As hunters, we invest in many things. Technical gear, weapons, trips, etc. However, one of the most important things we can invest in is our health. Whether that is because we want to hunt harder or because we want to extend the number of years we have available to hunt, investing in one’s health will only improve the hunting experience.
In recent years, mobile apps have helped improve people’s fitness pursuits. However, with the number of apps available it can be difficult to narrow down which apps to use. I like to keep it simple and stick to three apps that help me eat for my fitness goals and improve my endurance and strength.
Fitbod
Fitbod provides the user with daily, customized workouts. The app offers several different training styles including strength training, bodybuilding, and powerlifting. You select your training modality based on your goals and input some data such as weight, height, gender, etc. and the app does the rest. Fitbod keeps track of your achievement and uses that information to help build your next workout. Each movement has a video that demonstrates proper techniques. Don’t want to go to the gym, don’t have certain items at your gym, or feel uncomfortable with a specific movement? You can have the app build a workout based on the equipment you have or exclude movements that aren’t for you. The functionality of the app is incredibly robust and keeps your training session fresh by constantly varying the movements you do during each training session.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is a standard in the fitness app industry. It provides the user with the ability to track nutrient consumption, water consumption, weight, and various other fitness metrics. You can set body composition goals and track your food intake to see if you are meeting your goals. The free version of the app is robust in its functionality, but for the avid fitness enthusiast, the paid version provides additional features and customization. You also have the opportunity to engage with the MyFitnessPal community through their various forums and articles. With the largest database of food in the industry, MyFitnessPal is a no brainer.
MapMyRun
Because hunters need to be able to hike, climb, and move all day long over months of hunting, a lot of hunters want to improve their aerobic and endurance capacity. MapMyRun is an app that tracks movement data from hiking, walking, running, biking, etc. It also provides feedback to help the user quickly and efficiently improve. MapMyRun interfaces with MyFitnessPal and helps you stay focused and organized.
Bonus
Under Armour who, incidentally, owns MyFitnessPal and MapMyRun, offers several other fitness tracking apps. These apps all interface with each other to help the user reach their fitness goals. This cadre of apps is robust; however, there are some additional costs and several of the apps still need development.
While there are many phenomenal apps out there, I suggest sticking with these three apps. They will give you the basics that you need to get started or continue your fitness journey.
