From a usability perspective, the Apple app-store has always been a bit on the difficult side.

Sort-order is suspect, user scores dubious and load times on the iPhone far too slow.

Apple are aware of these issues, but (pardon the pun) the store seems bad to its very core, and therefore virtually impossible for them to improve on, without starting from scratch again.

One way of apparently circumventing the larger issues at hand, is by introducing categories, which goes some way to improving the sort order fiasco.

These categories run along the lines of "Apps for Cooks", "Apps for Music" and so on, with of course my focus being on "Apps for Working Out".

Within this "Apps for Working Out", there is a top 10 of Paid and Free Applications, which at the time of publishing this blog, are as below: 

 Is it just me, or did you notice a few entries that seem somewhat out of place????

"iPeriod"? "Vibrating Massager FREE"? "White Noise"?

Just to focus on one app: White Noise ($1:59), the blurb from the developer's site states "White Noise provides 40 ambient sounds of the environment to help you relax or sleep. Includes high quality looping noises such as waves crashing on a beach, crickets chirping at night, and the soothing sound of rain fall. Includes a sound timer,LCD clock, alarm, favorites toolbar, and numerous playback options.".

While this all sounds lovely, is this really a top 10 paid app?

If so, then there are a lot of stressed out iPhone-junkies out there.

However, I believe that yet again, we see that Apple have created a piece-of-turd application recommendation engine, which seems to use the broadest terms to categorise its applications.

Or they pluck them from thin air.

Avoid at all costs.

Much more realistic results can be seen on independent review sites, such as Gizmodo, which bizarrely does a far more thorough job of rating iPhone Applications than the manufacturers themselves.

iPhone Apps

Gizmodo

As October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it would be foolish not to address the most common cancer to affect women.

Whether a breast cancer sufferer, or not, studies that span the last decade have shown that exercise greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer. Two very clear findings emerge from various studies undertaken by universities and cancer research centres worldwide.

Firstly, in a study conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine in St.Louis, and Harvard University in Boston, researchers were pleasantly rewarded by their findings. Acknowledging proven research that exercise by post menopausal women greatly reduced the risk of breast cancer, they sought to see if such exercise had the same benefits for pre-menopausal women. The study concluded that women who were physically active between the ages of 12-35 saw the greatest reduction in breast cancer, lowering their chances of contracting the disease by up to 23%. The findings show that regular activity was the key factor, not intensive activity. It is believed that through exercising frequently from such a young age, females can reduce their exposure to estrogen which, in high quantities, is often associated with a greater risk of breast cancer.

Secondly, exercise has been shown to aid those who already suffer from breast cancer. The Alberta Cancer Board in Calgary, published a study which examined women with breast cancer over a period of 8.3 years. They concluded that those who participated in at least four hours per week of moderate intensity recreational activity over their lifetime, were at a far lower risk of death from breast cancer, in addition to the risk of its recurrence or progression. Granted, physical activity is no substitute for medical intervention, and it might be the last thing that many exhausted cancer patients feel like doing, but it can help address the 'what can I do?' feeling of futility that affects many people when diagnosed with cancer. Though housework was not considered sufficiently beneficial, the intensity of exercise does not have to be extreme, with brisk walking being enough. Again, it is thought that the link back to estrogen is the key in this study, and that physical activity lowers hormone levels. That aside, getting out of the house and enjoying open space and exercise, can be beneficial for your emotional as well as physical wellbeing.

It is never to late to start safeguarding you, or your family from breast cancer. Make exercise fun and inclusive for all ages of your family, and reap the many benefits.

Read more about the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's on going study, which continues to look at the links between exercise, estrogen and breast cancer.

Did you know, that once you pass 25, your rate of metabolism declines by approximately 5% every decade? None of us are immune, and many of us show signs of middle age spread long before we begin to feel (or act!) middle aged!

There is hope though! Below are 6 great ways to help speed up your metabolism, and combat the aging process.

Don't be too severe with the calorie cutting
When you embark on a restricted calorie diet, it is important that you do so sensibly. Cutting calories too hard and too quick actually results in your body holding onto the pounds. It reverts to its basic survival mode, and slows your metabolism down in the assumption you are starving. On average you should aim to lose a half to two pounds maximum, per week.

Sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep
Sorry, I was a bit excited about being encouraged to sleep, so I had to keep repeating it! It is recommended you sleep at least 8 hours a night - not just to banish dark circles and wrinkles, but also to encourage the release of cortisol. Cortisol is the appetite regulating hormone, which when absent can cause individuals to continue eating past the point of being satisfied, leading to weight gain.

