We all want to look great, and our bodies play a significant role in how we look. Thus it is up to us to keep our bodies healthy. A research study conducted recently shows that participants who use fitness apps are more active compared to nonusers and have a lower body mass index. The study’s authors believe apps assist individuals to get over obstacles like a lack of understanding or company, which leads to much better exercise routines. Gradually, these improved habits can mean huge changes.
Selecting the right fitness app for you
There are countless fitness-related apps on the marketplace for both Android and iOS, so it can be tough to sort through them and discover the right one for you. So we’ve done the heavy lifting for you and found 18 that deserve trying if you require a push or to help you remain on track.
They are grouped into seven categories:
- Comprehensive training apps – which assist you through exercises and workouts;
- Quick-hit apps – which focus on shorter workouts for optimal impact;
- Outdoor cardio-apps – for the more daring fit person;
- Nutrition tracking apps – to help you keep your diet on track and make it as simple as possible;
- All-around workout tracking and meal planning apps – for those who desire one app to do the job of 2 or three;
- A “leave the sofa” app – for all you real beginners out there;
- Recovery apps – meant to assist your mind and body remain in tip-top shape.
How to select an excellent app for your fitness?
Before you download any of these fitness apps, separate the good apps from the bad using these tips.
Set reasonable expectations
Think of health apps as tools. So, before downloading an app, find out what you need to do to attain your health goals, then find out how an app can and can’t help you achieve your goals.
Avoid apps that promise too much
Be careful of apps guaranteeing tremendous results and fast. Research studies have shown that people aren’t fast to change unhealthy habits. The app should preferably motivate long-term lifestyle adjustments.
Research the developers
Don’t let pretty graphics or enticing features fool you. Do some research. Find out the developer’s name in the app store or on the app’s website. Then, research the developer and find out:
- Whether they’ve designed other health apps?
- For how long have they been building health apps?
- Whether they sought advice from health experts to build the app?
- Whether any trusted hospitals or health organizations back the app?
No experience, no assessment from a health organization? That’s a warning, so keep looking.
Pick apps that utilize evidence-based strategies
You’re most likely looking for a health app to assist you to change unhealthy behavior. So, play it safe and go for an app that uses techniques that research has shown to work.
- Self-monitoring
- Setting goal
- Hints or push alerts
- Social support
- Benefits
See what other users state
Check out the app’s evaluations in the app store, and search online to see what other users say about the app. Pay particular attention to users who’ve used the app for a while. This feedback might provide insight into whether the app can help you in the long term.
Test apps before committing
Even the very best app can’t work its magic if you do not use it as recommended. So, test out a bunch of health apps before selecting one and give the one you choose a fair chance. If an app isn’t hassle-free and straightforward to utilize, you most likely won’t use it routinely, and those healthy changes you’re trying to embrace most likely won’t become habitual. Don’t give up if the very first few apps don’t work. Trying out different apps can teach you about your preferences, so you can find an app or an offline option that works for you.
The best health apps for you
A list of the leading fitness apps
Aaptiv (best for extensive training)
Aaptiv is an in-ear individual fitness instructor that’ll take your workouts to the next level no matter where you choose to use it. The app includes more than 2,500 audio classes, with 15 fitness instructors developing brand-new ones every week. Aaptiv adds at least 30 classes each week, and you get unlimited use with your membership, so you won’t find yourself doing the same workouts over and over. The app’s audio-driven guidelines make it easy to follow along. Whether your plan is running, lifting, cycling, or race training, Aaptiv got classes to assist you to work toward your goals.
Playbook (best for comprehensive tracking)
Today, we can’t deny that we follow our favorite celebrity trainers on social networks for fitness inspiration and exercise pointers. Playbook, previously Fitner, takes that concept and personalizes it by, “matching you” with a trainer, social network influencer, or athlete of your choice. Once you pick a partner, you’ll get daily updates on your fitness instructor’s exercise regimens and wellness recommendations, including their ten latest workouts. You’ll have the ability to interact directly with your trainer and other trainers in the same field, and you can change fitness instructors as seldom as you’d like.
