Health & Fitness Apps You Need To Know About

If you’re starting on your fitness journey, looking through the app store for the best ones to use can be quite daunting.

There are hundreds of options, and picking the right ones can be frustrating – especially when you find one you like then you’re hit with a pay wall to continue using it.

To save you the headache, we’ve listed some our favourite apps below, including any add-on prices, to save you some of the hassle.

MyFitnessPal

Great For Food & Weight Loss Tracking

Pros: Database of more than 11 million foods, Easy to create meals and copy between days, Integrates with many other apps

Cons: The full range of features requires a premium subscription, Finding the right food can be difficult with too many options to choose from

Pricing: Free to use and download, premium features are around £16 per month

Hands down, MyFitnessPal is absolutely the go-to app if you’re just starting out on your fitness journey.

Even without the subscription, it’s wealth of food options and nutrient tracking is second to none, and with the ability to connect it with other fitness apps like Strava, Apple Health and Garmin, keeping track of everything in one place really couldn’t be any easier.

Calories tracking, adding workouts, weight progress and the ability to connect with friends and see each others updates is the perfect motivation to keep you on track.

If you really want to dive into the finer details or your health and diet though, you’ll need the premium subscription.

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Strava

The Ideal GPS Activity Tracker

Pros: Great for tracking activities including walking, running and cycling, Find popular routes and tracks near you (subscription required), Connect with friends and join teams

Cons: The GPS tracking can be a bit wayward on occasions, Full range of features requires a subscription

Pricing: Free to use and download, subscription costs around £7 per month

If you want to track your activities when out and about without the outlay of an expensive smart watch, Strava is the app for you.

With options to track various types of runs, cycles, and even outdoor sports like kayaking and sailing, it’s a great all-rounder if you’re the kind of person who takes their phone everywhere they go.

The recording interface is very straight-forward, and the ability to link it with other fitness apps makes tracking everything a breeze.

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Nutrition Coach: Food Tracker

Useful If You Need Help With Nutrition

Pros: A far more tailored approach to nutrition and weight loss, Easy to use interface, Links with the other apps by the same developer

Cons: Doesn’t have the wealth of food options available that MyFitnessPal does, Unable to copy meals between days, Access to the personalised plan requires the subscription

Pricing: Free to use and download, subscription costs around £4 per week

Nutrition Coach is a fantastic option if you need help with your nutrition.

The app walks your through everything from your weight and height, to your lifestyle, allergies and food dislikes to tailor meals specifically to meet your goals.

The downside is that to access this your need to pay for the subscription, but this subscription also applies to it’s other apps including Running Coach, Fitness Coach and Yoga Coach.

Even without the subscription though it’s a great way to track your calories and water, and the ability to link it with the Apple Health app makes personalising your plan very easy.

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Gym Life

Useful If You Need Help With Nutrition

Pros: Easy to understand illustrations of moves, Plan workouts by muscle group

Cons: Creating more than two workouts requires a subscription

Pricing: Free to use and download up to 2 workouts, subscription costs around £10 per month

If you’re new to the gym and could do with a helping hand when it comes to exercises and muscle groups, Gym Life has you covered.

With it’s easy to use workout planner and huge array of movement options, it’s easy to create a plan of action for your next trip to the gym.

The handy graphics for each movement solve the issue of knowing what you’re meant to be doing, and if you spend the extra for the premium subscription, you can even see what muscle groups you’ve worked during the week and if you’re overloading them.

It even lets you see how much you’ve lifted in total for the week, which is pretty nifty.

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Finch

Like A Little Winged Friend When You Need One

Pros: Fun and interactive way to maintain your mental health, Lots of customisation options

Cons: Advanced features need a subscription

Pricing: Free to use and download, subscription costs around £5 per month

If you’re one for games or want a virtual friend, this little winged buddy is there for you.

Finch is a fun and interactive wellness app, all about working on improving your mood and self-affirmation that you’re someone who is worth looking after.

As you progress you unlock new outfits and furniture for their home, and best of all, you get to name them too. What’s not to love?

Your buddy will also help you set small goals for the day, like brushing your teeth and making the bed, to help get you back into a winning mentality on those days you feel a bit low.

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Headspace

Great For Guided Meditation And Wellness

Pros: Guided meditation for those who are new to the activity, Helps reduce stress and anxiety

Cons: Doesn’t offer an activity tracking option, Advanced features need a subscription

Pricing: Free to download, subscription costs around £10 per month

If you need something to help clear your mind and focus, Headspace is great for that.

Good mental health is essential for achieving optimal physical health, and so taking the time to focus on that is as important as doing cardio and lifting weights.

Through stretches, yoga and breathing, Headspace helps to tackle issues like anxiety and lack of focus, and with guest input from the likes of Kevin Hart, there’s plenty to keep you engaged and get back to the basics of breathing.

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