In an era where health and fitness are key priorities and smartphones are a must-have, it only makes sense to use our phones to help achieve our fitness goals and improve our health and wellbeing. The good news is, there is a whole category of health and fitness apps to help get you fitter, stronger, leaner and more relaxed than ever before. The tough part? Choosing which one to download.
To help you, we’ve created a list of some of our favourite workout, nutrition and wellness apps:
Workout –
Strava:
Strava, aka the ‘social network for athletes’ is the Instagram or Facebook for runners. It takes the interaction and social features of these platforms and pairs it with activity tracking technology. Tracking measurements available in the app include distance, speed, elevation, calories burned, heart rate and cadence. The app also allows you to take part in challenges with other users, so not only will you try and beat your own personal best, but you’ll also want to try and run faster than someone who has run the same course.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $9.99 per month or $89.99 per year)
C25K:
This app is designed to get you from the couch to a 5km run in an eight-week period. If you are a non-runner and have your sights set on running this distance, C25K will help you achieve this through three 20 to 30-minute workouts to build you up to 5km. Each session alternates between walking and running so you can increase your endurance over time. You’ll have an audio coach encouraging and instructing you along the way, making it a great, easy to follow app for beginners who are just taking up running.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $2.99)
Nike Training Club:
The Nike Training Club app comes with all the features you’d expect from a top-quality fitness app. There are over 180 specifically designed workouts, covering strength, cardio and flexibility. Whether you’re into circuit training, bodyweight training, weight training or yoga, you’re bound to find a session you like. You are also able to filter workouts based on body part, required equipment or fitness goal, and it will recommend daily personalised workouts to users based on your preferences.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $23.49 per month or $184.99 per year)
8fit:
This app combines both fitness and nutrition by creating customised exercise and meal plans based on current fitness level and goals. It focuses on at-home Tabata-style high intensity interval training workouts, as well as yoga classes. Once you provide information around your workout history and food preferences, the app will provide you with a step-by-step plan covering workouts and nutritionist-created recipes.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from approx. $80 per year)
Freeletics:
If you don’t own any fitness equipment and are looking for workouts to do at home or while traveling, give this app a go. The free version of the app includes 900 bodyweight workouts ranging from 10 to 30 minutes, complete with audio and video to show you how to perform each exercise correctly. The premium subscription will give you access to additional features such as workout goals, a tailored weekly training plan and feedback to help you improve.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $54.99 for 3 months)
Sworkit:
Tell Sworkit the type of workout you’re looking for (strength, cardio, yoga, or stretching) and the amount of time you’ve got (anywhere from five minutes to an hour), and the app will deliver a video-guided workout to meet your needs. The app is friendly for all fitness levels and is great for those with a jam-packed schedule.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $4.49 per month or $30.99 per year)
Aaptiv:
If you love group fitness classes, Aaptiv is for you. This app gives you access to hundreds of on-demand workouts of varying styles, lengths and levels of difficulty, including outdoor running, treadmill running, yoga, cycling, and strength training. Each session is led by a trainer and is set to a playlist of all the latest tunes.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available – $14.99 for one month of unlimited classes)
Daily Yoga:
This app gives you access to more than 50 guided beginner to master level yoga and meditation videos with audio instructions. Each sequence has a specific focus, from increasing flexibility to strengthening your core. There’s also a library with detailed videos of more than 500 poses, so you’ll never be bored of doing the same thing.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $14.99 per month or $62.99 per year)
Food & Nutrition –
MyFitnessPal:
If you’re looking for an app to track your nutritional intake and count your calories, look no further than MyFitnessPal. This app has a massive database of foods (more than 6 million) and quick bar scanning capabilities to help you look up and track foods. Users can set their diet and exercise goals, track their exercise, and sync their data between a variety of fitness and workout apps. It provides an easy (and free) way to make healthier choices every day.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $14.99 per month or $79.99 per year)
MyPlate:
The free MyPlate Calorie Counter comes from Livestrong.com and gives you a barcode scanner, an 8-week meal plan, workouts, details on macronutrients, and trackers for weight and water intake.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $14.49 per month or $65.99 per year)
Waterlogged:
Do you drink enough water? When it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, hydration plays a big role. Waterlogged is a personalised water intake monitor which keeps tabs on your hydration levels throughout the day. Snap a picture of your preferred drinking glass/bottle, set a goal and the app will give you reminders when you need them and help you build a good hydration routine.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $5.99)
Health & Wellness:
Sleep Cycle:
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of recovering from a workout and making fitness gains, so it can be an important thing to track. Sleep Cycle uses your phone’s accelerometer to monitor and record your movement and quality of sleep. Come morning it uses sleep cycle theory to wake you up during light sleep rather than deep sleep, so you feel refreshed and ready to tackle the day.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $2.99)
Headspace:
Our mental health is equally as important as our physical health. Headspace offers structured, beginner-friendly meditation sessions that last from 3 to 30 minutes. Meditation can reduce stress, improve focus and promote better sleep, and can be a great way to promote a balanced mind and body.
Cost – Free (with in app purchases available from $19.99)
Smiling Mind:
Another mindfulness app, smiling mind is an app that provides dedicated meditation and mindfulness exercise programs for different ages and situations. All programs are free and are perfect for beginners.
Cost – Free
