Staying fit and healthy while in college is not always the easiest thing to do. Classes, homework, jobs and maintaining a personal life can all get in the way of living a healthy lifestyle.
With the rise of technology and increasing popularity of smartphones, healthy living options are easily accessible. Anyone with a smartphone can download an app and use it to assist in selecting healthy food choices and tracking workouts.
LoseIt, an app geared toward counting calories based on a set weight loss goal, tracks caloric intake throughout the day.
LoseIt has the ability to give a rough estimate on how many calories are consumed each day. It also recognizes restaurants in a given area and has a list of menu items to choose from. Every food item selected is automatically added to the food log for the day.
Fitness Buddy is another useful app that supplies motivational workouts and exercises geared toward specific areas of the body. It lists different weight-training routines and the exercises help bring cardio levels up.
Depending on the fitness goal that has been set, there is always an app that can be found to help one achieve his or her goal.
MyFitnessPal, recommended by students at California Baptist University, is a free app that is used to get ideas for workouts and track weight loss progress as well as assisting in tracking nutritional habits.
James Whitten, senior applied theology major, said he has used MyFitnessPal several times to lose weight.
“I used it to track my nutrition and exercise,” Whitten said. “I ended up losing 30 pounds in just a few months.”
Another helpful application available for free download is FitStar, which gives multiple options.
Katie Rotondo, freshman kinesiology major and volleyball player at CBU, uses FitStar.
“In season, there is more than enough cardio, but I supplement (the cardioduring the season) with this app,” Rotondo said. “I use it to push me in my workouts and it keeps me strong during the off-season.”
There are many applications available for each smartphone that can help any college student keep track of fitness and live a healthy lifestyle.
