Social media feeds are flooded with “New Year, new me” posts at the start of every new year. January is the perfect opportunity to turn over a new leaf, especially when you add a new fitness tracker. A common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, which equates to crowded gyms and an uptick in fitness subscriptions.
However, most people slack off within a few weeks and cancel their memberships and subscriptions by March. Research suggests it takes 21 to 66 days for a new behavior to become a habit. So, don’t wait until January 1st. Here are eight fitness and wellness apps you can use now to build a healthier daily routine.
One drawback of many fitness apps is that they put most of the content behind a paywall, with a handful available for free. FitOn is different in that most of its content is free to use. There is a subscription option, but you aren’t continuously spammed with overlays pushing you to subscribe. So, it should be on your shortlist as one of the first options to try for a new workout routine.
This comprehensive tool focuses on workouts and more. It targets influential factors like diet, hydration, sleep, and mental health. The app is popular and routinely adopted by workplaces and gyms to bolster wellness within their workforce and membership rosters.
There’s a lot to love about FitOn’s robust workout catalog and informational content. However, some areas are paywalled. You need the FitOn Pro subscription to cast workouts to smart TVs or computers. Likewise, a personalized meal plan, customized coaching, and real-time video chats with live coaches are all paywalled. Still, at $9 per month or $60 for the year, FitOn is cheaper than most gym memberships.
Full access is $9/month or $60 annually
One popular app for outdoor fitness enthusiasts is Strava. This GPS-focused app helps you track your fitness activities and share maps of previous runs, walks, or hikes. Although outdoor activities are prioritized, you can track over 40 types of exercises.
Strava’s app is system-agnostic and works with any Android-based watch. It offers robust tracking for workout metrics. It pairs with fitness trackers, heart rate monitors, and other wearable devices to sync and merge data.
Strava accurately measures caloric intake, water consumption, and other fitness-adjacent metrics. However, its enhanced community sets it apart. There’s something for everyone, from branded communities by fitness firms like New Balance to legitimate running and hiking fitness groups.
Strava offers extra benefits, such as Beacon, a real-time location-sharing safety feature. While Strava is free to use, its three monthly subscription options are billed annually for individuals, students, and families.
If you aren’t ready to switch to the gym but don’t want your home cluttered with workout equipment, the Pilates Workout at Home is the right app. Pilates is an isometric exercise that uses your body weight to work specific muscle groups. The movements are simple but effective, ensuring you see progress without using weights.
This is ideal for beginners who might be intimidated by traditional weightlifting. Its exercise catalog targets different areas of the body, including arms, legs, abs, glutes, and pelvic floor. Although improved flexibility is the goal, features such as the 30-day plan help you lose weight and tone your body.
There are also intense workouts for more experienced Pilates fans. If you’re committed to making exercise a daily habit, activate daily app reminders to exercise. Even though a free version is available, it can be hard to access. A common complaint from reviews on Google Play is that you have to repeatedly opt out of the paid version immediately after downloading. One reviewer shared they had to tap opt-out nearly 10 times to access the free version.
$20 per month or $179 annually
Spending an hour or more breaking a sweat sounds intimidating. Seven – 7 Minute Workout creates easy seven-minute workout routines that you can quickly power through. Similar to the Pilates Workout at Home app, these exercises don’t require equipment.
The workouts vary daily but usually include an assortment of planks, jumping jacks, push-ups, and crunches. The process is somewhat gamified to keep you interested, with badges awarded for consistently exercising. You can also choose between 12 coaches and access an online community for support.
Seven differs from some at-home workout apps because it supports exercise modifications. This is great for accessibility or when recovering from an injury. The only drawback with Seven is that the free version is limited. The free version has a small set of exercises. However, you can unlock more by inviting friends to try the app. Also, you can access one free live session per hour.
$5 monthly; $40 annually
Exercise and diet are the key combination to weight loss. If you don’t want to juggle multiple apps to track food intake and exercise, BetterMe is ideal. It is a wall Pilates app that incorporates a diet component.
After downloading the app and completing a survey, the platform creates a customized workout and diet plan tailored to your age, activity level, weight and wellness goals, and health concerns. However, you can’t access that plan until you agree to a subscription.
Better Me features beginner-friendly workouts that usually range between 10 and 20 minutes. Subscriptions are monthly to quarterly. The app sometimes offers a one-week reduced trial to test drive it. Depending on when you sign up, you might lock in a discounted rate.
The best features of Caliber are primarily reserved for paid subscriptions. The process begins with a consultation in which you discuss your weight, goals, and lifestyle factors such as activity levels, health conditions, and dietary concerns.
Caliber pairs you with a real coach, unlike other apps that use algorithms to formulate weight-loss and nutrition plans. You’ll have 24/7 access to discuss your experience and make adjustments. This level of customization is the Premium plan, which is expensive. The one-on-one coaching costs between $600 and $1,400 per quarter.
If that’s too much of an investment, the Pro group coaching plan is $20 per month. You still get coach-led workouts one or more times a week. Alternatively, sign up for the free plan to test drive Caliber with a limited exercise catalog. You can only track your workouts and take pre- and post-workout pictures.
On demand access to a personal trainer.
$20 monthly for Pro plan; from $600 for Premium plan
Adopting a workout routine is only as effective as your diet. For many, this means cutting out carbs. Carb Manager is a simple freemium solution that helps you track carbs on the go and record what you eat. It prioritizes keto diets but is a great resource for mindful eating.
One nice feature of Carb Manager is that you can search restaurant menu items and add dishes to track intake. Even if you aren’t into keto, logging your dietary intake may help eliminate mindless snacking, which derails many fitness goals. While carbs are the primary focus, you can track macros, fiber, protein, fat, and calories.
If you want to kick it into high gear, consider Carb Manager’s premium option. This subscription includes more robust reporting with insights, meal planning, snapping food pictures, intermittent fasting trackers, and sync support for fitness devices. You can upgrade to a monthly ($8), quarterly ($16), or annual subscription ($40).
$8 monthly; $16, quarterly; $40 annually
Intermittent fasting can help you achieve your weight-loss goals. To simplify it, apps like Fasting ease you into the process and track start and stop times. This free-to-download app begins by asking you to complete a survey on your health concerns, dietary habits, and goals.
Pick your preferred fasting regimen from beginner to advanced: 14:10 (beginner), 16: 8 (lose weight), or 20:4 (fat killer). Along with the fasting clock that counts down your current fasting period, you can track water consumption (which you’re encouraged to drink while fasting) and weight-loss progress.
The included AI scanner snaps pictures of your food to track nutritional value and caloric intake. Upgrading to the paid plan gives you access to meal plans and daily guides. The premium plan is modestly priced at $20 annually.
$20 annually
This list isn’t comprehensive. Many fitness apps on the Google Play Store offer modified free content or trials. This is great if you’re beginning a workout routine and are unsure whether to invest in a monthly or annual subscription.
Although not featured in this list, many fitness-focused wearables, gyms, and at-home workout equipment brands have companion apps. These apps often include tutorials, workouts, coaching, or online communities to find like-minded workout buddies to cheer on your successes, big and small. If you’re wondering how fitness wearables measure vital signs, our guide explains it all.
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