Sick of the treadmill but still want to get fit? Bored of salads but still want to eat healthily? Whether you’re a gym addict or trying to adapt to a healthier lifestyle, there are countless apps available to track your progress, give food and workout inspiration, and help you reach your goals!
The use of fitness apps has almost doubled in the past year. According to a recent study, individuals who use fitness apps are more likely to exercise in their leisure time than non-users. Researchers believe apps help users to “overcome the barriers of exercise, leading to increased self-efficiency.”
So, if you’re looking for wholesome meals, engaging workouts or a little motivation – there’s an app for that!
For the Foodie:
SideChef
This app is full of amazing recipes and tips for making healthy and nutritious food. Use SideChef for step-by-step voice command instructions, which you can speed up or slow down simply by asking it to. Create your own never-ending recipe book within your phone, and get inspired to make more than a bacon sandwich!
For the Fitty:
SworkIt
SWorkIt: your own personal trainer, without the gym membership or the hefty cost. This app takes information about your age, gender and weight to create your very own fitness plan. The app asks for your goal – be it to achieve overall health and wellness, tone muscles, increase flexibility, or lose weight. Then choose between cardio, strength, stretching or yoga; choose the length of your workout and get started!
For the Couch Potato:
FitStar Yoga
If the only part of you getting a workout is your thumbs scrolling through Facebook then it might be time to ease yourself in with a little yoga. FitStar Yoga makes yoga accessible for everyone, providing instructional videos for any level of experience. If you aren’t ready to fork out for a gym membership, or you’re looking for something to fit in between your lectures, this app is the one for you.
For the Calorie-Concious:
MyFitnessPal
Quite simply the best diet and nutrition tracker on the app store, MyFitnessPal has a database of millions of food items, from all different supermarkets and restaurants, enabling you to track what you eat, as you eat it. Count calories by scanning barcodes, track your progress, make sure you’re getting your daily dose of H2O and add your own recipes to work out their nutritional information.
For the Procrastinator:
Bounts
Looking for an incentive to get active? Download Bounts and start earning points as you exercise! Track your daily exercise with your existing fitness apps and devices, when you visit the gym, and take part in challenges, and these activities are logged as “Bounts” on the app. You can spend your Bounts points to purchase gift cards for stores like Topshop, New Look, River Island, and many more.
For the Ambitious:
Couch to 5K Runner
If you’re looking for a challenge, and you’re ready to commit to getting fit, Couch to 5K will train you to run 5k in just eight weeks. The app uses the run/walk method to gradually increase the amount of time you are running, how fast you are going and how far you are getting. It also gives running tips and practices for beginners, and has a built in audio-coach to keep you going as you run.
Edited by: Sarah Holmes
Sources:
https://www.jmir.org/2015/8/e195/