exercise

Fit Radio streams up-tempo tunes to motivate your workout

The more I run, the more I realize my regular playlist isn't cutting it. Even with some 150 hand-picked songs, I get bored hearing the same ones over and over. And although they're among my favorite power-pop tunes, they're quite diverse when it comes to tempo. I need songs of at least 128 beats per minute (bpm) to keep me running strong.

Enter Fit Radio, a free app (Android|iOS|Web) that streams up-tempo playlists designed to amp up your workout. It's like Songza for sprinters, or maybe Pandora for bike peddlers.

The app is divided … Read more

Study: What motivates people to exercise? Money

A new study out of Stanford University and the University of Michigan suggests that some people appear more motivated by money than their own health.

Researchers followed a group of people insured by Blue Care Network, which -- rather controversially -- developed an incentives program that allowed its obese members to choose between paying as much as 20 percent more for health insurance or exercising. In real dollars, that added up to as much as $2,000 extra a year. (Those unable to walk due to medical reasons were exempt with a doc's note.)

Those who wanted to pay … Read more

Feet-on with Zombies, Run! 2 jogging game

Out of steam? Can't bring yourself to finish that last mile? Maybe a zombie horde breathing down your neck will give you the adrenaline boost you need.

That's the idea behind Zombies, Run! 2 (Android | iOS), which bills itself as an "immersive running game and audio adventure" for your smartphone.

It works like this: Before you start your run, you load the app, choose a mission, put in your earbuds, and then hit the road. Along the way, you're treated to audio segments that gradually reveal the story of Abel Township and the zombie apocalypse … Read more

Find local yoga classes with Om Finder for iOS

I think most people who have tried yoga would agree: it's a great way to improve flexibility and blood flow, increase stamina and strength, and even reduce back and muscle pain.

OK, but how can you find nearby classes, especially if you're traveling or you've just moved to a new town?

Yep: there's an app for that. Om Finder for iOS locates nearby classes, studios, and instructors wherever you happen to be in the world. It needs a few tweaks, but it's definitely a handy tool for the om-minded.… Read more

Reading on treadmill no sweat with ReadingMate

No diversion can divert me from the fact that treadmills are boring. Even if the weather is bad, I'm not much of a TV viewer -- on or off the treadmill. And I often find the most energizing music to also be the most annoying. Reading on a treadmill can be downright nauseating.

But thanks to an experimental system out of Purdue University, I soon may be able to catch up on my backlog of New Yorker digital issues while clocking time on the dreaded tread.… Read more

I, Robin Hood: Bowblade does archery the iOS way

SAN FRANCISCO -- Amid the sea of screen covers, phone cases, battery packs and software hawkers at Macworld's iWorld conference there was a strange sight: archery.

No, there weren't actual arrows flying around San Francisco's Moscone Center. Instead, it was people squinting down the crosshairs of a bow hooked up to an iPod Touch, pulling back a real string in the hopes of nailing virtual targets.

The device, called the Bowblade, is a $185 peripheral, designed by a chiropractor named Ron Green. It's designed as both an exercise tool and gaming rig, though how it works … Read more

Mix up your workout with Obstacles XRT for iOS

Top reasons you skipped your workout today:

It was too dark or cold outside to run. Your hotel didn't have a fitness center. You're sick to death of the treadmill. You let that pricey gym membership expire.

Here's an easy fix for these and other excuses: Obstacles XRT, which bills itself as "extreme reality training" -- a fancy way of saying it's a fitness app. It normally sells for $4.99, but from now through January 31, you can grab it for $1.99.

Two bucks very well spent, in my humble opinion. Obstacles … Read more

Runtastic offers suite of training apps to get you in shape

LAS VEGAS--A finalist in the Mobile Apps Showdown here at CES, Runtastic offers a suite of training apps designed to improve your fitness in several different areas. The newest apps in the suite focus on running, push-ups, pull-ups, and squats -- arguably the most important full-body, calisthenic exercises in popular use. However, Runtastic does have other downloads available for activities like biking and hiking. To get started, you must create an account or sign in with Facebook.

The flagship Runtastic app is focused on running, and lets you plan routes, track times and calories, and do so much more. As … Read more

RunKeeper 3.0 for iOS gets overhauled interface, new features

I usually hang up my running shoes for the winter, but the arrival of RunKeeper 3.0 for iOS makes me want to brave the cold, ice, and snow (of which there's ample supply here in Michigan).

Let me pause here to note that although the App Store is home to many great run-management apps, I've been a RunKeeper fan -- and user -- since way back in 2009. And I'm not alone in my adoration of the app: It's a regular presence on the iTunes top-10-freebies list.

So what's new in version 3.0? … Read more