1. 7 Minute Workout
What it does: This fitness app is based on a 7-minute workout routine posted in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal. It’s a high intensity interval training that only requires you, a chair, a wall, and seven minutes of your time. Now you have no excuse not to sweat it out.
Why we like it: We like that there are very short breaks in between exercises and voice prompts for every action, so you don’t need to look at the phone while using it. Plus it’s 7 minutes! Anyone can do 7 minutes.
What Google reviewers are saying:
“This was a great 7 minute workout. Heart was racing, lungs were demanding oxygen, and legs were shaking by minute 4. I forgot what it feels like to push yourself. Best part is knowing that no matter how hard, you know you can do it because it’s almost over the whole time!”
2. Nexercise = Fun weight loss
What it does: It makes doing your exercises less excruciating and more of a game. The health app tracks your progress and lets you earn rewards as you lose weight and gain motivation.
Why we like it: We like being rewarded for whatever we do but exercise sometimes takes a while to show off its benefits. On this app, every little exercise you do, even playing the Wii or walking, gives you XP points and medals and lets you move up the ranks!
What Google reviewers are saying:
“You get to compete, encourage, AND workout with people all over the world! They get me excited to work out multiple times a day so I can earn more points and climb the ranks!”
3. Water Your Body
What it does: If you’re always forgetting to drink water regularly, this app reminds you and tracks your water habits in pretty graphs. You can also customise your drinking time per day and look up tips for healthy drinking habits.
Why we like it: We like how we can customise the cup size or bottle size, as some of us have 750ml bottles, while others 500ml bottles. The thing we like best though, is that our skin is much better now that we’re adequately hydrated throughout the day.
What Google reviewers are saying:
“Simple and effective. Exactly the help I needed to change my drinking habits. The visual aspects are also nice – no plain, boring lists here.”
4. SleepBot – Sleep Cycle Alarm
What it does: This app goes beyond just tracking your sleep cycles. It also has a movement tracker and sound recorder to detect when you’re snoring or sleep talking. A smart alarm clock wakes you up to birds singing at the optimal time to prevent grogginess. And to ensure you’re REALLY awake, there’s a wake up verification with questions on math, sheep counting and the like.
Why we like it: Besides all the cool functions, we especially like the nature sound lullabies that put us to sleep… zzz….
What Google reviewers are saying:
“Use it every night, never wake up groggy or late at all. It’s so customisable and allows you to see so many aspects of your sleep.”
5. MapMyWalk GPS Walking
What it does: Turn it on when you’re walking and when you’re done, the app shows you the distance and route you’ve accomplished. You also get to see your time, speed, and calories burned.
Why we like it: It’s great for motivation as it offers some form of visual stimuli (the route you managed to finish). You can even use the app to search for suggested routes near you!
What Google reviewers are saying:
“Ever since I downloaded this, I find myself trying to walk further and faster.”
6. Calorie Counter – MyFitnessPal
What it does: Search and track your intake of food and drinks, as well as exercises completed. Because the food database is crowd-sourced, there are over 3,000,000 food items to choose from. You can also add friends to track and support each other’s progress. Setting goals to achieve is also very easy and there’s a complementary website offering support.
Why we like it: It’s very simple and intuitive. We never had to click many buttons to get to where we want. Perhaps the best thing about MyFitnessPal is the social element. We like having our friends on it and tracking what they’re doing.
What Google reviewers are saying:
“Awesome! I’ve never counted calories before, but myfitnesspal makes it so easy! I love that I can look up just about anything to find its calorie content. I also love having friends for encouragement!”
7. Zombies, Run!
What it does: Makes your boring run an epic adventure where you try to outrun and escape from the clutches of zombies. Zombie groans and moans through your earphones make this running game very realistic and you get to be the hero of the story while working out.
Why we like it: Unlike hardcore runners, we find running awfully boring. This app however, makes it pretty awesome. We like that the story develops as we run, and often find ourselves looking forward to our next run! We also found ourselves getting emotionally invested and don’t want the story to end. There are definitely better running apps out there, but this one motivates you to just do it.
What Google reviewers are saying:
“Love this app for making me forget that I might rather be devoured than actually do anything as aerobic as running. The performances and narrative are really top notch (unlike a lot of other zombie-themed running programs that just have some groaning “BRAAAAAAiINnns” at you every once in a while)”
8. Period Calendar / Tracker
What it does: You can track your moods, symptoms, body weight, body temperature and many more. It also tracks your period cycles and reminds you when that dreaded day is coming. As you key in more period dates, its predictions get very accurate and we use this to plan our trips to the beach!
Why we like it: It’s super cute and very easy to use. We also got very fond of the cute little cat that tells you the days left till your next period.
What Google reviewers are saying:
“Brilliant app for recording menstrual cycle, moods and weight functions. Guesses your day of ovulation and when best to conceive or be extra careful. Really easy to use and a great tool to help you get to know your body-mind cycles.”
__
Do you have a favourite health or fitness app that keeps you loving the healthy life? Share the love!