Fitness software for the iPhone 5s user is burgeoning and app makers are trying to out-do each other with features, functions and snazzy interfaces.
One app maker has even incorporated nagging. Yes, nagging via messaging that strives to remind you to get up and go, to go faster and to take better care of yourself.
Thankfully it's not a voice-messaging feature as that could prove awkward given that RunKeeper's Breeze tool runs constantly (well, as long as you have your iPhone on) and who needs to be reminded by a very thin-sounding woman with an accent during Friday's staff meeting, while you're scarfing down a donut, that you haven't hit half or maybe any of your fitness goals this week.
RunKeeper, a veteran in the fitness app spectrum, calls the 'nag' feature a few different things: real time coaching, real time status update and 'ecouraging guidance' in its description.
The Breeze comes at a time consumers are consuming wearable fitness devices and relying on smartphones to help them organize their lives, find their friends, pay their bills and watch a movie or a show on the train ride home.
Breeze acts as a virtual unseen trainer, tracking your every move, monitoring steps, and even providing applause (not literally obviously) when you're doing good on fitness goals.
"Get a bigger picture view around how active you actually are, when you move the most, and where you go when you're out and about," states the app maker.
The message here is obvious: fitness can be a breeze as long as you have the right tool. The app provides context on daily and historical activity and you can, of course, share it all with friends by creating a profile that's linked to Facebook, Twitter, RunKeeper and anywhere else you might want to share such information.
And maybe the best part is that running Breeze won't run down your battery (supposedly it harnesses the iPhone 5s' built-in M9 motion chip) and there are no 'start' or 'stop' buttons to push. Just keep your phone on and Breeze keeps running, even if you haven't run anywhere lately.
And, if the nagging feature truly ends up being naggy then simply uninstall. It's a free app afterall.
