Almost half of all Americans make New Year’s Resolutions and only about 8% actually meet their goals. If you are sticking with the masses this year and resolving to lose weight, here is a complete app-pack to get you off to a running start:
Best All Around – MyFitnessPal
iOS, Android, WindowsPhone, Blackberry
If you are looking to start with just one app, MyFitnessPal is a great place to begin.
* Track calories consumed by entering manually or scanning barcodes
* Track calories burned by entering exercise
* Includes charts showing the breakdown of Carbs, Fat and Protein
* Has a great chart that shows your weight loss progress
* Connect with friends to leverage the power of accountability
* Set reminders so you don’t miss that workout
* Connect with a multitude of other devices such at Fitbit, Jawbone UP, Runkeeper, and Goji Play
Best App to Get You Moving – Map My Walk
iOS, Android, Blackberry
Physical activity doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be consistent. As long as you have a pair of shoes and a mobile device, you can be tracking your movement immediately.
MapMyWalk is a fitness tracking application that enables you to use the built-in GPS of your mobile device to track all of your fitness activities. Record your workout details, including duration, distance, pace, speed, elevation, calories burned, and route traveled on an interactive map. You can even effortlessly save and upload your workout data to MapMyWalk where you can view your route workout data, and comprehensive workout history.
After completing a walk, you can see a map of where you walked, how far, and how many calories you burned. It’s a great first step (pardon the pun) to get you away from your desk and moving.
Best App to Create Healthy Habits – Lift
iOS, Android
Success is not achieved solely by will-power. It is created by developing good habits.
Lift is a very simple app where you create a list of desired habits and just check them off every day. You can create your own habits or join a free established plan such as “3 Months to a New You” or “Intro to Meditation.”
Whether your goal is large or small, Lift gives you steps and milestones to make progress more manageable.
Best App for Motivation – Fitocracy
iOS, Android
Whether your goal is big or small, Fitocracy’s use of social connections and gamification will motivate you to make baby steps or to move mountains.
Connect with people who have similar fitness goals and give each other props. Track your reps and sets easily to watch your progress. Earn points and badges to level up.
As long as you have Fitocracy, you won’t have to work out alone because you will have the support of a very dedicated and enthusiastic network.
Best App for Rest & Rejuvination – Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock
iOS
Chronic sleep loss can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and a decrease in the immune system’s power (Harvard Medical School.) Proper rest can prepare you for the many stressful situations that life can throw at you.
The Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock monitors your movements to determine which sleep cycle you are in and wakes you when you are in the lightest phase of sleep, making it much easier to wake up refreshed.
