12 (free!) wellness apps for the new year!
getting fit shouldn't cost a fortune...
Published Dec 29, 2015 5:00 AM
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by Julia Brenner
We’re keeping our resolutions this year. No, really this time. It’s easier than ever thanks to some fabulous apps–apps that help us track everything from calories to fitness activities, apps that help us meditate and sleep better, and apps that act like our own personal trainer. And the best part? These apps are all free and available for both Android and iOS.
7 Minute Workout (by Wahoo Fitness)
Free (In-app purchase available)
The 7-Minute Workout app is based on the workout originally published in ACSM’S Health & Fitness Journal (notably covered by the NYTimes). The app outlines all of the exercises in the 7-minute workout, enables users to see both video and text descriptions of each exercise, and allows users to perform workouts with countdown timers and prompts for each exercise.
C25K
Free (In-app purchase available)
C25K® is an ideal app for turning beginner runners from couch potatoes into 5K distance runners in 8 weeks.The C25K (Couch to 5K) program was created for inexperienced runners and is designed to motivate new runners to keep training while challenging them reach new running goals. C25K offers users a mix of running and walking, gradually allowing them to build strength and stamina to fully running a 5K. (C25K is now compatible with Google Fit)
Calm – Meditation
Free (In-app purchase available)
If your goal is to lead a more mindful life in 2016, check out Calm. Calm helps users meditate, sleep, and relax. Try The 7 Days of Calm – a program that helps us learn how to meditate to improve sleep patterns and quality of sleep. The app includes 50 premium guided meditations, and helps users focus on creativity, energy, confidence, sleep and many other personal goals.
Lose It! – WeightFree
Free (In-app purchase available)
Lose It! is a great app for tracking food/calorie intake and exercise. A super handy feature is the calorie budget, which helps users stay motivated and make mindful choices to achieve personalized nutrition goals.
Fitocracy Workout Fitness Log
Free (In-app purchase available)
Fitocracy offers fast and efficient workout tracking, allowing users to track hundreds of exercises, log circuits and supersets, and to save routines and unlock personal achievements. Users are empowered to visualize their progress and to take on new challenges. The app also has a community component that allows users to join in a fitness community where they can share progress and motivation.
Lark
Free
Lark uses your phone to act as a personal activity and calorie tracker, automatically tracking food, exercise, and sleep information. Lark also allows users to simply state what they ate for a meal and a personal nutritionist will respond with nutrition information two seconds. Lark’s one-on-one coaching offers unique and informative texting sessions, where users are motivated and coached to help stay on track with personal health and fitness goals.
Fooducate
Free (In-app purchase available)
Fooducate enables us to analyze nutrition information by scanning a product’s barcode. The app can be personalized according by age, gender, weight, activity level, desired weight loss (if any), carb control, Gluten free or other allergens, and analyzes information often missing from labels, including: trans fats high fructose corn syrup MSG and its cousin—controversial food colorings, artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame. (Note: some personalization features require an upgrade to a premium account).
Runtastic
Free (In-app purchase available)
Runtastic has been called the best free fitness and running app tracker on Android. The Runtastic Running & Fitness app uses GPS to map and track sports and fitness activities, such as running, jogging, biking, walking, and hiking. It tracks information like duration, distance, elevation and calories burned to help users reach personal fitness goals.
Runkeeper
Free (In-app purchase available)
Runkeeper allows users to track runs, walks, bike rides, training workouts, and other fitness activities using your phone’s GPS. Examples of Runkeeper’s applications include: Calculate running pace, cycling speed, route distance, elevation and calorie burn for any fitness activity – in high accuracy and real time! Find and follow pre-planned routes and map your run or walk on the goFollow training plan workouts or create your own with audio coaching. Also, syncing your music is free!
Lumosity
Free (In-app purchase available)
Lumosity is a popular brain fitness app (70 million users worldwide) that allows users to challenge their memory, attention, and cognitive skills. Lumosity combines 25+ cognitive games into a daily training program. Games adapt to a user’s personal performance—helping users stay challenged in a wide variety of cognitive tasks.
FitStar Personal Trainer
Free (In-app purchase available)
The highly-regarded FitStar app is like having your own personal trainer at the touch of your phone. The app offers dozens of exercises you can do outside of a gym, anytime, anywhere, and workouts can be easily personalized to meet individual fitness goals and capabilities. The workouts require no additional equipment and can be performed in limited space.
Relax Melodies – Meditation
Free (In-app purchase available)
Relax Melodies is a very popular personalized meditation and sleep app. Relax Melodies features high quality white noise sounds, calming music and customizable mixes that act as a personalized sleep and relaxation aid. The app allows users to create a sleep mix by selecting sounds and music that are tranquil and effective for entering a deep state of relaxation or sleep. The app can be applied to non-sleep situations, such as during yoga or meditation sessions, during massages, power naps, or even to help babies fall asleep.