Photo Credit: Brandie Raasch

Phones are no longer just for listening to music, taking pictures, checking your email and looking up directions. Mobile apps have completely changed the way we think about our health and are making a difference in the way we live. There are thousands of apps for the Blackberry, iPhone and Android that will give you the real-time support and momentum you need to achieve optimal health and fitness. Whether you’re trying to calculate the number of calories in a slice of pizza or how much time you’ll need to spend on the elliptical to burn off those calories, there’s an app for everything.

FREE

Nike BOOM (iPhone)

This app is more than a just a playlist; it syncs your music with your workout so you can exercise to the right beat and tempo. This app also comes equipped with advice and support from popular athletes who will coach you throughout your workout.

Jillian Michaels Fitness Motivation (iPhone)

Need a personal trainer? Work out with America’s toughest trainer from the hit reality shows The Biggest Loser and Losing It With Jillian. Michaels was overweight as a teen, and after losing weight and improving her health, she decided to dedicate her life to helping overweight people transform their life. Her app will help you track the amount calories you’ve burned, the distance you’ve run, and the number of pounds you’ve lost. If you’re looking for a new routine, Jillian’s how-to videos demonstrate various exercises.

The Snack App (iPhone)

Afternoon lulls can leave you reaching for something ultimately sinful. This app helps you find the right snack, divided into eight categories and with less than 200 calories. There’s even a “Surprise Me!” category that helps narrow down your cravings when you can’t figure out what you want to eat, as well as exercises for burning each snack. Groups and discussion boards provide a place to share and get snack ideas and tips.

Food Network Canada Mobile(Blackberry)

Although this app is inspired by the Canadian version of Food Network programming, it contains information from the shows in the U.S., too. It features over 10,000 meals and recipes, how-to cooking videos and the ability to search and save recipes.

Epicurious (Android)

If you love to cook and eat, this app from culinary website Epicurious is filled with thousands of delicious recipes. There’s a recipe for every meal and every occasion, from breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes to classic dishes for the holidays, birthdays and barbecues. Convenient bonus: after you choose a recipe, it will automatically generate a shopping list for the ingredients you need to prepare the meal.

PAID

Calorie Tracker by LIVESTRONG (Blackberry)

$2.99

Equipped with an extensive database of information on foods from the most popular restaurants and fast-food chains, the Calorie Tracker makes it easy to check nutritional information before you order. It also gives you a daily calorie count based on the amount of weight you want to lose. Moreover, it keeps a history of the foods you’ve eaten so you can track eating patterns and make smarter choices.

RoadRunnerGPS (Blackberry)

$2.99

RoadRunnerGPS will be your new best friend every time you exercise. This mobile app calculates the calories burned and your average speed and pace, with a built-in audio cue to remind you how long you’ve spent working out and how much distance you’ve covered. It works for sports other than running, such as rowing, cycling and skiing. At the end of each workout, you can enter your stats to record your progress over time.

Couch-to-5k (iPhone)

$2.99

This app is perfect for those whose have always resolved to run a 5K marathon. Equipped with a workout training coach, Couch-to-5K provides a series of interval 30-minute workouts for nine weeks, which increase in difficulty as you continue. With audio cues for switching between jogging and walking, this app can also be used with Nike apps.

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As a student-athlete, does your diet change between seasons? Contrary to popular belief, the dietary needs of a track star or tennis champion actually remain unchanged whether he or she is training or not. The main difference is in the amount of calories and fluids a student-athlete consumes while they are preparing for a competition.

“The most important thing is to make sure you have enough energy [in the form of] food, and the best kind of energy for athletes are complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains,” said Mary-Jo Lomax, a health educator at De Anza College. “A varied diet helps make sure you get all the nutrients you need.”

Here are some other top tips for eating toward efficient performance:

Refrain from binge habits

Don’t let your extra hours of training fool you into thinking that you can get away with eating junk food all the time. “A trap that you can get into is thinking, ‘Oh, I can eat this donut’ or ‘I can eat whatever I want because I work out,’ ” Lomax said. However, that isn’t usually the case. In order to do your best at games and meets, you need to prime your body with the nutrients it needs. Empty calories from junk food can easily take up most of your calorie requirements, which vary depending on your size, gender and activity level. (For more information on energy requirements, visit the MIT Sports Medicine webpage.)

