Can your smartphone help you lose weight and tone up? Yes, but it all depends on how much you put into it just as any weight loss or exercise plan does. There are tons of applications for calorie tracking, getting fit, etc., but if you don’t do your research you could end up with just another useless app that doesn’t live up to your expectations and thus, you don’t use! If it isn’t awesome you won’t use it!
These are some of the best health and wellness apps, whether your goal is weight loss, maintenance, or getting in better shape. They are all FREE, and have a lot to offer! Why spend hundreds on a personal trainer or nutritionist when you can have your own consultants right in the palm of your hand?!
Nike Training Club
This is a great app for getting in shape, without the hefty pricetag that comes with a personal trainer at the gym. This app is really great for people new to working out, but also great for just about anyone. It has instructional videos and audio guidance so you know you’re doing the exercise right. You can even set up your workouts to play your own music! Nike Training Club is marketed to women, but it works for men, too. Just modify the moves, and add more weight for your own personal needs.
Description: Nike Training Club is a training app that gives you your own personal trainer, anytime, anywhere. Get lean, toned and strong with over 60 custom-built workouts featuring audio guidance and on-demand instruction from a Nike Professional Trainer. Dynamic drills build on the fundamentals of functional fitness training. Detailed instruction keeps your training on track.
Set your workout to albums and playlists from your own music library. Access step-by-step instructions and video demonstrations for every drill at any time. Full-body workouts for 30 or 45 minutes. Targeted workouts for 15 minutes.
iMapMy(Run)
If you’re a runner or walker, especially outdoors on trails, you have to get this app! Just grab your phone before your run, and it will track everything – distance, speed, duration, etc. It even shows you a map of where you ran so you can save it and do it again, perfect for those who just run without direction!
Description: MapMy 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 any of the MapMyFITNESS websites where you can view your route workout data, and comprehensive workout history.
Works on iPhone, Blackberry, Android phones.
Calorie Counter
This app is great for logging your meals and exercise, as well as helping you find the calorie count of different foods at home and in restaurants. You’ll never have to worry again about eating out on a diet!
Description: Find nutritional info for the food you eat and easily keep track of your meals, exercise and weight. Find calorie and nutrition info for your favorite foods, brands and restaurants.
– A manual barcode input
– A food diary to plan and keep track of what you’re eating.
– An exercise diary to record all the calories you burn.
– A diet calendar to see your calories consumed and burned.
– A weight tracker.
– A journal to record your progress.
Fooducate
This is a great app for people interested in not only weight loss, but nutrition labels and health claims, or are just downright confused by it all!
Description: Scan and choose healthy groceries. Over 200,000 unique UPCs! Use your iPhone to automatically scan a product barcode, see product highlights (both good & bad), compare products, and select better alternatives.
You get to see the stuff manufacturers don’t want you to notice, such as excessive sugar, tricky trans fats, additives and preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, controversial food colorings, and more. Just pick up a product from the shelf, scan it, and let Fooducate do the rest. Works on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
Lose It!
This is a favorite among iPhone users. The company claims the average active user has lost more than 12lbs and more than 85% of users have lost weight.
Description: Set goals and establish a daily calorie budget that enables you to meet them. Stay on track each day by recording your food and exercise and staying within your budget.
– Comprehensive database of foods and activities
– Quickly add new foods or exercises to the database
– Setup recipes for more complicated foods
– Quickly add to your log with previous meals, my foods, and other shortcuts
– Track nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, and more
– Email or print detailed reports directly from your iPhone or iPod
– Works with or without a network connection
– No advertisements
In addition, set up a free Loseit.com account to gain access to features and capabilities that no other weight loss application has. Check out the app for more info.
MyFitnessPal
Another weight loss app, MyFitnessPal is a great app available on the iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones!
Description: Set a daily calorie goal, then record your daily food and exercise to make sure you stay on track. Use the Recipe Calculator to determine the nutritional contents of any recipe, the BMR calculator to determine your BMR, and the BMI calculator to estimate your body mass index and determine your optimal weight range.
A searchable food database of over 901,000 items – and it’s growing everyday!
Your own personal food database – add your own foods and recipes at any time and access them from anywhere with an internet connection.
