Apple’s App Store is chock full of fitness apps. In fact, there are so many free fitness apps that it can be overwhelming to even consider downloading one, which might be the only thing between you and a regular workout routine. It’s one more hurdle to overcome, but some helpful advice from University of Florida researchers might help you make a final decision.
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According to The Washington Post, researchers took the 30 most popular free fitness apps for the iPhone, and in order to gauge their effectiveness, matched each of them up against the American College of Sports Medicine’s guidelines for physical activity.
Everything was under scrutiny, from the warm-ups to the safety of the exercises. Once the examination was over, the researchers assigned scores for three categories: “aerobic exercise, strength/resistance and flexibility.” Although a majority of the apps received decent marks on aerobic exercise and strength/resistance, 20 didn’t meet any criteria for flexibility.
Combining each of the three individual scores to come up with a final grade out of 14, the researchers found that only a single app — Sworkit Lite – Personal Workout Trainer — met over half the available criteria. That app received a 9.01. No other app received over a 5.5. In other words, every app but one failed to meet the ACSM guidelines.
