Fitness Apps

When all else fails, fitness apps can save the day. I can't think of a single fitness-related goal or activity that doesn't have an app for it. If you don't want to buy a fitness tracker or can't afford one, you can use an app and your phone. If home-gym equipment doesn't make sense for you, apps can coach you through workouts. You can even read your heart rate with some mobile phones with an app that uses the camera and flash to take your pulse through your fingertip. Some apps are free; some require a one-time purchase or subscription. Let's look at some examples.

For free workouts, I like The Johnson & Johnson Official 7-Minute Workout. This app has a variety of workouts for people of all fitness levels. Some are only seven minutes long, but you can find others that go longer. Most workouts need nothing more than a little bit of space and maybe a chair or a mat. They're great for people who are just getting started with exercise and for frequent travelers, as you can do the workouts in a hotel room quickly and easily.

Runners likely already know there are plenty of run-tracking apps, such as Runkeeper and Strava. These apps use your phone (or a compatible watch or fitness tracker) to record your pace, distance, mileage, and more.

On iOS devices, you can turn on a setting in the Apple Health app to turn your phone into a pedometer, no fitness tracker required. Apps such as MapMyFitness can do the same thing. MapMyFitness can also track non-sport activities as part of your fitness plan—for instance, shoveling snow, raking leaves, or walking briskly.

Counting calories? Looking to manage your weight? MyFitnessPal is one of the best apps for logging the foods you eat to count calories and get a nutritional breakdown of your meals. Most apps in this category come with a barcode scanner so you can easily get nutritional information from packaged foods. Weight Watchers has an app that goes with its online subscription-based program for losing weight, as do a few newcomers to the space, including Noom and Lifesum. Weight Watchers and Noom include access to coaches through the app as well as community aspects so you won't be alone on your fitness journey.

What about apps that offer challenging workouts and exercise classes? If you want hardcore training by an MMA champion, Touchfit: GSP gives you a series of videos by fighter George St-Pierre (hence the GSP in the name) that get harder or easier depending on how difficult you rate each exercise. Jillian Michaels has a similar app with video-based workouts, and her app comes with a diet plan. I'm a fan of the bubbly and perky Cassey Ho, whose Blogilates workouts are always so much harder than they seem like they'll be.

You can live-stream classes and join them virtually with apps and sites such as Forte.fit and Openfit (which recently acquired Gixo, another live and on-demand exercise class app). Both Forte and Openfit offer a range of classes, everything from core and ab workouts to cardio-intensive classes, with options for on-demand and live. Then there are apps and sites that specialize in one type of class, such as ballet, barre, and yoga. And through apps such as Trainiac, you can even get a personal trainer to work with you on a personal fitness plan.