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Aa guide for selecting just the right app to help you put your body into perfect shape
Fitness—it’s on everyone’s minds these days. While there has never been a generation that is more aware of the importance of staying fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, there has also never been a generation that is more stressed, works more hours, and is more exposed to sugary and processed foods.
In short, staying fit is easier said than done.
Enter fitness apps, these magical little programs designed to help us with exactly this! Male, female, young, old, in-between—millions of people around the world are using fitness apps as the boost they need in order to either get fit or stay fit.
Fitness apps are meant to help you with tracking your progress—whether your goal is to lose weight, maintain a healthy lifestyle, or ensure an active lifestyle. These apps provide tracking and motivation, a combination that users report has been just the thing they need to help them with their fitness goals.
Because fitness levels are important to everyone, there are many, many apps out there. How can you decide which app is best for you? Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help you make the best choice:
When you answer these questions with honesty and self-awareness, choosing the right fitness app for you will suddenly seem a lot easier. Read on to see how the questions above can help you narrow down your choices.
C25K (Couch to 5k) is an app for beginners who need some help transforming from themselves from couch potatoes into 5k-runners. This is a great app for people who are just starting out, whether they’re looking to kickstart their weight-loss goals or cross marathons off of their bucket lists.
Another great app for weight-loss, 7 Minute Workout offers a science-based approach to exercise and fitness. Designed by the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute’s Director of Exercise Physiology, 7 Minute Workout offers accessible and succinct workout prompts that are sure to have you melt down the pounds.
Last but not least is Charity Miles, which helps you trim down the fat and tackle some of the world’s problems while you’re doing it. By simply exercising and choosing charities you care about, you can parlay your fitness activity into real charitable donations made by the app’s corporate sponsorship pool.
The pioneering Fitbit practically put fitness tracking on the map, and it still remains one of the best workout tracker apps available. Fitbit utilizes the latest in sensors, motion detectors, and state-of-the-art GPS technology to help you keep track of every step you’ve taken in real time.
Runkeeper is another great app for tracking your activity and measuring your progress. With real-time fitness tracking and heart rate monitoring, easy-to-use goal-setting tools, and personalized fitness routines and inspirational challenges, Runkeeper is a solid choice for those looking for a more structured workout regimen.
You don’t need to look into fitness apps with high membership fees--or any fees at all, for that matter--in order to get a proper workout.
One of the best free workout apps is designed by none other than Nike itself. The powerhouse of sports gear and culture offers Nike+ Training Club, a completely free fitness app with personal training sessions, on-demand classes for yoga, and bodyweight workouts led by Nike Master Trainers.
You can also choose an app that will encourage you to maintain a simple exercise regimen--and have fun doing it. Zombie, Run! turns exercise into a game, and offers loads of other motivational and inspirational features to get you up and running with more than just a free trial.
Fitocracy is a fitness app couched in motivational and interactive games, so you can exercise and have a blast at the same time. This workout app offers a wide variety of live classes, step-by-step workout videos, personal coaching, and customized nutrition, workout plans and meal plans to keep you motivated and on track.
If you’ve already lost weight and want to maintain it, choose a fitness app that encourages regular exercise, offers tracking, and gives loads of motivation. Strava is a good choice. Designed for runners and cyclists, Strava includes social media-like features that let you share and compare your results with others in the athletic community.
Sworkit includes a little bit of everything for those who are unsure where to start or want to cross-train or get a general workout. Inside of this one app you’ll find more than 400 customized workouts like strength training plans, activities that touch on cardio, weight-loss, and yoga. Sworkit offers customizable workouts that let you pick, choose, and save the workout regimen that’s right for you.
Staying fit is quite possibly one of the hardest goals in life, because it’s something you can never stop doing. It’s not like you can reach a pinnacle and say, okay, I’m done. Staying fit requires constant maintenance, and let’s say it—hard work.
Fortunately, we don’t have to go through this hard work all alone. The right fitness app can be the pillar of support you need to help you reach your goals, maintain your health, and pump up all your muscle groups.
