Ah, the end of January. The make-or-break moment when it comes to New Year's Resolutions, and many of us realise… it's just not going so well.
If you're anything like me, your resolutions may well have included something along the lines of eating better, getting more exercise, or taking up a hobby like yoga or running. And in the same vein, if you're anything like me, your resolve may have wavered somewhat when the supermarket started selling Mini Eggs well before Easter time.
However, all is not lost. Getting back on track might seem like a gargantuan task, but it's easier with a little help from an app that helps to hold you accountable. Accountable to yourself, yes, but accountable, nonetheless.
There are a ton of fantastic apps out there to track, manage and monitor progress when it comes to fitness goals, and though we've avoided those that focus on nasty habits like excessive calorie counting, we've still found plenty of awesome ones to try.
Some apps are free or include a free trial version to get you started. Others cost a little or a lot to get the premium features. Some work with your smartwatch or just through your phone, and some are specifically for a particular aspect of fitness. All can be genuinely helpful in helping you stick to your guns and reach your goals.
Shall we have a little look, then?
1. Noom
You've probably heard the adage that moving more and eating less is enough to keep you fit and healthy. The thing is, if you don't change your attitude first, then your brain might work against you when it comes to your fitness goals.
Noom addresses this by using psychology to set you up for success. The whole course is split into 10 "no pressure" mini-courses that are designed to not only keep you on top of your fitness goal, but help you gain the knowledge and skills to succeed long-term and take you beyond the "fad diet" phase.
Within the app, you can log food easily thanks to a truly ginormous food database, take part in interactive lessons that are chosen for you and your fitness goals, browse healthy recipes, take part in one-to-one coaching, and get involved in online groups for support along the way.
The experts at Noom use fun techniques to help you learn about the psychology behind health, weight loss, mindful eating and moving your body to get you thinking about your actions rather than just choking down on lettuce and going for a jog. Which seems like a pretty good way to go about it, eh?
2. Aaptiv
If you're a fan of fitness playlists and audio workouts, then Aaptiv might well be the one for you. The app doesn't enforce workouts – that's left up to you – but it does make sure every workout is fun and easy to follow.
The platform includes tons of fitness classes for all levels, as well as High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and 5K and 10K training programs. Each class is narrated to brilliantly put-together playlists developed to get your heart rate up and your blood flowing – and every one is led by certified personal trainers. When you're not sure what a move looks like, there's also a video library so you can see how it's supposed to work, and you can even download classes to listen to offline if you're out of Wi-Fi or data range.
Classes include running, elliptical, stretching, yoga, strength training and tons more, and around 30 new classes are added each week, so you can stick to your favourites or mix things up with your chosen tunes.
3. MyFitnessPal
If there's a health tracking app you've probably heard of, it's MyFitnessPal – which makes sense, since it's say at the top of a lot of charts on the subject. Like Noom, the platform helps you easily log your food intake and exercise to improve your habits and encourage achievable yet challenging fitness routines.
You can customise all kinds of things in the app and sync devices such as smartwatches to better monitor your progress in your workouts. It also integrates with other apps like Google Fit and includes workout sessions of its own in a library of strength and cardio classes.
Though we don't want to encourage calorie counting too much (since there's way more to nutrition than calories in and out), it's hard to argue with the breadth and scope of MyFitnessPal's huge food database, which includes over 11 million foods both from the supermarket and from your favourite restaurants. I mean, this is a well-reviewed and trusted app for good reason!
4. Daily Workout Fitness Trainer
When an app is developed by a personal trainer, you know it's got the right stuff. And that's what Daily Workout Fitness Trainer is – think of it as a personal trainer in your pocket.
The neat thing about this app is the variety – with repetition comes boredom, and with boredom, we tend to… well, quit. This platform keeps things interesting by allowing randomisation of the moves in each workout, which can range from 5 to 30 minutes depending on your need. Over 100 moves are available to be randomly assigned (with instructional videos to help you understand how to get the move right, of course), and can be performed just about anywhere.
There are also 10 target workouts to choose from – but no matter how you prefer to train, there's a lovely balance between moves that let you recover and moves that leave you aching the next day (and later on, for that matter.)
Daily Workout Fitness Trainer for Android
Daily Workout Fitness Trainer for iOS
5. Glo
If you're looking for a gentler approach to health and fitness, Glo is a great option. Focusing on yoga, Pilates and meditation, the platform has been designed to help newbies and advanced yogis alike – which means you can customise your sessions to make them as challenging as you fancy.
The app makes recommendations on classes that suit your abilities, or those that will help you progress, and you can also choose to save your favourites to return to. The more you practice yoga via Glo, the better your recommendations become.
If you prefer your yoga live, Glo lets you live stream classes with your favourite teachers, and you can customise sessions to include suitable hand-mixed music to help you go with the flow. There's also a handy search tool to help you find a class according to your mood, from calming meditations to stress-reducing sessions.
