It used to be that fitness apps were primarily used to count calories, and check in after workouts. That's no longer the case. There are dozens of fantastic apps out there, and they cater to what you are specifically looking for. Whether you're always looking for a new fun app to help motivate you along, or you've never been inclined to look into them at all, fitness apps can help make your average day healthier.
Keeping fit is easier than ever
Most of us get some amount of exercise every day, just by living our lives. We walk around, in some cases all day long. Plenty of fitness apps will track this and let you know what your activity level is like each day, including the number of steps taken and calories burned based off of your height and weight. There are apps which do this without ever even needing to be opened after you initially set them up.
Fitness doesn't have to be a chore, at least not with these apps.
If you're just starting a fitness routine, there are apps that can help build workout plans, count calories, give you videos so you can workout at home and much more. It might seem a little strange at first to have an app tracking your fitness level. By integrating these apps into your day you can see how active you already are, without ever having to hit the gym. That isn't to say that all fitness apps are made for that purpose. They've branched out, and the abundance of choice lets you determine what you need out of a fitness app.
More: 4 interactive apps that will keep you entertained
If you're looking for something that turns fitness into a game there is Zombies, Run! The Walk, or even Pokémon Go. Charity Miles donates money to a charity of your choice for the distance you run. Fitness doesn't have to be a chore, at least not with these apps. They take what you're already doing, and put a spin on it to make it fun and encourage you to do more.
Assistants can help
When it comes to working out, maybe you need to fit things in right in the middle of a busy day. If you have a Google Home, a Samsung phone with Bixby and Samsung Health, or an Amazon Alexa your digital assistants can be of help.
That's because each different Assistant can launch a workout for you. With Samsung devices, you can build a workout plan right from inside of Samsung Health, whether that be drinking more water or training for a 5K program. Alexa has workout based skills that you can enable, and Google Home can talk to several workout programs. This means that you can trigger a quick workout just by talking to your connected device, making it easy to fit in some activity even when you only have a few short minutes to spare.
One size fits all fitness is a thing of the past
Even if you aren't particularly fitness-minded, integrating an app into your life can be a benefit. With unobtrusive tracking apps, you can see your daily activity levels. While that might not seem like much if you're a city dweller you could be walking miles every day without ever realizing it. These apps can help with your health as well, outlining when you have more energy for activity, or what your stamina is like. Some games even have fitness benefits that are purely accidental, like Ingress where walking around to capture portals is a game mechanic. Apps like Aqualert can even help to make sure you're drinking enough water. Fitness apps are no longer just for the people who live and breathe getting and staying in shape. They're built now to be friendly to everyone no matter what your level of motivation might be.
With the ways that fitness apps have diversified, there really is something out there for absolutely everyone.
- Sleep Trackers: Sleep as Android, Sleepbot
- Calorie and Water Trackers: Aqualert: Water Reminder H20, Cron-O-Meter
- Activity Trackers: Google Fit, Moves, Samsung Health.
- Pedometers: Noom Walk Pedometer: Fitness, Accupedo Pedometer
- Games that require walking around: Ingress, The Walk, Pokémon GO
- Run Trackers: Run Keeper, Runtastic
- Apps that make fitness fun: Zombies,Run!
These aren't the apps from years ago which were tailored for a specific type of person to use. Rather, they have spread their influence and tried to find new niches for people who might not usually use a fitness app. The analytics and data can be fantastic if you're a fan of graphs and charts, but even better is the fact that using these apps can actually help you to live a healthier life. We only get one body, so why not treat it right with the help of technology?
Questions?
It doesn't matter what your activity level is like on a day to day basis. Everyone can benefit from having a fitness app in their life. It can be something small like simply tracking your activity levels, or detailed down to your caloric intake and workout intensity. No matter where you sit on the fitness spectrum, there is an app for you. So are you using any of these apps, or is there a fitness app that you stand by already? Tell us all about it in the comments!
January 2018: We've updated this post with information about using the Assistant on your phone to help make fitness a part of your daily routine!
