Release #: Vol. 84, No. 10
December 01, 2015

Health Watch: Fitness Apps = No Gym Necessary

Being an airline pilot can make working out regularly a challenge. Fortunately, in our smartphone-/tablet-dependent world, there are many fitness apps that make it easy to do cardio and circuit training, Pilates, yoga, and stretching regardless of the time of day or your location. We’re highlighting one example here.

Sworkit Lite, available for free at the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Amazon, offers a variety of exercise options. It’s like having your own personal trainer available whenever you need one. Most importantly, you don’t need exercise equipment—just a smartphone or tablet.

After selecting the workout and its duration, you choose specific areas to focus on, such as upper body, lower body, or core. You can also pick flexibility routines, including full-body stretching, back strength, and sun salutations for yoga fans.

Researchers at the University of Florida rated 30 popular free Apple fitness apps based on guidelines set by the American College of Sports Medicine. In assessing the apps, researchers focused on three categories: aerobic exercise, strength/resistance training, and flexibility. Each app had its advantages, but only Sworkit Lite met more than half of the criteria outlined in the guidelines. (For more details on the study, check out the July/September 2015 issue of the Journal for Medical Internet Research.)

Piqued your interest? Download Sworkit Lite and give it a try.

Like to get your heart pumping? Select Cardio from the main menu. Four workout options vary by degrees of intensity—Light Warm-Up Cardio, Full-Intensity Cardio, Plyometrics Jump Cardio, and Boot Camp. The app will ask for a duration period. Choose between 5 and 60 minutes. Individual exercises last for 30 seconds. Your workout trainer alerts you to the coming exercise change and demonstrates the different moves on your screen. If the routine is new to you, you can pause the clock and watch the trainer demonstrate it until you’re ready to follow along. At the end of your routine, you’ll see how many calories you’ve burned.

The app’s default setting includes no transition periods between exercises, but, if you prefer, you can opt for a five-second transition. After five exercises, the app gives you a 30-second break. And don’t miss the music note icon in the upper right corner, which gives you a wide choice of workout music options available through Spotify.

Into yoga or Pilates? Select the yoga option and choose either Yoga Sun Salutations, Yoga Full Sequence, Yoga for Runners, or Pilates. The American Osteopathic Association website notes that yoga’s relaxation techniques can ease pain associated with arthritis, headaches, lower back issues, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The program notes that it “uses a scientifically proven technique of combining interval training with randomized exercises to maximize the effectiveness of every session…. The randomized aspect helps your body work out harder by preventing it from getting used to a specific routine, helping you stay motivated.”

The app does have limitations. If you prefer to work out based on sets or a specific numbers of reps versus timed periods, you might want to try another app. You’ll also need Internet access to view the videos.

As with most apps, for a fee there’s an upgrade to this program that offers greater levels of customization.

Recommended by Army Times and BreakingMuscle.com, Sworkit could be your answer to building a workout routine that fits your on-the-go lifestyle. If you’re interested in a fitness app to use on layovers or at home, check out the University of Florida study. Better yet, download several free fitness apps and decide which one works best for you. Most importantly, develop a workout routine you can use when you travel to promote and maintain a healthy lifestyle. As the app description says, “No gym, no excuse.”

 
 
This article is from the December issue of Air Line Pilot magazine, the Official Journal of the Air Line Pilots Association, International—a monthly publication for all ALPA members.

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