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Lowjack Your Body with RunKeeper

Dec 07, 2011  By Shawn Powers
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This past summer, I went to a beach resort in Mexico with my wife. It made sense to get into a little better shape so as not to cause any beached-whale rumors while I soaked in the rays. Typical geek that I am, I wanted to track my every move so I could see how much exercise I really was doing. And, I wanted to do that with technology.

Thankfully, RunKeeper is available for Android. RunKeeper is an exercise-tracking app that uses GPS to track your exercise. Thanks to geographical information over GPS, RunKeeper will track your distance, pace, time and even elevation. The free version provides lots of awesome features, and its social features also can help keep you accountable. (Although your Twitter followers might get tired of hearing about your daily walks to the park.)

Several other exercise apps are available, so if RunKeeper isn't your cup of tea, just search for "exercise" in the Marketplace, and you'll find a plethora of options. Keep in mind, however, that GPS-based exercise-tracking programs aren't much good in the northern winters, when running moves indoors to a treadmill.

Get the RunKeeper Android app at http://www.runkeeper.com/android.

______________________

Shawn Powers is an Associate Editor for Linux Journal. You might find him chatting on the IRC channel, or Twitter

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Thank you very much for

Alex John's picture
Submitted by Alex John (not verified) on Tue, 02/28/2012 - 20:20.

Thank you very much for sharing. Definitely solved my problem.
auto diagnostic tool

You went to a beach resort in

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/20/2012 - 16:50.

You went to a beach resort in Mexico? Admit it, you didn't take this device for exercise, you took it in case you were kidnapped by drug cartels.

Also try CardioTrainer

bd_oliver's picture
Submitted by bd_oliver on Thu, 12/08/2011 - 22:21.

... been using it for about a year now I think. I quite like it. https://market.android.com/details?id=com.wsl.CardioTrainer&hl=en

cheers,

- b.

Treadmill?

mwallette's picture
Submitted by mwallette (not verified) on Thu, 12/08/2011 - 13:26.

Thanks for the tip on RunKeeper -- I'll have to check it out. I do have a minor quibble with the following, however:

Keep in mind, however, that GPS-based exercise-tracking programs aren't much good in the northern winters, when running moves indoors to a treadmill.

Nah, not really. I live in a northern climate (Alaska) and I never use a treadmill. When the weather isn't good for running, I just swap my running shoes for cross-country skis ;)

Actually, interval training

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/08/2011 - 02:03.

Actually, interval training burns more fat.

You need to cut that pace in

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 16:57.

You need to cut that pace in half and double the distance. :)