Need motivation? Here are 5 great apps to get you fitter, faster.
by Matt Hodges
18 May 2015
Last week was “Walk to Work Week” – a feature of National Walking Month, Living Streets’ annual campaign to get everyone in the UK moving.
I’ve spoken about the worrying traits of childhood obesity previously. The ‘sedentary’ problem is widespread in the UK and affects all generations; statistically, Brits are confined to chairs from 9am until 5pm – at least five days a week. Does the unappealing British weather put us off? Or is it that our work/life balance is now so out of kilter that we find it hard to engage in ‘me time’ that’s proven to be good for us?
Daily exercise is something we all know we should be doing – it makes us fitter, eases our stress levels and is scientifically proven to lift your mood. So, what if you want to get fit, but don’t always have the time to get in a good workout at the gym?
Good news: there’s an app for that.
Experts have found that short, intense workouts can be extremely beneficial. The 7-Minute Workout has gained a lot of press recently, as it’s specially designed to help you get the most out of your seven minutes using several great exercises. You can go for as many rounds of seven minutes as you like, and it’s completely free – apart from the bonus exercises. These you can either unlock by achieving goals or by paying a little extra.
2. Human
If you’re a bit more casual about your exercise, this app may be more your style. Human encourages you to reach your ‘Daily 30′ goal (essentially 30 minutes of physical activity) doing whatever you like doing. It could be running, taking the stairs, or walking around the shops – it all counts towards your daily activity. The app will track your movements to let you know when your goal for the day has been achieved. Easy-peasy!
This is one of my favourite apps, as charity is a brilliant motivator. For every mile you manage to walk, cycle or run, a corporate sponsor will donate to your chosen organisation for you! It makes you feel great for doing some good in the world while also fitting in that all-important physical activity.
4. Happify
This app goes beyond fitness and uses science-based strategies to help you get where you want to be in your life – in terms of happiness, health and overall well-being. You can get involved in games, rewards and activities to motivate you towards making the right changes to your life, and it’ll also help you feel great about it.
5. Cody
If you’re a fan of Facebook, but your friends aren’t a fan of your constant gym updates, you’re probably going to get a lot of use out of this community-oriented fitness app. Cody allows you to complete and share workouts with friends, old and new. You can track your progress via your timeline, and users can ‘like’ or add their input to your daily workout activities – great if you like getting tips, advice and support from friends.
This article was written by Matt Hodges, you can see all his articles here.