Sworkit (excellent for precise tracking)
Sworkit is the ideal app for those who do not want to go to congested gyms or do not have the time but are dedicated to getting leaner, fitter, stronger or all 3. Once you select your objective and let the app know what your existing fitness level is, you get a six-week program with weekly workout goals. You choose how much time you ‘d like to devote to it, and the app tailors the plan to your schedule. Once you’ve mastered it, you can also develop your own exercises featuring your preferred exercises. With the premium subscription, you get access to real trainers for recommendations, special workouts, exercises, and customized HIIT and Tabata exercises.
Keelo (best for quick-hit exercises)
It’s hard to beat HIIT(high-intensity interval training) when you want to get in quick and good exercise. Keelo maximizes this training technique, supplying fast-paced workouts lasting in between 7 and 20 minutes that’ll provide results quickly when done three times a week. The app has both bodyweight exercises and exercises with equipment, so whether you’re in the gym or at home, there’s no reason not to burn some calories.
7 FIT – 7 Minute Workout (ideal for quick-hit exercises)
If you say that you do not have at least 10 minutes to set aside for a fast workout sometime in your day, you’re most likely lying. Even if you actually don’t have 10 minutes, it doesn’t matter because the exercises in the 7 FIT app don’t even ask for as much. Every workout on the app is 7 minutes long, and they range from body-part specific to total-body routines. Sure, you’re not going to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger if you’re just training for seven minutes a day, however, even on your busiest days, you can wake up 10 minutes early and at least get moving.
Nike+ Run Club (best for outside cardio)
Many athletes all over the world know Nike, so it’s no surprise that it has a few apps to help professional athletes reach their complete potential. For runners, it’s difficult to beat the Nike+ Run Club app, which tracks your runs through GPS, provides training strategies, and gives motivation recognition to its community. After all, who does not love a good leaderboard? The exercises will help you develop strength, speed, and endurance, and you have the alternative of in-ear audio from coaches and athletes for that extra zest.
Strava (ideal for outside cardio)
Perfect for runners and bicyclists, the app tracks stats like range, rate, speed, elevation, and calories burned. It’s been a favorite for outdoor people time and again thanks to its tracking and integration with social media, where you can share statistics and join digital clubs with fellow fitness lovers. It’s also compatible with most GPS running watches, cycling computers, and activity trackers, and lets you look at specific points in your exercise in data with its segments feature. With the premium version, you can push yourself further with personalized coaching training strategies, live performance feedback during your workout, and more comprehensive analyses after every activity.
Lose It! Calorie Counter (finest for nutrition tracking)
The Lose It! App keeps things easy, and it’s perfect for people who want to track their meals. It’s got a substantial food database and breaks down meals by breakfast, lunch, dinner, and treats. It might not be ideal for sophisticated dieters; however, it’s definitely a terrific place to start. You can log food by hand, scan barcodes, or even just by photographing it with the app’s “Snap It” feature. With a premium subscription, you can get access to more dietary stats and trends in your diet.
MyPlate by Livestrong (best for nutrition tracking)
MyPlate is another easy diet tracker that’s great for beginners, one of its best features being its totally free, comprehensive eight-week meal plans that are customized to your objectives and your eating preferences. When you choose to begin a meal plan, you choose a starting date (which is constantly a Monday), then start to get day-to-day emails, consisting of weekly grocery lists, so you don’t need to fret about not having the ingredients you need. You can also check out fast workouts in the app if you’re short on time, but you want to get moving. With the gold membership, you get advanced stats consisting of every day averages, members-only exercises, and a clean eating guide.
