6 Fitness & Wellness Apps To Try In 2018

Cardio is hardio!

Well it’s the new year, which means “New Year, New Me!” Right? *insert eye roll here*

Yes, it’s time for the yearly ritual where everyone vows to change something about themselves. It usually involves taking up a new hobby, trying to curse less, or joining a gym to lose the holiday weight we’ve gained.

But who actually wants to spend the money on a gym membership? In today’s society, everyone we know owns some type of device such as a smart phone, or a tablet where you can download virtually any app you could think of. So why not download an app to replace the gym?

!Seriously, we spend the majority of our time on our phones — if walking around in public without looking up from your phone was a sport, we would all be Olympic champions — so while working out your thumbs this new year, why not give the whole body a workout using one of these health & fitness apps?

Fitness Apps

Sworkit: Workouts & Fitness Plans (Android and iOS)

Sworkit stands for “Simply Work It”. This app is for people who are just too busy for a conventional gym and it’s free. It allows you to choose from a variety of fitness levels, and different areas of the body you want to focus on. You can also create your own custom workout that fits your busy schedule. Is your house not equipped with all the fancy weights like a gym? No problem, Sworkit has many bodyweight workouts where no extra weights are needed. And if that’s not enough to sell you on it, it also gives you your own personal trainer who can help guide you to reach your goals.

‍Couch to 5K (C25K®️) (Android and iOS)

C25K®️ is a free eight week program that helps new or inexperienced runners move from the couch to being able to run 5K. The way the app is set up prevents new runners from giving up, by starting with a mixture of walking, jogging and running. After the eight weeks, runners will have gained the stamina to run the full 5K, by committing to workout three times per week. Audio coaches are available to help you along the way, as well as custom DJs or the option to listen to your own music.

‍Pocket Yoga (Android and iOS)

This app allows you to practice yoga at your own pace — a good thing, as yoga can be intimidating for beginners. And at $2.99 in the App Store, it’s an affordable way give yoga a try. All you have to do is roll out your mat, set your phone or tablet in front of you and follow the session from start to finish. There are plenty of sessions to choose from, all ranging in skill levels. Each session has detailed voice-over instructions and illustrations to follow. Pocket Yoga also contains a pose dictionary stating the name, descriptions and the benefits of each pose.

‍Freeletics Bodyweight (Android and iOS)

Freeletics Bodyweight is the ultimate free app for working out, where the only tool you need is your body. No weights, bars or machines needed here which is great for working out on a budget! This app contains over 900 workouts ranging from 5–30 mins. Each one contains video tutorials to show the proper execution and how to avoid injury when working out.

Wellness Apps

MyFitnessPal (Android and iOS)

This app has a ton of tools for tracking what and how much you eat from its massive food database— we’re talking over 5 million foods to choose from! If that’s not cool enough, you can even scan the bar code of the food and all the information comes up. It even has the feature where you can import recipes to find out all the nutritional information. MyFitnessPal has the option to track how many calories you burn throughout your daily activity, and how much fluid you drink to stay hydrated. It is one of the easiest and most convenient tracking apps to use out there — did I mention it’s free?

‍Headspace (Android and iOS)

Life can be busy and sometimes it’s hard to find a balance or your inner zen when we need a break. Headspace is a free app, that provides guided meditation for anyone, anywhere — even if you’ve never tried meditation. It teaches different methods for breathing and living mindfully, to help you manage stress, anxiety, help with sleep, increase creativity, and happiness.