The importance of keeping fit and doing exercise has never been so important, well that’s what the headlines would suggest!

Some people are made for exercise and love it, others are somewhere in the middle and then you have those that loathe it.  Wherever you sit on this scale have you or do you consider using your smartphone or mobile tech to assist you?

Most will probably use an iPod or MP3 player for some music but what about getting a bit more out of your tech and making your smartphone a more worthwhile investment. Keeping records or logs of exercise you have done can be a real annoyance and you have to remember to do it, so why not go all tech and let your equipment do the work for you.

I am in training to run the London Marathon this year for the Sparkle Appeal and have turned to my smartphone to assist me with my training.  It has been really beneficial so I thought I would tell you about it and how maybe you could look to do the same.

I must stress here, this is not a guide to how to keep fit, which is the best app or how best to train or a full guide in how to use cardio trainer – that bit is up to you but I thought I would share my thoughts on Cardio Trainer the app which I have been using for the last 6 months now.

Cardio Trainer is a FREE application for Android that lets you record all or your fitness activity.  There are similar apps, such as Google My Tracks and Run Keeper Pro (which has got a lot of publicity recently) but I began using CardioTrainer some time ago so have stuck with it.

Some of the key features are as follows:

•  GPS Tracking – Track your workout activity on a map
• Pedometer – Count the number of steps you have taken
• World High Scores – Compare yourself to other CardioTranier users around the world and see your stats
• Autopause – Automatically pauses the workout when you stop moving
• Music Integration – Listen to your favourite workout mix and control playback with CardioTrainer
• Voice Notifications – Get real-time voice feedback about your distance, time, pace and calories burned
• Record Any Workout – Track and record all of your workouts.
• Facebook/Twitter Integration – Share your exercise activity with your friends and family
• Move Your Bot – The fitness game you play with your friends! Exercise with CardioTrainer to improve your Android’s fitness level.

All of the above are FREE features of this app which is available for download through Google Marketplace.

This is produced by WorkSmart Labs Inc, a US based company.  The app is regularly updated with new features and has come a long way since its initial introduction.

In short, the app uses the phones on board GPS receiver and data connection (not required, but helps with tracking accuracy) and records, speeds, distances and much more for a whole variety of sports and exercise.

As I mention I use this for running, but have done so too for cycling and it can do many others including, skating, hiking, driving, dancing and horse-riding just to name a few!

Once downloaded from the marketplace (its quite a big file at around 4MB) it is stored on the phone or memory card of the device and appears in the menu  below.

When you click into the application you are presented with the following screen (subject to the version used – at time of writing I am using the latest version available).

The buttons are fairly self explanatory in what they do.

The Start Workout button will take you to a screen where you select your activity and a big start button.  This then changes to a pause button when participating whilst also recording the time and other key information.

During an activity you can have music playback and at certain intervals, depending upon settings it will read out your performance.  This is handy!

Once you complete the workout you can end the workout and this is recorded to the history tab.

The history is a great screen which shows your workouts, keeping a record of dates times, distances etc., depending upon your activity.  It will also show the total for that month in terms of calories and distances as well as differentiating the exercises with appropriate symbols.  When each one is clicked more detailed information is displayed along with a map if appropriate.

When you are taking part in an activity or when you are finished, the route is uploaded onto a map as shown below, with distance markers, times, and other key information such as calories, pace and more.

All of his data can be too viewed from a desktop PC, by logging into a free online account with WorkSmart Labs, where all your records are kept.  You can then look at them in more detail and even export them to other places.  More on this later.

The settings menu is fairly extensive and controls anything from music integration to your weight and height.  You can link your history to your Google Health Account, set miles or KM or select individual playlists.  You can even change the time frame of how often the programme updates its position to help save on the battery life.

I have become a real fan of CardioTrainer.  I do not suggest I use it to the maximum of its capabilities but I like how it just works.

I put my phone into a arm strap a bit like the below:

Available online or in most major technology stores, these arm bands are generally universal and will hold most devices.  They securely strap with Velcro around the arm and have a clear plastic front that allows in the case use of the device.

They are even safe in the wet weather!

So I run or cycle with this on my arm and a set of Sennheiser headphones knowing that all my performance is logged.

This app is a great example of how things integrate.  The app uses my phones on board memory to store data, links back to my Google Account to update data, keeps a record on WorkSmart Labs servers that you can access from a pc and looks at my play lists within the DoubleTwist application that I have synced wirelessly from my iTunes library on my desktop PC!  Incredible.

So I mentioned that all your data could be accessed online too.  Just visit www.worksmartlabs.com/cardiotrainer and log in using your own unique login code, found in the settings menu.

Online you can see your maps in a little more detail.

Not that I have used it or plan to at this time, but you can now purchase through Amazon (in the USA) a Bluetooth heart rate monitor which can link to CardioTrainer and give more detailed information.

This is not a promotion of this application.  It is simply my opinions of what I consider a good little application if you have the need to or wish to log your exercise activity.

It is a great way of seeing how your performance compares and keeping track of activities with minimal effort – it just does it and works.

Available for FREE to run on any android smartphone, you can pick up an android phone today from smartphone specialist Clove Technology.

Do you use this application?  Use something similar?  What do you think?  Are there any positives or negatives that I have missed?

If you like what I have written and found it useful, please show your thanks by supporting my marathon effort at www.aron-jon.co.uk