Best Apps to Help Achieve Resolutions
Setting and failing at New Year’s Resolutions is so common that it’s become an expectation.
If you are serious about experiencing lasting transformations and achieving whatever goals you set for yourself, using an app on your mobile phone may be exactly what you need to hold you accountable to your health and fitness goals.
Most of the best apps utilize behavioral change strategies to help you adhere to activity goals, food tracking and weight management. Most offer a simple free version and an opportunity to upgrade to more premium features.
My Fitness Pal
Tracks nutrition, exercise, and water intake. It hosts the largest food database of any food tracking app making logging your nutrition intake simple. One feature that can be helpful for long-term health is the app gives a safety warning if you are losing weight too quickly and/or not consuming enough nutrients or calories. It is a free app, but you can upgrade to a premium version for $19.99/month or $79.99/year.
Lose It
Tracks caloric intake and macronutrients. It is a simple platform making it easy to use if you’re just getting started with an online nutrition tracker. The basic version is free but you can upgrade to premium for $3.33/month or $39.99/year which will then also allow you to track more detailed nutrition information, sleep, water intake, blood pressure and blood glucose. It can also sync with your Apple watch, FitBit or Garmin to help track activity.
Noom
Tracks nutrition, physical activity, weight, blood glucose, blood pressure and water. Noom utilizes psychology, online coaching and focuses on changing the way we think and feel about food and exercise. They offer a free 7-day trial and $59/month plan.
FitBit
Tracks activity, nutrition, sleep, and weight. You can use the Fitbit app on its own but the features expand if you use with a Fitbit tracker or a smartwatch. The FitBit specializes in tracking movement including steps, miles, floors climbed, calories burned, workouts and your heart rate. If you upgrade to the premium version, it also includes free workouts, sleep tracking, and stress scores. The basic app is free and a premium membership is $9.99/month or $79.99/year. Note – it does not directly sync with your Apple watch.
Apple
Apple has taken over the Smart watch scene offering tracking for workouts, steps, miles, floors climbed, caloric expenditure, standing goals, heart rate, breathing and various other health variables. It has even saved lives with its low and high heart rate notifications and emergency SOS features. If you are an Iphone fan, the Apple watch is for you. Once you purchase the Apple watch starting at $249, the app is free. You can upgrade to Apple+ workouts after a free trial for $9.99/month or $79.99/year which will offer you access to thousands of workouts from HIIT, Yoga and guided meditations.
Calm
If you are looking for an app to help with stress reduction, meditation, mindfulness, and sleep, Calm is the app for you with its guided meditations, calming music and sleep stories. Calm offers a free trial and then $14.99/month or $69.99/year program.
Happy New Year!
Yours in health & fitness,
Sherri McMillan
Sherri McMillan
Sherri McMillan, holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and has been inspiring the world to adopt a fitness lifestyle for more than 33 years. She has received numerous industry awards including 2010 CanFitPro International Presenter of the Year, 2006 IDEA Fitness Director of the Year, 1998 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, 1998 CanFitPro Fitness Presenter of the Year and 2005/2006 ACE Fitness Educator of the Year - Runner up. She is a fitness trainer, fitness columnist for various magazines and newspapers, author of five books and manuals including "Go For Fit - the Winning Way to Fat Loss" and "Fit over Forty" and the featured presenter in various fitness DVDs. She has presented hundreds of workshops to thousands of fitness leaders throughout Canada, Australia, Mexico, Jamaica, New Zealand, Germany, England, Spain, South America, Asia and the U.S. She is the owner of Northwest Personal Training in downtown Vancouver, the founder of WHY Racing Events & WHY Community, participates in various community fundraisers and can be found running, biking, or hiking around the community. Find more information at nwpersonaltraining.com.