Exercise Apps (Cycling, Running, and Weight Lifting)
The following cycling and running apps are the best tracking apps available. Using your phone’s GPS, they track your speed, distance, and route. Additionally, most can be synced easily with wireless heart rate monitors. Also, for extra motivation, most give you the option to challenge a friend/group or a virtual ghost.
Cycling
Endomondo Sports Tracker
Site: http://www.endomondo.com/
Price: Free (Basic); $4.99 (Pro); Monthly Subscription - $2.99
Description:
The Endomondo Sports Tracker lets you track your speed, distance, elevation profile, and route via GPS. It also can track heart rate and average heart rate, as it works with various Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) heart rate monitors. The Endomondo Sports Tracker also provides extra motivation by letting you ride against your own virtual ghost and receive (and send) real-time audio pep talks from friends through the news feed feature.
MapMyRide
Site: http://www.mapmyride.com/
Available On: iPhone; Android; Website (All Tablet/Mobile Devices)
Price: Free; Monthly Subscription - $5.99
Description:
MapMyRide offers the complete package for tracking your cycling workouts. It allows you to track your speed, distance, and elevation profile, and it provides GPS route mapping. Additionally, it syncs seamlessly with heart rate, speed, cadence, and power sensors from CycleOps, Wahoo, Polar, Garmin, and others. Even better, MapMyRide allows you to track a whole host of activities other than cycling.
Strava
Site: http://www.strava.com/
Price: Free (Basic); $5.99 (Premium); Monthly Subscription - $5.99
Description:
Strava lets you track your speed, distance, elevation profile, and route via GPS. Additionally, it allows you to collect heart rate, power, and cadence data from Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) devices. It also provides motivation by letting you ride a segment (specific section of road or trail) and compare your effort against past efforts, as well as other athletes who’ve ridden the same segment. See where you rank and start moving up the leaderboards.
Running
Endomondo Sports Tracker
Site: http://www.endomondo.com/
Price: Free (Basic); $4.99 (Pro); Monthly Subscription - $2.99
Description:
The Endomondo Sports Tracker lets you track your speed, distance, elevation profile, and route via GPS. It also can track heart rate and average heart rate, as it works with various Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) heart rate monitors. The Endomondo Sports Tracker also provides extra motivation by letting you ride against your own virtual ghost and receive (and send) real-time audio pep talks from friends through the news feed feature.
MapMyRun
Site: http://www.mapmyrun.com/
Available On: iPhone; Android; Website (All Tablet/Mobile Devices)
Price: Free; Monthly Subscription - $5.99
Description:
Just like MapMyRide, MapMyRun offers the complete package for tracking your running workouts. It allows you to track your speed, distance, and elevation profile, and it provides GPS route mapping. Additionally, it syncs seamlessly with heart rate, speed, cadence, and power sensors from CycleOps, Wahoo, Polar, Garmin, and others. Even better, MapMyRun allows you to track a whole host of activities other than running.
RunKeeper
Site: http://runkeeper.com/
Price: Free; Monthly Subscription - $4.99
Description:
RunKeeper tracks your pace, distance, and time via the GPS in your phone, and it records your heart rate with the use of wireless heart rate monitors. It also includes built-in audio coaching, all while allowing you to listen to your music while you run. Additionally, it measures your performance over time by recording running history. Lastly, you can set goals/challenges and run to meet these goals.
Strava
Site: http://www.strava.com/
Price: Free; Monthly Subscription - $5.99
Description:
Strava lets you track your speed, distance, elevation profile, and route via GPS. Additionally, it allows you to collect heart rate from Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) devices. It also provides motivation by letting you run a segment (specific section of road or trail) and compare your effort against past efforts, as well as other athletes who’ve run the same segment. See where you rank and start moving up the leaderboards.
Weight Lifting
The following applications provide a full suite of functionality from workout builders, to exercise libraries, to workout calendars/logs, to live personal trainers. Resistance exercise is an important component of any exercise plan so explore all five to find which one best fits your needs.