Carbo-load with caution

A common practice for athletes is “carbohydrate loading,” when athletes consume a high-carbohydrate diet days before an event. This technique mainly benefits athletes who participate in long-distance endurance events that last 90 minutes or more, for a source of fuel for the body. But other athletes don’t need this— “Just make sure that the majority of your diet [about 60 percent] consists of carbohydrates,” Lomax said.

Pick your proteins

You don’t need to guzzle protein shakes or consume massive amounts of protein powder in order to gain muscle. The amount the average American eats is sufficient for the body; the rest of the work in muscle building comes from strength training. A recommended guideline is about one to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram in body weight each day.

Get your fats

You need a moderate amount of fat each day for long-lasting fuel and for other tasks that contribute to a fully functioning body, such as cell growth and hormone production, said Lomax. Dieticians recommend consuming unsaturated fats, like the kind in nuts or fish, instead of oversaturated fats, which can be found in abundance in the typical cheeseburger or in fatty meats. Try to avoid trans fats in fried foods and baked goods that use margarine or shortening, which have been linked to a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. Make sure to check the ingredients label for “partially hydrogenated” oils.

Load up on vitamins and minerals

One thing athletes do have to worry about more than anyone else is getting enough iron to prevent fatigue and enough calcium to maintain strong bones and muscles. The recommended daily amount of iron—which you can find in red meat, beans and leafy greens—is 15 milligrams per day for women and 10 for men. Young women need about 1,200 milligrams of calcium, which can be found in dairy, per day.

Stay hydrated

For workouts of one hour or less in duration, water is the best choice to drink to maintain your body’s fluid level. Sports drinks that replenish electrolytes are best left to workouts that last over an hour. Make sure to keep drinking fluids before, during and after the workout or event to stay hydrated.

Fuel up early

Lomax suggests eating a small amount of food a couple of hours before a game or meet. “All that digestion takes energy, and you want to avoid getting cramps,” she said. Don’t eat foods high in fat, protein or simple sugars right before the game, and also avoid caffeine, which can lead to dehydration (not to mention heighten nerves). Experiment with the best meal times for you: try having a small meal two to four hours before your event, and a light snack of low-fiber fruits and vegetables, yogurt or crackers an hour prior to competing.

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Courtesy Mandy Yeh

What do I do if I’m stuck in a weight-loss plateau?

Keep your workout routine interesting and change up your everyday regimen. If you find yourself always hopping on the treadmill, try doing some squats and abs first and then heading outside for a run. Running outside can challenge your body in different ways with the natural terrain. Kicking up your workout a few notches will create new muscle in your body. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, this workout will result in a stimulated metabolism and ultimately lead to faster weight loss.

Try using a journal or calendar to keep tabs on your weight loss and diet. Remember, this should be as much about making healthier food choices as slimming down. Keeping a food log can also track progress while preventing food boredom. Note that many beverages contain a fair amount of calories, so try to moderate your consumption of soft drinks, fruits juices and other flavored drinks.

How do I get better stamina?

Exercising too much at a time can tire you out easily and make you feel less energized. Try doing easier workouts and gradually building up your time. Every day, switch between at least 5-minute increments or an intensity push (i.e. going from 10 push-ups on your knees to 10 push-ups on your feet). Before you know it, you’ll be up at 45 to 60 minutes at high intensity. For example, while training for a half marathon, I try to increase my running distance by half a mile every time I run until my anticipated 13.1 miles. In addition, try to eat food that is rich in fiber and protein to give you the energy to help your workouts. Eating healthy will not only make you feel better, but do better as well; I have seen an improvement in my stamina when I munch on healthier foods.

How do I set new fitness goals?

Research some new workout routines. Do you normally run on the treadmill? Then try switching to the elliptical or rowing machine. Sometimes, the easiest way to find new workouts without machines is to take group fitness classes—also a great way to meet new people and challenge yourself. Your body will appreciate the new movement, and you’ll feel the soreness in the morning. Don’t have a gym membership? Take it outside—ride a bike, go kayaking, play tennis or hiking.

How do I make the most out of my workout?

Stay focused on your goals and keep reminders of them for extra motivation. For example, post a picture of yourself when you felt the healthiest and aim to reach that goal–or beyond. Perform each activity to the best of your ability, and you will see serious results.

Ever wonder why people have their iPods with them while they work out? Research shows that when you listen to feel-good music, you perform better. Create a playlist full of songs that make you happy so that you’ll feel inspired when you’re running.

How can I tone my “problem” areas?

