This week my exploration with my iPad has turned inward. I won't bore you with all of the details but...at the end of this school year I promised myself that I would work on improving my health. This year especially I noticed my energy level & stamina were low and I felt 'yucky' ( for lack of a better term). It was harder than ever to keep up with my students! So 'Project Pam' had to begin this summer. Well, lucky for me this iPad is exactly what I needed to get started. I spent last weekend exploring various websites with tools for tracking health goals. After hours of browsing, I decided on Livestrong.com. It is affiliated with the Lance Armstrong Foundation (minus the performance enhancing "supplements"). It is a phenomenal site with too many features to include in this blog. I have tracked my activity, water & food intake for 5 days successfully AND easily due to the portability and friendliness of my iPad. I bring it to the grocery store, on day trips,...basically anywhere. I record everything and don't miss a beat! Now, my next experiment is to compare the Livestrong website to the Livestrong app for iPad. I have downloaded the free Livestrong 'Lite' app and used it for a day or 2. It is less extensive and pretty but very functional. There is an upgrade for $2.99 that I may try if I can tear myself away from the website! Oh-ps- a friend of mine is doing this with me and we are communicating our triumphs and challenges using our iPads. So cool. I hope everyone has had a great July 4th week!
What a marvelous use of your iPad. I have played around with health apps on mine too, and love how you can scan the bar code on foods with your camera and it just plops that food into your diary!
ReplyDeleteThere is even a strange little device that I invested in a while ago which is like a pedometer, but it talks to the internet and records your steps for you. It gets quite pushy at times, telling you to move! It is called the FitBit and I got it through Amazon.
One more thought-- there is a brand new app which I am really loving. This has been my summer to learn about how gaming can be used motivationally, and one of the sites I stumbled across is Superbetter. It is just a place where you can work on a goal and track your progress with a likeminded community-- no real record keeping or strenuous regimes. Just fun feedback and minichallenges. And yes, there is an app for that. :)