Lose weight, gain muscle, get fit. These are the big three resolutions made at the start of every year and around Lent. Almost 1 in 3 people want to drop a few pounds and around 1 in 5 aim to do more exercise. Yet despite all the good intentions, only 1 in 10 people will achieve their fitness goals. Ouch.
However, this year the fitness battle is becoming a lot easier thanks to the proliferation of ever more advanced fitness apps. From a simple pedometer to a 3D muscle annotated with isolated exercises, there is now an app for everyone’s fitness goals and many are even starting to gain good user reviews.
Last year we discussed how medical apps could save your life. This time we detail some our favourite health and fitness apps that could be popular in 2015.
Moves – Free
If you’re at the beginning of your fitness journey, simply committing to a daily walk could be a realistic resolution. Download this free pedometer to track all your movements including steps, stairs and even pedals. Pick an achievable goal and watch as you tot up the distance to achieve it. At the end of the day you’ll get the amount of calories you’ve burned along with a total step count.
Vlogger Jack Steedman Reviews Moves
iMuscle 2 – £6.99
Whether you’re a clueless beginner or an experienced gym rat who just wants slightly bigger biceps, iMuscle2 could prove useful. Users can zoom into specific areas on a 3D human body and tap to reveal exercises for each isolated area. Once you’ve decided on an exercise you can add it to a workout so you don’t forget it. If you’re just starting out, the animations – which highlight how to perform each exercise properly – will be beneficial and help you avoid injury.
Strava – Free – £4.49
If running or cycling is your bag, this should be your app. Especially if you are of the analytical persuasion. It will track your workout and provide you with key statistics such as distance, elevation, pace, speed and even the amount of calories burned. You can track your progress and compare your personal records to friends and pros. Go premium to get the very best from this app, including filtered leader boards, suffer scores and heart rate analysis.
A Strava Heatmap showing London Cyclists
MyFitnessPal – Free
With this handy little app you can track everything going into your body and check if you are on track with your nutrition goals. Plug in your height, weight and goals and it will give you a calorie recommendation as well as macro breakdown. Alternatively, you can set your own. To log food simply scan the barcode or search their database of over three million foods. Take the hassle out of counting calories, and all for free!
Cody – Free
Do you love videoing your squat 1RM but nobody else cares? You will find your people here! Best described as Facebook for fitness fans, Cody is a community built around health and exercise. Like Facebook, Cody offers you your own timeline, but in this instance instead of sharing selfies and witty statuses you share your workouts and fitness achievements. Other members of the Cody community can comment on your activities and the idea is that you spur one another on to reach your goals. You can also subscribe to workout programmes.
Krissy Cagney’s Beginner Strength Weight Training Program
Fitbit Tracker – Free
For a holistic app for all your health and fitness needs, you can’t go wrong with Fitbit Tracker. It can track your activity levels, how many calories burned in a day as well as how much sleep you’ve had. You can also sync up with friends and compare progress and competing on leader boards. However, it works best if you have a Fitbit activity tracker and connect up with that. You can then get real time updates, rather than having to plug your activity tracker in and upload them. Who has time for that these days?
Pact – Free
Ready to put your money where your mouth is? If nothing will get you going like a stash of cash, you need to download Pact stat! Users pick a set number of days to work out, along with an amount of money. Miss a day? Lose some cash. Complete a workout? Earn some dosh. As the team behind Pact put it: “Earn cash for living healthy, paid by members who don’t.” You can also connect with popular fitness partner apps such as Fitbit and MyFitnessPal, making staying on track all the easier.
Pocket Yoga – £1.99
Need a little zen in your life? Pocket yoga will keep you calm and sane. With detailed voice and visual instructions you’ll be able to get through every pose with ease. It even explains when to inhale and exhale, and anybody who’s ever been to a yoga class can appreciate what a faff that is. The app includes a dictionary of poses explaining the descriptions and benefits of each, a log of your entire yoga practise and over 200 illustrated pose images showing the correct posture and alignment. With 27 different yoga routines, you’ll find your zen in no time.