Getting fit and healthy is a normal New Year’s resolution yet something that people talk about doing year round. However, many people find it difficult to keep up with a healthy lifestyle, no matter what time of year it is. It can be hard to remember to eat healthy, work out, or even just find the motivation to get off the couch and go work out. There are some things, like smartphone apps, that can help you work out and eat right even on your worst days.
Zombies, Run!
Need that extra motivation to run or walk just a little faster? How about moaning, groaning zombies that are chasing you? This app lets you follow the story line of a small town after the zombie apocalypse, with you being their supply runner. As you listen to the story, your music automatically gets mixed in to the audio, until a hoard of zombies approaches. Once you are notified that there are zombies near, you have to run faster to escape the hoard. Besides being a fun app that makes you think you are part of the Walking Dead gang, it keeps you active and fit by introducing interval training into your daily walk or run. The app tracks your route using GPS along with your speed and how many miles you have ran. You can also log onto their website and use items you collected on your run to build up your town, or to see your previous run. The app does come at a price, $7.99, but it is available for Android and iPhones.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is a great app for anyone who wants to watch what they are eating, whether they are looking to lose, maintain, or even gain weight. You can create a free account on their website and sync it to the app on your phone. It lets you track the foods you ate by meal time and add them to your daily calorie diary. You can also track different work outs to gain back calories. It has a very simple and easy to use interface and has a database of over 2 Million items, including items from restaurants. Since the database can be updated by users, the number of items is continually growing. You can connect with other members to create a friends list and get status updates or give/receive encouragement from them. This is a great way to stay on top of your diet and even find the motivation to work out. You do have to use WiFi, 3G, or 4G to sync the app, there are different T-Mobile cell phone plans, or plans by other providers that give you plenty of data and WiFi. MyFitnessPal is a completely free app and program that is available for a large variety of phones and mobile devices.
Fitocracy
Fitocracy is like a social media, gaming, fitness app. Through the app you get to gain points, level up, and keep up with your friends. You can do different quests and games depending on your level and you can ask friends for motivation, or brag about the epic run you just did. Fitocracy also has different challenges that you can participate in and you can compete with other members. You can search through the database of workouts to find your favorites. The app is very easy to use and gives you a very social way to get fit. The app can also be linked to your Facebook and Twitter account so you can share your latest quests, level ups, and all over progress with all of your friends and followers. Fitocracy is free and currently only available for iPhones.
ShopWell
One hard thing about eating healthy is buying healthy items. The ShopWell app lets you input information about yourself, such as your age, height, weight, and your favorite foods. The app then suggests different foods that are similar to your favorites, but are better for you and your personal needs. You can easily personalize the app with more than just the basics, you can also add in what your health goals are, what medical conditions you have, any food allergies, and even foods you simply don’t like. Based on all of your personal information, you can see the customized food scores and information for your favorite foods to see if it is in fact a healthy option. If not you can trade it in for a better one. The app also lets you create lists for your favorite foods, snacks, foods you want to avoid, and even a shopping list. You can also use the barcode scanner while you are at the store to quickly get the nutritional information you need before buying it. This is a free service and app that is currently only available through iTunes.
With so many different types of apps on the market, you can easily find something that will help you stay motivated and healthy. You can find many free, or cheap apps that can help you lose or gain weight in a safe and healthy way than compared to some other methods you can choose from. Don’t wait until New Year’s to create your Resolution to get fit and healthy, start the lifestyle change now using these apps.