Eat breakfast
So you have had your 8 hours plus sleep, now its time to literally break your fast.When you do sleep, your metabolism slows. It needs a good square high fibre meal to wake it back up. You may not feel like it, you may not have time for it, but skipping brekkie can be a great way to gain weight.

Cut back booze
What science gives with one hand (more sleep) it takes with the other (less booze). Alcohol has been shown to slow down the body's ability to burn fat. Even though a glass of wine with dinner seems like a good idea, your body will burn the sugar in the alcohol first, meaning the calories from the food will be stored as fat. So once again, everything in moderation!

Lift Weights
60-70% of your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is linked to your muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Yet another good reason to pump some iron!

Interval Training
Bursts of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) have been shown to boost your metabolism, as well as shaking up your exercise routine. Lose fat and get fit - could it be any simpler?

Buying sports bras must be one of my most hated things to have to do. I understand the importance of a good sports bra, and appreciate that a well fitting one makes all the difference, but I really struggle. And I wouldn't mind, but I am not exactly large chested, so I am not limited for choice.

However, I do find that shape is something that really bothers me when it comes to sports bras. I am not a fan of conical cups, and really do not see the point of exercising with two torpedoes ready to launch from my chest. Nor am I a fan of fashion over function. I like clean, well cut, non-under wired sports bras, and boy have I paid for my simple tastes over the years.

Now, I know a bra is a very personal choice, and some people find their perfect match after three minutes in Marks and Spencer's. For me, it has taken trial and error and sweat and tears to say the least. I have done the high street sports bras, Nike crop tops,bras inbuilt into sports gear and everything Triumph has to offer! And with limited success, until I discovered the Shock Absorber Womens High Support Cross Back Sports Bra - with a name that long you know it must be good!!!! For me this has been a revelation in the world of boulder holders. It is possibly the most comfortable bra I have ever worn. It is not restrictive across the ribs (I have a slight phobia that sports bras cause me to hold my breath!), and yet keeps everything in place, throughout high or low impact activities.

Let me reiterate, I am at best a B cup, so bouncing bosoms are not going to be a massive issue, but even the smallest boobs eventually head South, and so far I seem to be winning the battle with gravity! The Shock Absorber Womens High Support Cross Back Sport Bra looks good under clothes, and gives a very smooth silhouette, which is what I craved. The material is very breathable, and rarely feels wet with sweat, which is another plus when you are exercising in hot climates. Its not cheap, but neither is a corrective boob job, so given the option I'll fork out for the bra!
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Its nothing new, but interval training is an often overlooked way of maximising the effectiveness of your work out. By mixing bouts of high intensity cardio, with low intensity recovery periods, you work both the anaerobic and aerobic systems at the same time. This allows the body to benefit from both aspects of training simultaneously, burning fat and building muscle.

What exercises you perform are up to you, but the general pattern is as follows. For example, if on a treadmill, start slow. Walk or jog lightly until your body has warmed up, and your heart rate gradually increases. Next comes the high intensity. Break into a sprint or fast jog (depending on your ability), and you begin to feel the burn. You will not be able to maintain such a level of intensity for too long.

When you have exhausted your muscles, decrease intensity to a level you feel comfortable maintaining. However, be careful not to allow the intensity dip too low, or you lose aerobic effectiveness. Your heart rate should lower, and the burn gradually disappear. Congratulations, you have completed one cycle of interval training!

Initially, you can expect the periods of recovery to be longer than the high intensity activity. As your fitness levels increase, and your body adapts to interval training, gradually spend longer at a high level of intensity, and shorter recovery periods.

High Intensity Interval Training is a great way of shaking up your exercise routine. We all hit plateaus in our training regime, where we feel that we are no longer progressing. Interval training tests your body in different ways, and can be the perfect method of overcoming such plateaus. Additionally, due to the mixing up of exercise intensities, your regime can become less monotonous, and lets face it, we all get bored of the gym sometimes. More importantly, its a great way of using your time effectively, as its a proven fat buster and muscle builder. We are all conscious of having less time to spend on activities outside of work, so if you make the effort to exercise, make sure its as worthwhile as possible.

However, due to the high intensity of these workouts, it is of utmost importance to allow the body to recover between sessions of interval training. It is recommended that you do not perform interval training on consecutive days. In fact, when introducing interval training into your regime, you might be wise to start slowly, perhaps once a week initially, before increasing to maximum three times a week. Used as part of your regular regime, twice weekly should be sufficient to allow you to see results.

Science News - Interval Training Burns More Fat, Increases Fitness
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