact: when I discover something awesome, I feel compelled to share it with anyone who will listen.
Are you listening? Okay, good.
Backstory: I hate the gym. Who doesn’t? It smells weird and I’m really awkward around macho guys grunting while I’m reading the instructions on the weight machines (safety first!). But alas, after Everett was born I purchased a six-month membership to shed the baby weight and get bikini-ready for our trip to Hawaii in November. I’m not really sure when I thought I was going to have time to go to the gym, or how I thought I was going to become a gym rat with a four month-old in tow, but needless to say…..the gym isn’t working out so well (pun intended). Once Everett is six months old he can go to the gym daycare (insert Brett’s gasp of horror) and I will probably use it more often. I really only go to the gym for classes, and by classes I do not mean “cardio lift” which nearly killed me. Yoga and pilates: yes. Cardio lift and/or Turbo kick: absolutely not.
The thing is, at this point in time, I have about 10-15 minutes to dedicate to exercise every day. I’m hoping that will change in the future, but right now, it’s my reality. What’s that? What do I do while Everett is napping? Well, that’s when I eat/shower/make the bed/fold the laundry/empty the dishwasher/catch up on e-mails/edit photos/cut my fingernails/clean up baby toys/schedule eye appointments/apply copious amounts of dry shampoo to my dirty hair, and…..exercise. Let’s be honest. I only have 10-15 minutes to exercise on a good day.
I’d be lying if I said I use my iPad for anything other than occasional list-making and internet-browsing from the couch, but get excited folks, because that is all about to change. Earlier this week I went on a hunt for the perfect exercise app, and lo and behold, I FOUND IT.
Workout Trainer is exactly what I was looking for, and get this—it’s free! Amazing! They have a whole range of workouts and programs to select from, and you can specify things like: how much time you have to exercise (me – 10 minutes), what equipment you have (me – none), what areas you want to target (me – abs), and how intense you like your workouts (me – casual). Find your workout, press play, and voila! You can listen to your own music while watching the workout progress on the screen. It explains how to do each exercise, and keeps a timer the entire time so you know when to switch to the next move. You can listen to the computer voice narrate for you, or do what I do and just read the text while listening to your own jams (yeah, I said jams).
The thing I love most about this app is that it fits perfectly into my current reality. I may not have time to go to a 90 minute yoga class twice a week, but an 8-minute ab workout before I hop in the shower? Totally doable.
I’ve only had this app for a few days and I’m still figuring out which workouts I like, but I’m hoping to create a little calendar of weekly workouts to keep me motivated! They also have a paid version, which I’m sure is awesome, and if you don’t want to pay for a gym membership, $25/year sounds pretty reasonable to me. With the paid version, you get a ton more workouts, programs, and videos.
Question of the day: do you use any iPhone/iPad apps for exercise? Which ones? And, do you have any recs for workout jams? Yeah, I said jams again.
