Current exercise guidelines according to the US Department of Health and Human Services state that adults should engage in moderately intense physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes per day for five days a week.
Certainly an easy statement to make, but not so easy to accomplish with busy lives and a robust list of yes, let me just say it, excuses, albeit often really good ones. But let’s just say, we’re ready to go…..we’re going to commit. So, let’s get started. It is easy to calculate duration and frequency, but to quantify intensity and assure it is moderate for the 30 minutes is more challenging. In addition, it is important to note that these 150 minutes per week is geared towards general health, and reduction of risk of cardiovascular disease. It does not have to do with what it takes for overweight and obese women to lose a sufficient amount of weight. For that, I must say, it usually takes 60+ minutes of aerobic exercise every day, and likely an additional 20 minutes twice per week of strength training.
We’ve come along way since daily logs, sign-in sheets at the gym and even the steps meter or pedometer. Thus, the age of apps. I’m a definite newbie to apps, but here are 2 simple walking apps that may help.
MapMyWalk
Many would consider MapMyWalk the #1 walking app. It can track the route, time, distance, speed, pace and calories in real time, using a GPS enabled mobile device. It is for Android-based devices and can be synced automatically with their website. You can upload your workout data and review the data, your route and walking/workout history. They also have MapMyRide (for cycling) and MapMyRun.
Every Body Walk
Every Body Walk helps track all aspects of a walk, including distance, time, calories burned, and routes. Individuals can watch their progress en route, save walking history for future reference, and share walks with friends and family via Facebook and Twitter. It is available on the iTunes app store.
