My first thought is to web surf. Typing in phrases like "how to be healthier," "motivational things for my room," "healthy tips for a new year," "how to run more," the list goes on and on and on. After I've dedicated a solid hour of surfing the net to getting healthier and fitter, I then like to equip myself with tangible motivators: apps.
So, I've compiled a list of apps to aid your fitness and health journey. Use these in conjunction with one another to make 2017 your most health conscious and fit year yet!
WEIGHT LOSS/FITNESS:
1. DietBet
One way of making yourself stick to a workout/health routine is accountability. And DietBet makes you accountable with friends, family or strangers (your choice) using... MONEY. That's right. Put your money where your fit is. You bet your peers that you'll lose certain amounts of body weight, and if you succeed, you get to split the pot with them at the end! Fail? And your money goes to someone else!
2. Zombies, Run!
This app comes with real zombies, so make sure you mark down a shipping address. Just kidding. Zombies, Run! is the perfect app for someone who wants to add some fun to their routine. Walk, jog or run to over 200 missions, collect supplies to rebuild your post-apocalyptic town and get encouraged to go faster for fear of getting caught by zombies! Listen to your music and mission through your headphones during your exercise and get ready to shift from your usual tunes to unusual stories.
3. Motion Traxx
Joined a gym for the new year? This app is perfect for your cardio equipment rainy days or "don't want to go outside and run or bike" days. Personal trainers guide you through workouts on bikes, treadmills, rowers, stair climbers and ellipticals, so you can have a motivational instructor with you even when you're not in a cardio class! And you have the potential to burn more than 9 times more fat using the high intensity interval format. http://www.motiontraxx.com/
4. MyFitnessPal
You've probably used this one before, or at least heard of it. But with MyFitnessPal, you have access to the world's largest nutrition and calorie database (over 5 million foods!) of which to track the foods you eat during the day. Simply enter in your food items for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, and see how many calories you're eating in a day! Have a caloric limit or goal for losing weight? This is the perfect health pal to accomplish them. Even if you're maintaing weight, it's always great to see how well you're doing.
5. Nike+ Training Club App
A personal favorite, the Nike+ app offers free workouts on your smart phone! With 100+ workouts, you can challenge yourself with a huge variety of exercise from Nike Trainers and athletes, including 15-minute options. Each video includes instructional audio and video clips featuring Nike Trainers to help you master your technique and get the most from each workout. Your app will also create a personalized training plan based on your needs, then continually adapt it as you go. AND the app even has guest star workout appearances from celebrities every now and then. I did Jessie J and Ellie Goulding's routines. They were killer.
6. Charity Miles
What's better than donating money for just getting up and moving!? Track you fitness (distance, streaks and times) and watch the collective impact yours and others' exercise has on the charity you choose! Sponsored by forward-thinking brands like Humana, Johnson & Johnson, and Chobani, Charity Miles has so far earned over $1.7M for charity!! This Challenge Term (ending May 31, 2017), they'll pay out their sponsorship pool (currently $500,000) to their charity partners in proportion to the Charity Miles done for each. Some of their charities include: the ASPCA, Wounded Warrior Project, American Diabetes Association and Stand Up To Cancer.
7. StrongLifts
Get stronger, build muscle and burn fat. No complicated workouts that take forever. Just three exercises, three times a week, 45mins per workout. StrongLifts 5×5 claims to be the the simplest, easiest to follow and most effective workout. You get results without using supplements or wasting hours in the gym. The secret is free weight, compound exercises like the Squat and Deadlift. Start light and use proper form to avoid injuries. Increase the weight over time to gain strength. More strength is more muscle. Eat right and the muscles will show.
8. Strava
With Strava, you can record your activities extremely easily and afterward look at a detailed activity map and tons of performance data from your run, bike, jog or hike! Go over your speed, pace and distance, and even track your performance compared to past activity and your "Suffer Score." If you want to share your location with a loved one or friend, you can send them a live-feed of your run, so they know exactly where you are (just in case!) But the Strava social network is the best part. You can share your inspiring activities, greatest adventures and interesting routes with the Strava community,
10. FreeLetics
This app is comparable to the Nike + Training Club App, but it comes with a nutrition plan as well. And recipes! Your nutrition is adapted to your individualized workout program and training frequency, and keeps you motivated and attacking your goals. This app isn't free, only because the personal training and nutrition advice is tailored to you specifically.
OVERALL HEALTH:
1. Yoga Wake Up
Yoga Wake Up is an AUDIO only app that offers on-demand yoga, stretching or meditation sequences that can also be used in place of an alarm clock. Each wake up begins by asking you to focus on your breathing and in some cases, basic yoga poses, to get you out of bed and on with your day. Oftentimes, the wake ups also encourage you to set an intention or participate in a guided meditation. Yoga Wake Up makes "yoga every damn day" easy and accessible for both regularly practicing yogis and those that have yet to try yoga.
2. Happify
Happify claims to be "the single destination for effective, evidence-based solutions for better emotional health and well being in the 21st century," which after test driving it actually means... HAPPY GAMES! These science-based activities and games help you overcome negative thoughts and stress and were developed by some of the brightest neuroscientists and psychologists at Harvard, Stanford, Penn and other top institutions.
3. Deep Sleep
This application is a guided meditation intended to help you overcome insomnia and get to sleep. It's available on Android also, but the link will take you to the IOS version.
4. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock
Waking up easy is all about timing. By placing your phone on your nightstand or next to you on the bed, Sleep Cycle alarm clock tracks your sleep patterns and wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase. Waking up during light sleep feels like waking up naturally rested without an alarm clock.
5. Pocket Yoga
Roll out your mat, make your selections and you are ready to go! Pocket Yoga recreates the experience of being in an actual yoga studio. A soothing voice will guide you through your entire practice while soothing music plays in the background. You will even get directions on when to inhale and exhale. Great for stress!
6. BetterHelp
If you're trying to talk out your problems, fears, past, or just talk in general to a counselor, this app really delivers quality counseling for an affordable rate. Most counseling sessions cost upwards $100 PER session, but you can get weekly counseling for $35-55 dollars from BetterHelp. The team at BetterHelp selects a counselor based on your individual needs and from there, you get to message back and forth for however long you need! There are free live sessions you can take advantage of also. If you're looking to start 2017 off free of worry, you might want to take up online counseling! Their app can be installed on your phone for easy access on-the-go.
LADIESSSS:
1. Clue
Clue offers an easy way to track your cycle. It’s beautifully complex. Clue is designed to make tracking your fertility accurate, fast and friendly. FERTILITY! AHH! What'd you say!? Not looking for pregnancy? Clue keep track of your monthly cycle by entering data about your period, pain, mood, fluid, sexual activity and personal notes, so even if the end game isn't babies, at least you are keeping track of what's going on with your body.
And there ya have it! Let us know if any of these work for you and good luck this year! We're cheering you on :D