As smart phone manufactures start to realise the importance of making their phones fitness friendly, 2015 promises to be a great year for fitness app lovers. With new technology allowing app developers to take full advantage of new fangled smartphones built in pedometers, heart rate monitors and calorie counters it’s no surprise that there’s a deluge of new fitness apps, all promising to be the big difference maker in your life. Being the nice Men of Fitness that we are, we’ve done the digging for you and identified the eight apps that really will make a difference to your fitness in 2015.
1. BMI Calculator
When you’re trying to find out whether you’re a healthy weight, it isn’t just about the number that shows up when you stand on the scales. Your body mass index (BMI) is a more accurate reading of just how healthy you are as it measures your body fat using a ratio of weight to height. This app also calculates your body fat percentage and the amount of calories you’re consuming, allowing you to keep a close eye on all of your data to ensure you reach your ideal weight quickly.
iPhone - Free
Android – Free
2. Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal
If you’re really serious about counting your calories and keeping a stringent eye on your macros then this is the app for you. By incorporating the two essential elements of weight loss: diet and exercise, MyFitnessPal have created one of the most comprehensive databases of any fitness app on the market. With a library of over three million foods you’re able to track the calories, carbs and fat of pretty much everything you eat. To keep you covered on the fitness side the app also offers more than 350 strength training and cardio exercises to help you to build muscle and burn fat while keeping a close eye on what you eat.
iPhone - Free
Android – Free
3. Nike + Running
They’re most famous for their trainers, but as you’d expect, they make a dam good running app. Whether you’re just running on the weekends to keep fit or if you’re in serious training for a marathon, Nike +running is designed to help you increase your speed, build up your stamina and perhaps most importantly, stay motivated.
The build in coaching programs will help you to train for that all-important race by tracking your distance, run time and pace on every run, helping you to see how much you’re improving. Competitive type? You can challenge a mate to a race and see who got the fastest time. As we said – it’s motivational.
iPhone – Free
Android – Free
4. Runkeeper
Who say’s you need to be pounding the treadmill in a stuffy gym in order to keep track of how fast and far you’ve run? The Runkeeper app allows you to do this for the low, low price of £0. Using the GPS on your phone, the app will calculate the distance you’ve travelled and how fast you’ve done it. It can also tell you how many calories you’ve burned. It’s a great running companion for beginners and more advanced runners, incorporating a number of training plans to help you get started and coaching tools that will keep you motivated. You’re also able to track your progress over specific periods of time and even sync Runkeeper with certain other fitness apps on your phone.
iPhone - Free
Android – Free
5. DailyBurn
DailyBurn provides one of the most comprehensive libraries of fitness programming you’ll find on any app. With instructions and example videos on everything from yoga and weight training to aerobics and stretching, you’ll never get bored of your routine with this in your pocket. Everything is demonstrated by expert fitness trainers to ensure that you’re using the right technique throughout your entire workout. You’re able to access a lot of DailyBurn's videos free of charge, but for £8 a month you can get yourself unlimited access to the entire library of workouts. The app will also allow you to connect wirelessly with most Bluetooth-enabled heart rate monitors, so you can keep an eye on your ticker while you workout.
iPhone – Free (with in-app purchases available)
Android - Free (with in-app purchases available)
6. Fitocracy
Not a big fan of working out? Why not turn it into a game then? Fitocracy have done a great job of combining the fun of playing an online game with a motivating and effective workout program. Much like any great video game, there are enemies that need to be defeated, but their not Nazi zombies or elite soldiers, they’re weak muscles and body fat. As you play the game you’ll level up by earning points through increasingly difficult workouts, by beating quests an unlocking new achievements. Not a lone wolf? No problem, you can challenge yourself further by taking on your friends and inviting them to duel with you one-on-one. Tasty.
iPhone - Free
Android – Free
7. FitBit
FitBit have opted for a slightly more holistic approach to staying healthy by creating an app that not only helps you to track your food and activities but also your weight and sleeping habits. You do have to buy a FitBit tracker to go with it, but it’s a worthwhile investment as it allows you to set yourself goals, chart your progress over a set period of time and invite your mates to play along with you for added motivation.
iPhone – Free
Android – Free
8. Lose it!
Losing weight isn’t always as complex as people make it. The simple formula is: Burn off more calories than you take in every day. But of course, this is a lot easier said than done. Lose It helps to simplify weight loss for those who are really struggling to shift the fat, by designing a custom plan specifically for you and then tracking your calories and exercise to help you hit your targets.
On your way to losing that weight Lose It also helps you to achieve other goals such as sleeping better, trimming body fat and eating a more nutritious diet. As with most of the apps featured, Lose It is designed so that you don’t have to go it alone. It offers group and one-on-one connect features that will help you to get support from fellow dieters and friends in the program.
Phone – Free
Android – Free
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