Among all the New Year’s resolutions made with conviction every December, by far one of the most popular is to get fit or lose weight. As another new year rolls around, we promise ourselves this year will be our year; we’ll stop stuffing our faces with junk food, commit to that diet, get ourselves a gym membership and transform our bodies into the chiselled, muscular forms we’ve always wanted.
It can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to starting a new fitness journey. There are a few tips everyone should know. Don’t be afraid to pursue a personal loan from the likes of Loan Pig if you’re looking into funding a gym membership, because nothing should get in the way of your exercise regime. The first two weeks are always the most difficult, so break through that barrier. Finally, don’t neglect your smartphone. Here are the best fitness apps we’ve found to help you supercharge your fitness journey in 2019.
Hands down, there’s no better all-round fitness app than MyFitnessPal. This handy companion does more than just track your steps and exercise, although it does that, too. MyFitnessPal is a holistic fitness companion that allows you to do everything from inputting food items into its calorie calculator to tracking steps and exercise. The app also syncs with well-known step counters and pedometers like Pacer, Samsung Health and others. There’s a premium version available for things like macronutrient calculation, but the free version is an incredible supplement to your lifestyle.
The Nike Training Club app is a great all-round workout app. It doesn’t offer the same calorie counting features as apps like MyFitnessPal or even Samsung Health, but it does have over 180 workouts ranging from beginner sessions to brutal 45-minute fat burning routines. This app also includes bespoke workouts from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams and more, so if you reckon a celebrity voice would encourage you to push through for five more minutes, here’s your app.
For the best outdoor running app, look no further than Strava. If you’ve ever puzzled over where exactly you should be running, then Strava will be a lifesaver for you. Strava calculates your route based on existing routes curated by nearby fitness buffs and athletes. You can compete with them via the app and try to beat their times, adding a much-needed element of friendly competition to your exercise routine. Nothing motivates you like a challenge, so download Strava and start running.
Don’t have the money or time for a gym membership? With Freeletics, that won’t be a problem. Freeletics boasts a range of bodyweight routines designed around HIIT – high intensity interval training – that are guaranteed to burn fat without needing to set foot in a gym. You can change settings and options within the app, too, so you can customise your experience and make sure the routine is working for you. In a limited way, Freeletics will also “coach” you, suggesting workouts it thinks you’ll benefit from.
If you’ve ever contemplated going along to a yoga class but fear it might be too elitist or exclusive, then Daily Yoga is for you. This app is suitable for beginners and advanced practitioners alike, and is designed around making sure you get a session of yoga in every day. You don’t have to have a huge amount of time available; there are over 100 classes available, one of which is sure to suit your schedule. Daily Yoga even offers playlists to accompany your yoga sessions, so you’ll never break your concentration.
The Couch to 5K program was originally started by Josh Clark (not the Stuff You Should Know podcast host) back in 1996. Since then, it’s become a global phenomenon, with over 5 million users taking advantage of the app’s easygoing fitness routine. Don’t get us wrong; C25K ramps up pretty quickly, which is why the app suggests you repeat workouts if you feel it’s necessary. With a range of encouraging celebrity voices, as well as a well-designed and curated fitness programme, C25K is essential for beginner runners.
Runkeeper is the perfect app for those who like a little social element to their running. This app is absolutely chock-full of statistics and trends for users to track over the course of their running career, and with a user base of over 50 million people, you’ll never want for motivation while you’re pounding the pavement. Runkeeper’s main strength is its uncluttered interface; even apps like MyFitnessPal struggle with this aspect of their design a little. There’s a paid pro version available too if the free features don’t quite float your boat.
