Essential fitness apps for a healthier lifestyle

Trying to get fit? These tech hacks may help!

Not that I’m suggesting that downloading apps would instantly transform your lifestyle, but they can definitely put you on the right track. Living a healthier lifestyle entails commitment and certain life changes (for most of us unhealthy mortals), but all it takes is a decision to try — and baby steps to get there.

Personally, living clean is something I still struggle with. Exercise, clean eating, getting enough sleep — these were not things that came naturally to me (like every other busy, caffeine-fuelled millennial in today’s fast paced time). Along the way, however, there were certain apps that helped me progress on my fitness journey.

Gym access apps

I used to never go to the gym because honestly, I didn’t know exactly how to gym. I grew up not knowing what exercise was and the gym didn’t exactly seem to be the most welcoming place to an exercise virgin. What got me to start going to gyms and experimenting on different workouts was, innocently enough, a gym access app.

Apps like Kfit and GuavaPass allow you to try different exercise activities from different gyms without the commitment. Instead of paying one gym for, let’s say, a month’s worth of membership, you can log on to these apps for limited access to different facilities. For an added fee, you get more gym access. This way, you can figure out what exercise activity you’re into before having to fully commit to a particular gym.

READ MORE:?App Review: The road to getting Kfit

Workout apps

If you’re more the anti-social type (meaning you like suffering —?er —?exercising alone), these workout apps will help you create a better home program to get you moving in no time.

There were times when I couldn’t make it to the gym or simply wasn’t in the mood to deal with other people — but that should never be reason to break your workout streak. Apps like Nike Training Club and HIIT Interval Timer allow you to do your own exercise program anytime, anywhere.

Food/diet apps

A good friend and constant gym buddy always told me: “You can’t exercise a bad diet away,” and as much as I try to ignore this statement, it will not cease to be true. A good diet is the foundation of a healthier life.

Although I can’t say that I’ve totally fixed my eating habits, there are certain apps that have helped me along the way. My Fitness Pal is a calorie counting app that allows me to monitor my food intake; it’s not so much cutting down on food but making sure that my intake consists of healthier options (bye bye, fastfood ?). Cute apps like Plant Nanny also make reminders to drink water throughout the day a little more fun.

Mindfulness/meditation apps

Being healthy is not just a physical thing; having a healthy mind is part of the whole fitness package.

Apps like Aura, as well as Stop, Breathe & Think, facilitate meditation sessions that will allow you to clear your mind of any unwanted energy or stress. (This is no hipster mumbo jumbo. It does help you relax!)

All-around fitness apps with wearables

Once you get a little momentum on the exercise ball, it may be a good idea to invest in a fitness wearable like a Fitbit or a Huawei Band to track your progress. These devices come with their own apps that monitor just about any aspect of your health, depending on what type of fitness band you buy.

Wearables like the Huawei Band and the Fitbit Alta HR usually have a native app

Movement and exercise tracking coupled with automatic data input in such apps can be a very effective way to measure your fitness success, not to mention, a great incentive to work out more.

READ MORE:?Huawei Band review

READ MORE: Fitbit Alta HR review

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