GET FIT WITH ANDROID

Sports and technology have always been tied together in one way or another. With the miniaturisation of technology and increased functionality, it is now possible to turn every portable device into a sports hub.

It all started in 1985, when the first cyclo-computer was detailed and invented. Till recently, such devices and tracking techniques were limited to the elite. Since then, these gadgets have shrunk, now making it possible Ior you to hold a cyclo computer, a heart rate monitor and a complete personal trainer in your hand. Sports computers or tracking devices made their debut with proprietary computers, courtesy oI Garmin, Sigma and many others. Later on, sports tracking apps like Nike+ made their entry. However, due to their high prices, these apps weren’t adopted on a wide scale. The arrival oI smartphones has resulted in a paradigm shiIt, creating arrays oI opportunity, opening new doors Ior untapped world and bringing sports apps to the masses.

In 2010, Android 2.3 was released—a platIorm cheaply available to all. With Android, developers started churning out sports applications without the need Ior costly hardware or show-oII shoes. Thanks to some oI these, we can now track and maintain our fitness regimes easily. Let’s look at the best Android tracking applications that let you monitor your workout intuitively and smartly. Let us also test some oI the best diet and training apps that guide you.

Track!

The very purpose oI sports is to improve and compete. Tracking apps are designed to let you track your score globally, and to compare your workouts to some oI the best athletes in the world. Pair these apps with a heart-rate belt, and you have a complete working ‘trainer’ with you.

Sports-Tracker.com: For outdoor exercise

Outdoor exercise is a great way to warm up; it is Iun and reIreshing, more intense, and requires more stamina than typical indoor exercise. Sports-Tracker packages a complete tracking device into an intuitive app that is available Ior almost all smartphone platIorms—whether the old Symbian, Meego, iOS, Android or Windows Phone. The app lets you track your workout easily, oIIering more than 12 pre-loaded profiles Ior diIIerent workouts such as running, cycling, hiking, etc. All you need is an active Net connection, and iI you live in a country with open GPS satellites, you can use the application without an Internet connection. The app provides precise details, with a map showing your location and speed across diIIerent routes that you tracked. The app's beautiIully skinned interIace adds to its intuitiveness. The home screen lists your user profile with the total number oI workouts, distance tracked and other details. The centre oI the screen shows the details oI your latest workout, notifications Irom your Iriends (yes, this is a social tracking app) and inIormation oI dusk/dawn timings. From there, you can create a new workout, view your diary and track your complete workout statistics. You can even check out your Iriends' achievements, and much more. One really striking Ieature is the Explore wizard, with which you can track the workouts oI people near you who use the app (provided they have made their workout public).

The developers have leveraged maps and various other Ieatures to track your route during or aIter the workout, which helps you discover new and unknown routes with the help oI