The Smartphone App that Enhances Your Workout

By: Heather Bright

I get it. You feel like everyone is looking at a phone these days. According to recent trends, the average American spends more than 3 hours per day on a smartphone. 

We see them everywhere. Diners scroll Facebook instead of talking. Patients crush candy while waiting for the doctor. To top it off, if you are a member of a local YMCA, you are seeing more and more smartphones show up in the fitness center! Before you wonder if we’ve gone to far, or if we can’t stop checking our email long enough to work out, you have to know about the smartphone app that is helping people get healthy and stay motivated.

ActivTrax is not only an app that can be downloaded to your iOS or Android device; it can be accessed on a computer or at the ActivTrax Kiosk at any Greater Dayton YMCA. This program not only offers users customized workouts, the workouts are constantly changing to work different parts of your body.

It’s so easy to get started with this program, and you can finally feel confident that you know how to use the strength training equipment at the YMCA.

Follow these steps and you’ll be accomplishing your fitness goals in no time at all: 

1.    Set up an appointment with a trainer. The appointment lasts about an hour. You can expect to answer simple questions about your goals and expectations. Then, the trainer will have you try various machines in the fitness center as part of a strength test. This part of the appointment not only provides necessary information that the trainer uses to customize the program to your abilities, it is the perfect time to ask questions and ensure that you know how to use each machine properly. 

2.    Download the app. The ActivTrax app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play. Once you are logged in, the app generates your first workout. Keep in mind, you also have the option of using the ActivTrax Kiosk at the Y. You are not required to use a smartphone.

3.    Record your progress and submit your workout. Once you start a workout, the app lists each exercise that you should perform, including the number of the machine, the weight you should use, the number of reps, and the amount of rest between each rep. There are instructions for each specific machine and a short video that shows you how to use it properly. You will record each exercise that you do, and when you are finished, you will submit the workout. The app automatically generates a new workout for your next visit.

4.    Track your progress online. Whether you use the app or the kiosk, you can log in to your ActivTrax account at www.activtrax.com. You can change any of your preferences and track your workouts. There is even a nutrition tab that has a food journal, meal planner, and plenty of resources to keep your nutrition goals on track. 

My personal experience has proven that the ActivTrax program makes my trips to the Y more productive and less intimidating. I’ve been using it for about two months and I am very happy with my results so far. 

Even though we see smartphones more and more these days, this is one of the positive ways to use them. Next time you see people on their phones in the fitness center, they are most likely tracking their workout instead of checking their email!