EMG Workout Builder
Site: https://www.yourfitnesstoday.com/workouts/
Available On: Website (All Tablet/Mobile Devices)
Price: Free
Description:
The EMG Workout Builder lets you easily construct pre-designed weight lifting workouts that fit your goals, time constraints, and access to equipment. Simply select your goal, workouts per week, workout length, and equipment access. The EMG workout builder conveniently provides a pre-designed workout that fits these criteria. These pre-designed workouts make use EMG’s 100+ HD demonstration videos, all of which can be played on desktop, tablet, or mobile devices.
Fitness Builder
Site: http://www.pumpone.com/fitnessbuilder
Available On: iPhone; Android; Website (All Tablet/Mobile Devices)
Price: Free (Basic); $6.99 (Plus Access)
Description:
Fitness Builder provides a comprehensive fitness experience. It contains a library of exercise images & videos (over 7,000), and it features workouts across all disciplines (over 900), access to a live personal trainer and a complete set of workout building & performing tools, fitness calculators, tracking, scheduling and progress graphing features on this app and syncing to the web.
JeFit
Site: http://www.jefit.com/
Available On: iPhone; Android; Website (All Tablet/Mobile Devices)
Price: Free (Basic); $4.99 (Pro)
Description:
JeFit features 60+ built-in workouts along with 1300+ built-in exercises. A number of different workout routines target specific muscle groups. JeFit also keeps track of all your reps, sets, and the weight you’re lifting. Then, it syncs your information with your online profile and provides graphs on your workout stats. You can also track fitness data such as weight, body fat, height, chest, waist, arms, etc.
Pumping Weight
Site: http://www.pumpingweight.com/PUMPING_WEIGHT.html
Available On: iPhone
Price: $2.99
Description:
Pumping Weight lets you track your weight lifting workouts with its workout calendar, workout log, rest timer, and interval timer. The workout calendar easily displays your workout schedule over the coming month, and the workout logs allows you to easily record you weight lifting progress. In addition to these features, Pumping Weight also includes illustrations and instructions for 200+ exercises as well as custom workouts.
Strong Lifts
Site: http://stronglifts.com/
Price: Free
Description:
The StrongLifts 5×5 workouts consist of 3 workouts per week for 45 minutes each. These workouts provide a tremendous amount of bang for your buck because the workouts engage your largest muscle groups through compound movements (squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, and barbell rows). The StrongLifts App is simple to navigate and shows you which exercises to do each workout, with how much weight, and how long to rest between sets… acting as your “virtual coach”.
Motivators
Charity Miles
Site: http://www.charitymiles.org/
Price: Free
Description:
Let’s start with what Charity Miles is not. It is not a running/cycling tracker like Endomondo Sports, MapMyRun/MapMyRide or Strava. Check out the running/cycling tracking apps section for this functionality. However, Charity Miles is an incredible app for giving you a reason to get out and get moving. It lets you earn corporate sponsorships (money) for every mile that you walk, run, or bike for the charity of your choice. Just choose your charity and get moving.
Nutrition Apps
These nutrition apps all help track your caloric intake. If you are considering weight loss, detailed calorie counting for an initial period can be a good starting point to specifically evaluate your 1) overall diet, 2) current caloric intake, and 3) current caloric needs. Use this initial process to evaluate your diet and identify what specific nutritional changes can be made to better meet your caloric goals. Consult a certified dietician for help, if necessary. Eventually, you can begin to incorporate healthier nutritional practices and calorie counting alternatives that eliminate the need to count calories on a regular, long-term basis.
