6 Apps For Health & Fitness

Are you ready to get in shape, lose weight, and eat healthier? The keystones for success in any undertaking are setting specific goals, measuring progress, and being accountable to those goals. Smartphone apps can make achieving your goals easier than ever.

There are hundreds of apps posed as tracking tools, in which you log your workouts or calories eaten, while others automate the tracking or even offer you coaching. Some are combination of all these things. We’ve browsed through dozens and dozens of apps to bring you the six best apps to help you eat smarter, stay accountable, and get moving.

Myfitnesspal

Often hailed as one of the best all-in-one calorie-counting and exercise-tracking apps, this app has an extensive database of popular foods and restaurant menus and makes logging food and exercise simple and easy. It takes your weight, height, goal weight, and lifestyle into account before giving its recommendations, and breaks your goals into smaller, 1-month goals to keep you motivated.

Available on: Android, Blackberry, iOS, Windows Phone, and Web
Cost: Free

Nexercise

Get competitive! Nexercise keeps track of your daily exercise and publishes your score along with your friends’ scores. what better way to get off the couch than to make sure you keep up with your friends or make sure your dad doesn’t leave you in the dust?

Available on: Android and iOS
Cost: Free

Fooducate

Don’t shop without this app. Scan the bar code of a food item and this app will give you a health rating based on calories, processing techniques, and sugar amounts. It will help you identify those tricky foods that like to pretend they are healthy.

Available on: Android and iOS
Cost: Free

Nike Training Club

Like a personal trainer in your pocket. Select a workout based on the time you have and the reults you want–cardio, toning, strength, etc.–and watch videos to learn proper form. It pulls music from your own playlist to keep you in the zone. Each workout earns you points you can use to unlock features like star workouts and personal training advice. The autoshare feature uploads your results to Facebook for additional accountability.

Available on: Android and iOS
Cost: Free

Lose It!

Based on the simple principles of tracking calories and garnering peer support, Lose It! lets you manage your daily calorie intake and calorie burning for you to see how long it will take to reach your goal. You can even scan the bar codes of most food items for accurate nutritional information. The active online support community helps keep you accountable.

Available on: Android, iOS, Nook, Kindle, and the Web
Cost: Free

Zombies, Run!

You’ll be too busy running from zombies to realize you’re getting an awesome workout. This app integrates your own music into apocalyptic missions and gives you training mixed in with gripping story. Play outside or at the gym.

Available on: Android, iOS, and Windows Phone
Cost: $3.99