Lifesum (best for nutrition tracking)
Lifesum makes gauging your general nutrition and health status a breeze, by providing you tips, and adjustments based upon your routines. After downloading the app, you’ll take a test which includes concerns about your cravings, weight-loss goals, diet obstructions, and basic preferences, to find out which diet plan matches your goals, schedule, and lifestyle best. Then, the app will start offering suggestions to assist you to begin making healthy changes and dietary choices. The app can moreover function as a lifestyle coach by providing you reminders to drink and eat water regularly throughout the day.
Trifecta (finest for well-rounded tracking)
Trifecta is an ultra-comprehensive app that focuses on functional fitness training, whether you’re in the gym or need to work out at home or on-the-go. It’s unique amongst fitness apps due to the fact that it caters to the exercises and diet of CrossFitters. The totally free version provides you with everyday WODs (workout of the day), a nutrition tracker, and helpful tools like a kilos-to-pounds converter and CrossFit box finder.
MyFitnessPal (best for all-around tracking)
MyFitnessPal is an oldie but a goodie, with an enormous database of foods and some truly hassle-free options. Great deals of diet plan trackers limit you to specific food entries, but if you’re the type of person who’s enthusiastic about meal preparation, it can be annoying to consistently add the same ingredients of your meal over and over. MyFitnessPal takes that into account, letting you create meals that you can later add with one action instead of entering individual components. It’s got quite a fundamental exercise log, too, but the app also synchronizes with a lot of fitness-tracking apps and devices to make it even simpler.
8fit (finest for all-around tracking)
As far as well-rounded fitness preparation and tracking, 8fit’s got you. It creates a custom workout and meal plans based on your goals, your current stats, and, more importantly, your preferences. This app takes it further by going more into detail about your preferences, asking your goals, the type of exercises you ‘d like to do weekly, the number of meals you ‘d like to consume every day, how much range you require in a nutrition program, and how you choose to prep your food. Throughout the meal strategy, you can even pick the days you ‘d like to go grocery shopping ahead of time, and the app immediately generates a shopping list based on the recipes that you’ll prepare on those days. And when it comes to exercises, there are unlimited options so that you can keep track properly; the list consists of everything from running to martial arts training. There are also a lot of predetermined workouts if that’s what you prefer.
Fitness Buddy (best for well-rounded tracking)
Fitness Buddy is a good choice for basic fitness tracking. It makes finding exercises and meals extremely easy with the options it gives you as you set it up. You enter your present body statistics, then pick from novice, intermediate, and advanced programs based on whether you’d like to develop muscle, lose weight or get fitter in general. When choosing an exercise, you pick from either fitness center, home, or top-rated regimens, and even the house routines have you covered on strength, cardio, and extending. You can also log private workouts, all of which have easy guidelines and visuals.
Sofa to 5k – Run training (best for leaving the sofa)
The name says it all. Sofa to 5K is for novices, developed to make reaching the goal of running a 5K achievable and simple. All it asks is for you to commit 20-30 minutes 3 times weekly. After nine weeks, you should be 5K-ready. Select from four virtual coaches, get audio tips throughout the workouts, and track your performance. When you’re finished with the program, you can take it even further with the 5K to 10K.
Calm (best for healing)
Not all healing is muscular, and the Calm app is perfect for keeping your mind simply as healthy as your body. It includes assisted meditations, guided breathing programs, unwinding music, and even adult bedtime stories. It’s ideal for a good night’s sleep. And whether you’ve never meditated before or consider yourself a pro, they’ve got programs for every single level.
Sleep Time (finest for healing)
Sleep is an important part of recuperating from your exercises and making gains; however, we didn’t need to tell you that. If you’ve got a fitness tracker, it most likely tracks sleep, but if not, it’s good to get an app to do the job. Sleep Time is a good choice. It utilizes an accurate algorithm to give you insight on your sleep. It monitors your motion throughout sleep, and its alarm feature wakes you up at a good time, not during deep sleep, so that you’ll feel rejuvenated and prepared to go.
