Success in hockey is more than just talent and training. Everyone knows that nutrition and exercise play a large part in the performance of an athlete, that if you are not giving your body the right nutrients and exercise then it will not have the right output.
The question is, being busy trying to balance hockey, school, friends and family, how do you add to that tracking meals and exercise to ensure you are doing the best for yourself and your body?
Lucky for the hockey stars of tomorrow, there are many great online tools and apps at their fingertips to help organize and track health and nutrition, making success just a little bit easier to reach.
Many apps today have the functionality to offer tracking both meals and exercise. It is important to recognize though that not all apps are created equal. Some apps focus on either nutrition or exercise, while others provide a focus that is not equally balanced between the two important areas. Not all apps are available for all phones or mobile devices, so it is important to research the app that will best suit you and your goals.
Map My Run – This handy app works with iPhone, Android, Windows, and Blackberry devices. Map Your Route “allows you to know where you are going and see where you have been”. There are 70 million routes to chose from. There is also the capability for users to create their own route. Their motto is, “fitness isn’t just an activity, it’s a lifestyle.” Map My Run, also offers the technology to keep track of what you eat alongside your workouts to get a complete picture of your health. There is a database of several thousand foods that have been added to the database by other users. There is a function to allow you to plan for your meals within your daily calorie limit. Understanding the value of encouragement and even a little competition, Map My Run also allows you to post through social media your weekly activity. Map my run also offers other features: MapMyFitness, MapMyRide, MapMyWalk, MapMyHike
My Fitness Pal – This app is definitely more focused towards the nutrition side of things.
There is a searchable food database of 3,231,000 of the most popular brands and foods their nutritional details all within a simple click of a button. This app also offers an exercise-tracking tab, which offers a location where you can account for how many calories were burned from various activities.
This app also has the functionality to link in with other apps that will help you better yourself in the area of health and nutrition. My Fitness Pal, in true camaraderie, offers a community forum. A place where users can look to other for support or just a place to brag (rightfully so) about their story.
Nike+ Running App – Nike is synonymous with training and athletics and they haven’t disappointed where their app is concerned.
This app covers the entire basis for hockey players; it maps your runs and tracks your progress. The Nike+ Running app tracks the distance that has been run, the pace, the time and the calories burned using your GPS. Connect to nikeplus.com to see your runs, including your route and elevation. Nike, never one to not be on the cutting edge of technology, has also come up with a way of giving you audio feedback as you run. A way to “rally” your cheering section and get the motivation you need to keep going. Linking your path or the start of your journey will generate real-time cheers for each like or comment you receive. As if Nike hadn’t thought of it this entire app also gives you positive feedback from some of Nike’s top athletes. The only downfall to this app is that it is only compatible with the iPhone.
Run Keeper – RunKeeper has more than 20 million people using it! If that doesn’t speak volumes about the calibre of this app, I don’t know what does. This app tracks your running, walking, and any other physical activity using your android phone. This is the perfect app for those who like to see the statistics broken down in terms of pace, time, distance and calories burned. This high tech app even feeds coaching through your headphones and will notify you when you reach your new goals and targets which RunKeeper will provide detailed plans for.
This app is more limited than some only being available for Android and iPhone.
Tic Trac – A fantastic way to organize all your apps. Is an app that simplifies and connects users to all the apps that they already use. It allows you to get all of your data for health and nutrition in one place.
Even though these apps are available, young athletes still require the discipline to ensure they are choosing the right food and exercise to help them on the road to a successful season.
