Moves, iOS App Review

Moves transforms your iPhone into a pedometer.

Daily exercise is as important to a human’s well-being as is breathing. Exercise keeps our blood pumping, air flowing and maintains our vessel of life. Something you may not realize is that you are exercising without realizing it. Walking has been proven to help with weight loss, lower cholesterol, increases bone strength and improves circulation. Depending on what your normal daily routine is you may already be walking more than 3,000 steps per day, which is the equivalent of 1.42 miles. A good goal to strive for is 10,000 steps per day. The first step is the wear a pedometer and with Moves by ProtoGeo, your iOS device can act as one.

Moves tracks your everyday movements and reports your step count back to you. It works with your iOS device’s sensor and location information to keep track of your routes and places. The app then uploads to Moves’ servers and creates a storyline of your movements.

Moves does run in the background, thus substantially decreasing your battery life, but the developers of the app suggest that as long as the device is plugged in daily, the battery should last throughout the day.

Move recognizes all movements including walking, running, cycling and motorized transport. One very cool feature is that bumpy car rides that may register immediately are eventually removed when your story is analyzed by Moves’ servers.

As I mentioned with the note about battery life, Moves does continue running in the background, ensuring that all your movements are tracked. This is essential to gaining a complete picture of your daily activities.

I have not used the app very extensively as is evident from my screenshot. But, I plan to continue using it, at least for a trial run. Because you must keep your iOS device on you at all times for the step counter to be accurate, it may be a bit cumbersome at times, but I want to attempt it.

Moves is a very easy to use, well-designed app. I recommend it to anyone with an iOS device who wants to keep track of their walking. “Just a few extra steps each day is a simple and easy way to take an active role in maintaining a significantly healthier life,” says Timothy Gardner, MD, past president of the American Heart Association. (courtesy of WebMD)