4 Fitness Apps to Keep You Motivated

Getting fit is the ultimate goal for most of us out there and getting any sort of help can make a huge difference. That is why we are so lucky to live in the age of smartphones—where all the fitness help you need is just a tap away.

There are hundreds of fitness apps out there—and they all offer virtually the same thing. So which one’s should you choose?

I am doing the research for you and will give you four of my personal favorite fitness apps that I think you will love too.

MyFitnessPal (Free with Premium Options) iOS & Android

One of the most popular fitness apps out there is the MyFitnessPal app brought to you by UnderArmour. This was the first fitness app I’d ever used and is perfect for those just starting out.

MyFitnessPal is a calorie counter at its core but it provides accurate calories for virtually every food out there which is nearly impossible to find anywhere else.

Their food database includes over 6 million foods and they are constantly updating. Did you get a salad from your local chain restaurant? Well the MyFitnessPal app will most likely have all the nutritional information you need about that food so you can stay on track of everything you eat.

You can also create your personalized plan—where you figure out how many calories, grams of fat, protein, carbs, and sugars you need per day and it will track all the food you eat and will tell you if you have exceeded your limits for the day.

Tracking your fitness and calories burned is also part of the app and that will take into account your daily calorie limit for the day.

With it’s extremely easy-to-use interface, endless database of nutritional information, and fitness tracking abilities—the MyFitnessPal app is definitely one you should try out as your first fitness app.

Sworkit Personalized Workouts (Free with Premium Options) iOS & Android

While eating healthy is a huge part of losing weight, working out is another major contributor to meeting your goals. A lot of us out there don’t necessarily know what workouts are beneficial for us and we certainly don’t have the capital for a personal trainer.

That’s where the Sworkit app comes in. It gives you personalized workouts to do from your phone or tablet.

You can choose from strength workouts, cardio, yoga, or stretching, and you can select the time of each workout. The video trainer on the app will show you everything you need to know to make sure you’re doing each movement correctly.

The app has over 13 million users and more than 200 possible workouts for you to try, so you will never plateau or find yourself doing the same monotonous workouts day in and day out.

Even if you are a daily gym-goer like myself and you think you know every type of exercise out there, having an app like Sworkit at your fingertips provides you with a huge supply of workouts you either didn’t know existed or never thought of trying.

Doing a workout you’ve never done before is a fun and exciting way to change things up and will keep you interested in exercising.

Couch to 5K (Free with $1.99 Pro Option) iOS & Android

I am not a runner. I would rather eat sand than run a marathon. But I realized that I need to start doing more cardio—having the Couch to 5K app was a huge help.

Couch to 5K is designed for novice runners who are looking to improve their skills and stamina to participate in a 5K race.

The app has a built-in, eight-week plan in place that starts with a mix of running and walking and eventually builds you up to be able to run a full 5K. The structure of the app helps you slowly build up your endurance so you don’t get discouraged and give up.

Becoming an accomplished runner takes time and practice, and the best way to do that is to run every day and build up stamina—which is exactly what the Couch to 5K app does.

If you give the program 30 minutes a day, three days a week, for eight weeks total, you will crush your local 5K.

Maybe I will even try out the Thanksgiving 5K this year.

The developers of Couch to 5K also offer a 10K trainer, half-marathon trainer, and a 0-100 pushups trainer.

Zombies, Run! (Free with Premium Options) iOS & Android

I don’t like running. Have I mentioned that before?

My biggest problem with running is that I get bored too easily. What’s one way to not get bored while running? Oh, I don’t know? Maybe getting chased by flesh-eating zombies?

The Zombies, Run! app immerses you in a fictional zombie apocalypse and once you put your headphones in and start running—the chase begins. You can hear the zombies getting closer and closer. They are hungry and you are an all-you-can-eat Vegas buffet.

Every run is a mission where you are the protagonist and it’s your job to stay alive. You stay alive by running and doing so helps you collect supplies to rebuild civilization.

Running will no longer be a chore. You will want to run more and more so you can continue your zombie story and learn about what secrets lie behind this zombie apocalypse.

If you are looking for something to motivate you to run more and to break the boring routine of running—try out Zombies, Run! and see if you can stay alive.

It isn’t easy getting fit—but with the help of a few apps—you will find yourself enjoying your workouts more, and you’ll be more motivated and responsible for your fitness goals. What other apps have you tried that hold you accountable to your health?

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