Smartphone Software - Ascendo Fitness

Ascendo Fitness by Ascendo, Inc.

by Michael E. Callahan aka Dr. File Finder

Note: Since by definition "smartphones" are phones that are also PDA's, the software reviewed here should work with personal digital assistants that are not "smartphones". Check the operating system because we'll be reviewing software for Pocket PC, Palm, and Blackberry devices. -- Editor

If you're really into keeping healthy I've found the perfect software for you. It's Ascendo Fitness and it's simply loaded with features and functions. It really has it all including a complete database on nutrition. Just about every food you can imagine is in there and it tells you the serving size, number of calories, amounts of protein, carbs, fats, and more. It also gives you information on how much cholesterol, sugar, salt, and so on, are in each food. You can add items, delete items, and you can even import and export lists of food. In testing it out I liked the fact that I could create my own, custom diet and only include certain foods in it. That's a slick feature. I even edited the main database so it didn't contain foods that I know I'm never going to eat. To me that made the database that much easier to go through. But, Ascendo Fitness goes beyond just nutrition and gives you a way to easily track your exercise. Whether you want to do weight training or just walking, the program gives you a way to track your progress. It also gives you a way to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage, and other key ratios. Just as with nutrition, the exercise components allow you to modify, remove, and even add new items. What I really love about Ascendo Fitness is that it shows you your progress in the form of charts and graphs. You don't have to guess or estimate, it's right there in front of you. The program is easy-to-use and intuitive, perfect for users with all levels of experience. To top it off, Ascendo Fitness has a beginner mode that gives you more help. Once you're used to the program you can switch into the advanced mode. I like Ascendo Fitness so much that it's not only a Pick, but I'm also making it a Dr. File Finder Favorite and those are few and far between. So, if you'd like to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep track of your nutrition and exercise, this is a product you need to try. Check it out, I recommend it.

If you have software you use on your "smartphone" or PDA, come and talk about it with us in the Forums. We look forward to seeing you there.