Keep in mind that you cannot lose fat on one specific part of your body. In order to get great abs, for example, you have to do cardio to lose the top layers of fat that are covering them. Then, you can sculpt and tone through Pilates or other intense core exercises to get that six-pack to show through.

For arms, try lifting 5-8 lb dumbbells. You can do basic bicep curls, going three counts up and taking it one count down, and vice versa. Try doing 3 sets of 10 reps for shape over bulk. For legs, lunges are the easiest quick fix. Be sure that you have a good stance—don’t let your front knee pass your foot and keep your hips squared. For a stronger core, skip the crunches on the mat, and challenge yourself on a big fitness ball. Make sure you switch it up so that you are not doing the same move every time.

Remember to pair these workout goals with a healthy diet, and you are good to go. See you at the beach! If you’ve got any fitness questions, shoot us an e-mail at jackelyn@mochimag.com.

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Features:

Wii Balance Board-where all of Wii Fit’s activities are performed

The Body Test:

This test is designed to assess the user’s athletic ability. It begins by checking your center of balance and body mass index. To do so, you stand on the center of the Wii Balance Board with feet spread shoulder-width apart. The Wii will then tell you where your center of balance is based on your posture. For example, if you exert more pressure on the right side of your body when standing up, your center of balance is slightly to the right. The Wii will also provide tips on how to correct your posture, such as suggesting types of exercises you could do. After your center of balance and BMI is calculated, two random balance tests are given, which results in a Wii Fit Age. If you are as fit as a 21-year-old, then your Fit Age will be 21. Your Fit Age can change if you retake the Body Test after becoming more or less in shape. You can track your progress by saving your Body Test results on Wii Fit’s calendar.

The Wii Fit Bank:

The more activities you perform, the more Fit credits will be added to your Fit Bank. The more Fit credits you have, the more activities will be available to you.

The Work Out:

There are more than 40 activities you can do with a Wii Fit. The four main categories are yoga, balance, aerobics, and strength training. With yoga, you can learn how to master the tree and warrior poses. Head-bumping a virtual soccer ball and doing ski jumps are part of balance training while lunges and side planks make up part of strength training. Aerobics exercises include swiveling an imaginary hula-hoop around your waist.

Benefits:

Wii Fit acts like a personal trainer because it shows you how to properly perform certain exercises and tells you which activities you should do to achieve your fitness goals. During and after each activity, you will be given feedback on your performance. As you progress in your training, the level of difficulty increases and more activity options will become available. For example, harder yoga poses will become available to you after you master basic poses. After each activity, you will also be given a star rating on your performance. You can then compare your rating to those of the other people who played Wii Fit.

Price:

The Wii Fit costs approximately $90 and can be purchased online or at stores such as Best Buy.

For more info: http://www.nintendo.com/wiifit

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Yes, the weather outside is frightful—so you’re looking for all types of excuses not to go out in the cold. You start to hibernate and before you know it, it’s already spring! But don’t panic. Keep some of these useful tips in mind to burn off those winter-blues.

Warm up

Start by warming up, which is essential if you want to prevent an injury. Whether you’re working indoors or outdoors, cold temperatures makes the muscles tighten. Start slow, don’t overdo it, and don’t forget to stretch!

Running

Just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean you can’t leave your house. Get your iPod ready and relieve some of that post-shopping, post-family time stress from the holidays with a brisk jog around your neighborhood or a local park. Be sure to dress warmly, wear comfy shoes, and have plenty of liquids at hand as sweating during winter can cause you to become especially dehydrated. If you don’t want to run outside, treadmills are also a perfect alternative.

Work out indoors

If the thought of an outdoor workout is too much to bear, why not buy a couple of fitness DVDs and dumbbells to get fit in your own living room? Pilates and yoga are a great way to strengthen your core and keep in shape. If you don’t want to waste money on equipment, use household items like laundry detergent or two-liter water bottles. You’ll be amazed at how everyday household items can easily transform into useful exercise tools.

Dance till you drop

Blast your favorite tunes, don’t forget to stretch, and prepare to get your crunk on while burning some serious calories. Hint: The more people, the merrier it’ll be.

Go shopping

Attention, shopaholics! If you don’t feel motivated enough for a full workout, go out and have fun shopping. Walking around the mall and trying on pretty clothes won’t only boost your energy; it will also burn 135 calories per hour. Now, that’s a great deal.

It’s important to stay active during the winter. Don’t let the cold weather get in the way of your workout routine. With these simple tips, working out amidst frightfully cold weather has never been so easy.

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