Exercise IS
HNA Special Section
Medicine
By Emily Hetterscheidt
Crush Workouts, Not Candy Trade in apps like Candy Crush for these health- and fitness-focused applications Nike+Training Club
can be an answer. Studies show that consistent exercise can help treat clinical depression. “The link between exercise and mood is pretty strong,” Michael Otto, professor of psychology at Boston College, says in an interview with the American Psychological Association. “Usually, within five minutes after moderate exercise, you get a mood enhancement effect.” The reason exercise is a mood elevator? While you exercise, your brain releases endorphins, creating feelings of happiness to fight the exertion your body is experiencing. The release of endorphins during exercise can sometimes be just as effective as antidepressant pills in treating clinical depression. But the effects of physical activity extend beyond the short-term. Research shows that exercise can also help alleviate long-term depression. According to a 2010 Duke University study, when following up a year later with subjects who used different methods to treat their depression, the subjects who reported regular exercise had lower depression scores than did their less active counterparts. “Exercise seems not only important for treating depression, but also in preventing relapse,” says James Blumenthal, clinical psychologist at Duke. For those who don’t like going to the gym but still want the mood elevation, there is good news. New findings show activities such as dancing, yoga, walking and gardening cause the brain to release levels of endorphins similar to running. Charles Williams is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at adeperro@ cityscenemediagroup.com. 36
Nike makes committing to a workout plan fun with this engaging app. After you choose your current activity level and your desired schedule, Nike recommends numerous workouts with and without equipment. Every workout has helpful visuals featuring celebrity athletes such as Serena Williams. You can even connect your Apple Music account to the app and work out to your favorite playlists.
Runkeeper If you want to get out of the gym or try new types of workouts, Runkeeper is the way to go. Like many others, the app keeps track of your workouts and allows you to look back on your progress. However, Runkeeper distinguishes itself with the huge variety of activities that it tracks. Whether you prefer to run, bike, hike or even kayak, Runkeeper has you covered. The app can even be connected with Facebook, so you can be motivated by your friends. For a more personalized experience, you can upgrade to Runkeeper Go for $10 a month or $30 a year to access other features such as prescribed workouts and live tracking.
Pacer Pedometer While there are many apps that allow you to track your progress right along with your friends, Pacer creates an environment that is
supportive rather than competitive. The app allows you to reach goals with your friends and individually. Paul Carringer – president at Caring Marketing, which represents Beijing-based Pacer – says this supportive community is what sets Pacer apart from other health apps. “The whole purpose is to get people to move towards a healthier lifestyle,” Carringer says. The app does not require any hardware during workouts such as a wristband, and Pacer is great for people who are just beginning their healthy lifestyle. It is not meant to be competitive or overly challenging, but meant to get people moving in a way that works for them.
MapMyRun Training for your next personal record? MapMyRun by Under Armour tracks all the basics, such as distance, time, pace and route traveled. The iPhone and Android application records all workout data history so the user is able to view everything on his or her computer after a run. Check out data on the run route elevation as well as calories burned along the way, map goals and effortlessly share workout data on social media to get that extra push of motivation from friends and family. Then, the user is able to save his or her favorite running routes or choose pre-existing routes to ensure the view never gets stale. Emily Hetterscheidt is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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