 "Sporty apps and fitness fads")
Price: Rs 170
If you’ve always wanted to practice yoga but didn’t know how to start, this app’s for you. With voice and visual guidance from yoga instructors at every step, this app offers three different practices at three difficulty levels, with a choice of three different durations — or a choice of 27 yoga sessions. To help newbies, it also has a dictionary of yoga poses and terms and is available for iOS and Android.
MAPMYFITNESS
Price: Free
Whether you walk, cycle or run, this app keeps track of everything — helping you stick to your exercise regimen. The app features real-time GPS tracking with distance, time, pace, and speed display, with support for mile or km output. It also synchronises your activity log and routes on MapMyFITNESS.com. You can view your history with maps on your smartphone and post them on Twitter, your blog and share maps with friends for group outings. Available for Android, BlackBerry and iOS.
ABS WORKOUT
Price: Rs 111
If you’re someone who loves doing crunches for that six-pack, this one’s for you. With detailed information on each workout, this app also gives you the option of adding logs to each exercise. The app has pictures, steps, tips as well as muscles affected for each of the exercises. For iOS users, there’s a similar free app by a different developer which offers workout videos, a calendar for your workout schedule as well as a reminder.
RUNTASTIC PRO
Price: Rs 300 for Android, Rs 148 for BlackBerry and Rs 270 for iOS
All of us need some encouragement to stick to our exercise regimen. So it helps every bit if someone cheers you through your workout. You can run, bike, skate, hike or ski — and the app will map your activities, keep you motivated and help you burn calories. With its built-in GPS functionality, the app turns your smartphone into your fitness assistant. A free version called runtastic, without the added features such as cheering is also available.
COUCH 2 5K
Price: Rs 74 for BlackBerry, Rs 55 for iOS
This is an app that will make couch potatoes morph into 5-km distance runners in 9 weeks. This app gets users into perfect shape by alternating between walking and running, and only 3 days a week. The voice command guidance works along with a playlist so you can burn calories while jiving to your favourite tracks. The app guides you through a warm-up routine, walking, running and cooling down.
YOGA AT WORK
Price: Rs 74 for BlackBerry
Do you spend long hours at the desk or on the road? If you always wanted to find out how to get rid of muscle fatigue, this app is just perfect. A few quick stretching exercises will help you stay loose, supple and tension-free. The app classifies each stretching pose on various body parts, which are illustrated and explained. And you can do all this with your choice of mediating music. The app also tells you the benefits of each stretching pose.