An App for Fitness Tracking with Evernote

[csalvato 4]

Hello all!

I have been talking about this idea with a few people for several months now. Based on these conversations, I put together the first mockups of an Evernote app that is solely used for fitness logging.

This would be similar to Evernote Food or Evernote Hello. You make entries in the app, and the app displays these entries really well for the purpose of fitness, but you can also search the notes the app creates in Evernote. The design of this app was created with the following mind:

• Users need to be able to enter workouts as they are completed
  
• Users need to be able to view and measure past performance
  
• It needs to be something people will actually use
  

Attached to this post is a screenshot (or you can click here: http://i.imgur.com/9Bk4m.png) with the basic UI for the app we have been discussing. We plan on charging $4.99 for the app in the App Store and Android Market. The features and functions will obviously increase over time.

There are two questions we have:

1. Is this something that you would want/use?
   
2. If not, why not? Is it missing some crucial part of your workflow?
   

I look forward to hearing what all the Evernote fitness junkies have to say about this!

Thanks!

[Owyn 457]

My first thought on viewing the mockup was that it needed to be more program and check off style.

A program is a collection of activities.

An activity is a exercise completed for a specified number of sets.

A set is specified number of repetitions at a specified intensity.

Possible Ui:

As required.

Create / clone / edit programs

At start of session:

Select program

Edit planned activities

As completed:

Check off activity

[csalvato 4]

Owyn,

Is that how you currently use Evernote to track your workouts? Do you track your workouts on Evernote at all, as of late?

Just wondering to see what people's workflows are, as that description is very different from the ones we have experienced in interviews of Evernoters and non-Evernoters

Thanks!

Chris

[Owyn 457]

I have a gym supplied 8.5 x 11 landscape heavy stock workout record.

The columns are for dates, the rows are my programs/activities

The cells are for my current reps/intensities

I use the unassigned bottom rows for special

My therapist adjusted my programs after some recent injuries

[csalvato 4]

Owyn,

The main difference that is listed is not in the layout/entry of information, but the workflow. Most people interviewed log their workouts after the fact (or during, while in the gym) and were strongly against requiring that they do work before their workout. Essentially, that makes an additional "planning" step that most people just don't perform.

Mandating an extra step in the process will be a major barrier of entry for most people.

Is this how you normally work? If so, then it is not mandating an extra step for you, and that would be valuable info.

Thanks!

Chris

[Owyn 457]

I am probably an outlier in terms of your potential users.

Senior citizen, joint problems, exercise for rehab and maintenance, old eyes, etc.

I also very much prefer selecting from a scroll list to typing on my small screen Touch.

My exercise is regular, planned, and constrained. Your app seems more aimed at adhoc and varied exercise habits.

[gmuller 0]

I think the adhoc entry is more suitable for the crossfitter, since their workouts tend to be more "off-the-cuff". Lifters tend to work from a plan, but rarely do they pre-insert into evernote, they typically work from a spreadsheet from what I've seen, then log their actual performance separately, which is a little different. They tend to build up a 8-12 week backlog of workouts based on a percentage increase weekly or daily. I think the casual fitness buff does something like a combination of this. Hit's the gym, knows that Monday is Bench, Squat and Deadlift, looks at last week and tries to add 5% to that. Does that sound about right?

[Owyn 457]

Yep to spreadsheet. No to frequent change. Most of my cells are checkmarkss.

My integration with Evernote (now) is limited to scanning completed workout record and importing scan.

[Timbo Nation 0]

I think having a fitness evernote app is great! Im a personal trainer and would love something like that to recommend it to clients.

It would be great to have a fitness and food logging in one!

[csalvato 4]

So after making this post, I put together a prototype and have been using it myself for a few days, but I stopped working on it since I couldn't get enough interest.  Sorry

[West1210 2]

I would love to have this as a source to track my fitness/nutrition. I'll be keeping an eye out!

[donisback 0]

Hi ,

I have just signed up for everfit. I have also a question on tracking my gym attendance. Is there any app to track my attendance in the gym?

For example, the gym has 24 sessions/month and is charged at that rate. Now, I can complete 24 sessions in any number of months. But, I would like to track these sessions,that is, I would like to know on which date I attended the session.

The app should be something like calendar, where I can just cross the date if I attended. Also, the app can tell me number of days I attended.

Thanks a lot everyone

[donisback 0]

I found the app I needed. There are 2 apps which fit my requirements - Streaks and way of life.. Thanks

[lubisko 0]

Hi there, I'm from London and I'm an Evernote user, gosh that so sounds like a plug for Evernote Anonymous! Seriously though I use Evernote for a variety of things and am looking to track my fitness goals as well.

I work out for an hour and combines both cardio and resistance equiptment. The gym is quite small yet busy so getting onto a machine involves a bit of patience. When I arrive I aim to do x,y and z or but sometimes I just improvise and use machines that are not on my programme.

What I'd like to see is some kind of app that would enable me to both utilise my set programme whilst at the same time giving me the option to innovate and say, dip out of my routine if I choose to, graphs and pie charts would also help enormously ;-)

[Blue Gator 4 0]

This is GREAT idea and much needed! Just signed up for the alpha testing.

The #1 reason I love Evernote is its ability to store EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE. One-trick apps such as Runtastic and JeFit have some good features, but like any such app, they store YOUR data in a proprietary format, making it difficult or impossible to get it out of their app if you decide you don't want to keep using it, or it suddenly breaks after an update (this has happened several times for me). Plus, I don't like having to open one app for my weightlifting logs, a different app for my running logs, etc. I'm currently using free-form notes, including Evernote's rudimentary table creation tool, to track my fitness but would prefer something more sophisticated that would require less typing. This looks like a great start!

[likethefish 0]

I just signed up for beta testing. I'd be awesome to have an Evernote fitness app. It'd would definitely hit the charts if put together well.

[Calven 0]

Well I perform out for an hour and brings, together both aerobic and level of resistance equiptment. The gym is quite little yet active so getting onto a machine includes a bit of tolerance. When I arrive I aim to do a, b and e or but sometimes I just improvise and use machines that are not on my program.

[tianlye 15]

Hi, Just wondering, are you still working on this? If no, can leverage on the idea to come out with something ?

[csalvato 4]

I had to stop working on this as other things consumed my time.  You can pick it up if you like tianlye...not that you needed my permission in the first place

[RyLawson 0]

Maybe for the iOS version, it would be great to integrate the fitness tracking app of Nike.

[Mecizne 2]

This is an awesome source to track my fitness and nutritio. I would love to have this to track my fitness/nutrition. I'll be keeping an eye out!