In today’s day and age, health and fitness are important. Fitness centers, gyms, personal trainers and healthy lifestyles are booming businesses. In fact, some reports show that health club visits have increased 25 percent since 2009.
In turn, technology has responded to America’s growing healthcare concerns by developing fitness trackers and apps that you can tailor to your lifestyle.
However, the world of fitness trackers and fitness apps can be overwhelming. We’ve broken down some our favorite trackers and apps to help you meet your 2017 fitness and health goals.
Introduction to Fitness Trackers
- Apple Watch - Recommended by most fitness trainers as the most accurate heart rate monitor that doesn’t require wearing a chest strap, Apple Watch features a built-in GPS, which makes it easy to keep track of your mileage while on a walk or run. Newer series are waterproof, which helps swimmers keep track of their fitness activities.
- Garmin - Garmin offers several different models, ranging from those with GPS to slimmer, compact models that do not offer this distance-tracking feature. Garmin can help keep track of heart rate zones, walks, runs, bike rides and much more.
- Fitbit - Like Garmin, Fitbit offers several different models. It offers continuous heart rate monitoring, some models feature a GPS, and it can track a variety of activities, such as yoga, weight-lifting, hiking and running.
Fitness Tracking Apps
Some fitness tracking apps are designed to go with certain models of fitness trackers. For example, Apple, Garmin and Fitbit all have apps for their specific devices, helping people keep better track of their fitness and activity levels.
Whether your goal is to lose weight, track your steps or push yourself further in your daily calorie-burning workouts, these above-and-beyond fitness apps can help you accomplish your goals this year.
- MyFitnessPal - Compatible with several fitness trackers, this app can help you estimate the number of calories you burn and helps you become more aware of your eating habits, including explaining how much exercise is required to burn off your meals.
- Cyclemeter - This bicycle-ride tracking app offers very accurate data and is also ideal for tracking runs, walks and other activities. It highlights a wide variety of data, which is perfect for cardio activities. It can calculate your speed, average speed and even has GPS capabilities.
- Digifit iCardio - This program pairs with supported heart rate monitors and helps to track bicycle rides, runs and other workouts. It records heart rate information, distance, time and pace. The results highlight your heart rate at different peak zones, including cool down, fat burn, endurance, hardcore and more.
- FIT Radio - This app offers DJ-created song mixes that are perfect for Spin, yoga or Zumba.
- FitStar - This app creates custom workouts based on your specific fitness level. It helps determine your level of fitness by giving you a few different initial workouts. You provide your feedback about specific exercises, and it will use that information to develop custom fitness plans that tailor to your needs.
- Jefit Workout - Still trying to remember your number of barbell concentration curls? Fret no more! This app will give you the tools to keep track of your sets and reps, as well as how much you lift. You can even track your workouts and rest days on a calendar.
- The Johnson & Johnson Official 7-Minute Workout - All you need is a chair and this app to accomplish a hard-working 7-minute workout that includes a variety of exercises, ranging from push-ups, jumping jacks, plank, wall chair, crunches, high-knee running in place and side plank to triceps dips.
- Lose It! - For people looking for dieting help, this app can help you count calories while logging your exercise. This app is especially good for people that eat name-brand American foods, as its resource database is full of calorie counts.
- Pact - This wagering money app is designed to capture your progress and determine if you met your goals. If you do, you can earn some cash. However, if you don’t meet the requirements of your wager, you’re out that same dough.
- Pear Personal Coach - This app can walk you through yoga routines, at-home workouts and even runs. It can even help you train for a race.
- Runtastic Six Pack Abs - This coaching app helps you target your stomach and core by visually showing exercises and then counting your sets and reps.
- Spotify - A must-have for fitness junkies, Spotify allows you to stream music, find music that reflects your running or spin tempo and even has custom playlists.
- Sworkit - This program will coach and walk you through workout routines that help you meet your personal goals, whether it’s improving flexibility, increasing strength or improving your cardio health.