Breakin' a Sweat: Best Exercise iPad Apps

May

2010

Robert Workman, iPadNewsDaily Contributor
07:22 PM ET

Hey, you! Are you just gonna sit on the couch all summer and waste away? Or is this the season that you dedicate yourself to an exercise program that'll do you some good? If you're in the former group, go ahead and skip this article. If you're in the latter, though, we've got seven iPad applications that you shouldn't be without. Now drop and give us twenty!

"Pocket Yoga HD" (Rainfrog LLC, $3.99)

If you've got access to a yoga mat and the flexibility to keep up, "Pocket Yoga HD" is an absolute must. There are 27 sessions available in all, ranging across various practices, difficulty settings and durations. So, if you're up for a full-blown, 45 minute session of yoga, you can jump right in. Likewise, you can do a quickie session if you prefer, cramming some quick stretching in a matter of minutes. An on-screen icon shows you the motions you'll need to go through, and a soft voice will also be available to guide you, complete with when to breathe in and out. Best of all, you can program your own music to play during your exercises, should you feel like doing Yoga to "Baby Got Back."

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"Kim Kardashian's Butt Blasting Cardio Step" (Aedeas Group, $2.99)

Although the title almost sounds completely inappropriate, "Kim Kardashian's Butt Blasting Cardio Step" is a helpful program for women who want to get their rear ends in shape. Kardashian walks you through a number of exercises through video clips and instructions. You'll start with a warm-up that takes you through such items as step touch and step straddle, before moving on to full-blown sessions of Mambo and Cha Cha Cha. If you're not up for a completely exhausting workout, "Butt Blasting Cardio Step" is the next best option available. Guys probably won't be into it too much, though -- except to stare at the beautiful Kardashian for hours on end.

"NAVY SEAL Fitness" (Double Dog Studios, $1.99)

OK, enough "Butt Blasting" -- let's get to a real man's exercise program! "NAVY SEAL Fitness" walks you through a number of interactive exercises, the same kind that real NAVY SEALs go through in their vigorous training sessions. Monitor such things as cardiorespiratory conditioning , methods of physical training and plyometrics as you try out the 800 pages of content. There's a lot of ground covered here, so if one exercise doesn't necessarily do it for you, there are at least five alternatives to choose from. You can also bookmark particular favorites and come back to them later, should a particular SEAL exercise stick with you. Grab your man gear and we'll see you out in the field, soldier.

"UltraTrainer HD" (Scott Fritzinger, $2.99)

Time is a vital ingredient for any workout. Don't put enough of it into your exercises and you'll never feel the effects. By the same token, work out too long and you'll strain yourself. That's where "UltraTrainer HD" proves useful. With this program, you'll be able to set up interval actions with ease, working alongside a virtual trainer to set up the timer that's right for you. Different alert sounds are also available, or you can record your own should you choose to. The on-screen menu system is very helpful, and you can set up timers and indicators any place you want. With "UltraTrainer HD", time is clearly on your side.

"FitnessPlan" (Evgeny Kondratiev, $.99)

Let's say time isn't your worst enemy when it comes to workouts, but planning is. Setting up a workout is a huge process, from setting up your warm-ups to the main activities. With "FitnessPlan," you're able to do just that. Originally introduced for the iPhone, this program works just fine on the iPad. You simply set up what exercises you do on a daily basis, and then keep track of them via an easy-to-view colored grid, as pictured above. You can also plan ahead, so you can prep for whatever workouts await you. Best of all, "FitnessPlan" is way cheaper than a lengthy day planner, going for just under a dollar in price. Download it today and get to planning. (And don't hide it under your bed like your last day planner.)

"Virtual Trainer Pro" (Gravity Moves Pty Ltd., $1.99)

So now let's say that time isn't necessarily your enemies, but planning a workout is. Your best iPad solution for this problem is "Virtual Trainer Pro", a helpful program that walks you through programs dedicated to specific parts of your body, as shown above. 120 different workouts are available in all, spanning across 250 exercises and ranging in length from six to 80 minutes, depending on what level of endurance you're at. Several types of programs are available, including Sprint and Cardio, with user-friendly diagrams to guide you through each one. Voice instruction walks you through each program with very little stress, and free updates add new workouts to your roster. Grab a "Virtual Trainer" and get yourself in shape!

"Lose It!" (FitNow, free)

Eating right is a vital part to your weight loss success. "Lose It!", originally introduced for the iPhone but fully compatible with iPad, is a wonderful program that helps you along. You simply input any food you eat (from thousands of choices) into a daily calorie chart, and see how much room you have left for your day when it comes to eating. In addition, burned calories are also tracked, depending on what activities you do. Various ones are available for input, from walking to dirt biking. Best of all, this program is available free of charge, a small price to pay compared to the high costs of Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers. "Lose It!" will definitely work to your gain.