If you have a “smartphone”, there’s a pretty good chance that you have downloaded an app or two that is geared towards some kind of health and fitness habit you have. A new app can be a great tool for helping you establish a new habit as well! There are tons of health and fitness apps out there and each has a fairly specific purpose in mind.
- Want to do 100 push-ups? There’s an app!
- Want to find an awesome mountain bike trail in your area? There’s an app!
- Want to train for your first marathon? There’s an app!
- Etc…
I have chosen a few apps that either currently use or have used in the past and given you a few highlights (good and bad) that I found with each of them. While I probably have used or currently use more apps, I kept the list to 6. Combined, they cover a wide range of the health and fitness spetrum and would definitely give you a great starting point if you are new to using apps.
Sworkit
Price: Free download – in-app purchase
Summary: Limited on time or do you happen to be traveling and away from your home or gym? Sworkit is a handy app that can provide you with a workout that will allow you to make it happen! I have used this app in the past with some people that I work with during a nutritional reset challenge where some of the participating members were either new to working out or had limited access to equipment. If that sounds like you as well, this app is a great option. It is free to download and you can get started today. In app-purchases allow you to remove some of the ads, create an unlimited number of custom workouts (3 included), and access to “exclusive workouts”. The cost of premium membership is $4.99/month or $39.99/year.
Pros
- Workout anywhere!
- Several workout options (Upper, Lower, Yoga, Stretching, etc…)
- Duration of workout adjustable.
Cons
- Smaller screen sizes may make it difficult to use.
- No audio queues on how to properly perform each exercise.
Beachbody On Demand
Price: Free download – subscription required
Summary: Have a favorite Beachbody workout on DVD that you want to take with you on your smartphone or tablet? The Beachbody On Demand app allows you to access the entire On Demand workout library and crank out a workout wherever you are! The functionality of the app is essentially the same that you would find when accessing club.teambeachbody.com, except the app has a feature that would allow you to download up to 7 different workouts and access them while offline. This is a handy feature if you know you are going to be in a place with limited or no access to the internet and want to stay on track with your fitness program. Currently, the app is only available for the iOS platform (iPhone or iPad) with plans to make available on Android soon. The app is free to download, but does require a subscription; $2.99/week or $38.98/quarterly. You can try it out for free with a 14 day trial to On Demand and access the entire library from the app.
Pros
- 100’s of Beachbody workouts available
- Download workouts for offline playback
- Access to additional meal plans, fitness guides, etc… included.
Cons
- Standard library does not include most recent programs
- Subscription ($2.99/week) required
- Only available on iOS
Couch to 5K (C25K)
Price: Free download
Summary: The 5K (3.1 miles) is an awesome goal for people who are ready to get themselves off the couch or new to running in general. The many local charity events that have a run/walk associated with them typically include a 5K or 10K. For this reason, there are generally a lot of people who are starting with zero training/experience in running such a distance and need a means to gradually build up their running abilities and endurance to ensure they can finish. The app leads the user through an 8-week training regimen that progressively increases the amount of time of actual running until at the end of the 8 weeks, you should, in theory, be able to complete a 5K with roughly a 10 minute/mile pace. The only benefit to the $1.99 purchase is to remove the ads that take up only a small area towards the bottom of the screen.
Pros
- Systematic way to gradually increase running distance
- Includes music integration (RockMyRun, Apple Music or your own)
Cons
- Description of daily workout is tiny and hard to read.
- 1st workout is 30 minutes – may be tough if you are truly coming off the couch
6 Pack Promise
Price: Free download – in-app purchase
Summary: The name of this next app may seem a bit overzealous; promise a 6 pack?? Well, if it doesn’t deliver you a 6 pack by the end of 8 weeks, the app certainly isn’t to fault! This is actually a really good app and can delivery on that promise. Jeff Cavalier has put together an awesome app that is easy to use and extremely effective. All of the workouts found in 6 Pack Promise are less than 10 minutes in length (range is typically 4-8 minutes) and require very little equipment and in most cases no equipment is required. While short in duration, these workouts are NOT EASY! I’ve gone through 6 Pack Promise a couple of times and there are several times that I want nothing more than to curl up in a little ball and cry. The free download give you 30 different exercises, while the $2.99 purchase of the full version bumps that number up over 100 exercises! The “shuffle” feature also allows you to create a totally new workout based on a random selection of the library you have available.
Pros
- Simple and quick workouts with 100+ exercises
- Wide range of difficulty
- Sample nutrition plan included
Cons
- No music integration feature
- Limited time between exercises
MyFitnessPal
Price: Free download – in-app purchase
Summary: I think we can all agree that nutrition is the area that will have the most impact on your overall health and fitness, but it is generally the area that most people struggle with. Tracking your nutritional intake is the best way to get a handle on things if you aren’t seeing the progress or results you are expecting.
The MyFitnessPal app has been around for quite some time and it likely one of the most popular nutrition tracking apps available. After being recently acquired by Under Armour in late 2014, the app introduced a “premium” account, which allowed you to customize the caloric and macro nutrient goals, have different goals by days, and among others remove some of the ads. The $9.99 monthly fee for the premium account is pretty steep and unless you just want to give it a try (there may be a trial of that available as well), you are better off going with with $49.99 annual cost if you happen to see the benefits provided. I personally don’t feel like I am at a disadvantage by not having some of those features and I would venture to say that the average user would agree. The free version of the app offers plenty of value; allowing you to track your nutrition from a common food database, see the breakdown of your nutrition in three main ways; calories, nutrients, and macros, and setup your own foods/recipes as needed.
Pros
- Ease of entry – bar-code scan, meals, previous food, etc…
- “Smart Copy” commonly used meals/foods
- TONS of data!
Cons
- Premium features are costly
- Under Armour “marketing” is hard to avoid
- Community driven data can be inconsistent.
- Annual fee required for “premium features” that were previously included.
Gym Radio
Price: Free download
Summary: I realize that not everyone has the same taste in music, especially the kind of music they prefer to listen to while working out. Here’s an app I recently discovered that is for those of you who either need a fresh playlist or just simply want to turn on some music and not have to worry about what is actually being played. Gym Radio is a mix of something in between… Instead of ads being played every 3rd or 4th song, they include some motivational quotes/saying in a somewhat cheesy voice, but I like it.
Need a Coach?
If you need to find someone that will hold you accountable, answer your questions, help you, and PUSH YOU for the entire duration of your workout! Luckily for you, that’s what me and my team are here for. If you don’t have a coach yet and want one, I’d love to be your coach and help you through a fitness program. I am available to help you reach your goals!
Email Me: coachchris@yourfitnesspath.com
Connect on Facebook: fb.com/coachcoburn
YouTube: https://youtu.be/coachchriscoburn
Instagram: @chris_coburn
Twitter: @yourfitnesspath
Pros
- Set it and forget it
- Motivational quotes/messages
- No Ads
Cons
- Only 3 options for music
- Skip feature seems flaky
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