Calorie Counters
Calorie Counter by MyNetDiary
Site: http://www.mynetdiary.com/
Price: Free (Basic); $3.99 (Pro); Monthly Subscription - $8.99
Description:
Calorie Counter by MyNetDiary allows you to track your daily calories. It includes over 230,000 foods entered by MyNetDiary and 300,000 foods entered by its users. It allows you to check and compare foods while shopping and in restaurants. Additionally, Calorie Counter lets you track the amount of calories you can burn from your exercise and activities.
LiveStrong Daily Plate
Site: http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/
Price: $2.99
Description:
LiveStrong MyDailyPlate allows you to track your daily calories and exercise. You simply set your weight goals, and then track your calories with online food journal containing over 1 Million foods. It breaks down caloric intake by carbohydrates, fat, and protein for easy analysis. Additionally, LiveStrong MyDailyPlate lets you track the amount of calories you can burn from your exercise and activities.
LoseIt
Site: https://www.loseit.com/
Available On: iPhone; Android; Website (All Tablet/Mobile Devices)
Price: Free; Yearly Premium - $39.99
Description:
LoseIt allows you to track your daily calories to reach a weight loss goal. First, you answer basic questions about your height, weight, age, and how much weight you are trying to lose. The app then recommends a target caloric intake for you to reach your goals. It utilizes a database of common foods and exercises to track your daily caloric intake as well as your daily caloric expenditure.
MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter
Site: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
Price: Free
Description:
The My Fitness Pal Calorie Counter includes a database of over 3 Million foods, which lets you track your daily caloric intake. It also provides an optimal caloric intake based on your specific weight loss goals, and it breaks down your consumption into the major nutrients including calories, fat, protein, carbs, sugar, fiber, and cholesterol. MyFitnessPal also incorporates exercises and activities.
Sleep Apps (Sleep Cycle Alarm Clocks)
Good sleep is absolutely essential for optimal physical and mental performance. All these sleep apps monitor your sleep via your movements and during the last half hour of your sleep wake you during the lightest stage of sleep to reduce tiredness.
Sleep Cycle Alarm Clocks
SleepBot
Site: http://mysleepbot.com/
Price: Free
Description:
SleepBot helps you track your sleep via your movements and sound. Simply set it and place it next to your pillow. It provides a smart alarm clock, which gradually wakes you up at the ideal point in your sleep cycle based on your movements. This smart wake up syncs with your natural sleep cycle and reduces tiredness. SleepBot also allows you to graphically track long-term sleep length, sleep/wake times, and pattern for sleep quality over time
Sleep As Android
Site: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid.sleep
Available On: Android
Price: Free (Basic); $3.19 (Upgraded)
Description:
Sleep As Android helps you track your sleep via your movements and sound. It provides a smart alarm clock, which gradually wakes you up at the ideal point in your sleep cycle. Simply set a normal alarm time and based on your movement during the last half hour before your alarm, Sleep As Android will wake you when you are at your lightest sleep reducing tiredness. Sleep As Android also tracks sleep deficit, deep sleep and snoring statistics.
Sleep Cycle
Site: http://www.sleepcycle.com/
Available On: iPhone
Price: $0.99
Description:
Sleep Cycle helps you track your sleep via your movements. It provides a smart alarm clock, which gradually wakes you up at the ideal point in your sleep cycle. Simply set a normal alarm time and based on your movement during the last half hour before your alarm, Sleep Cycle will wake you when you are at your lightest sleep reducing tiredness. Sleep Cycle also provides detailed sleep statistics and sleep graphs for every night.
Wellness Devices (Fitness Devices, Smart Scales, Sleep Devices)
The following wearable fitness devices all track your activity during the daytime and let you challenge yourself to meet certain activity goals. These are great devices for motivating yourself to get moving; however, they are not ideal for individuals who have already committed to a high level of physical activity.
Fitness Devices
BodyMediaFit
Site: http://www.bodymedia.com/the_interface.html
Available On: Device
Price: $119.00
Description:
Worn on your arm, BodyMediaFit tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and activity. Additionally, it also tracks sweat and body temperature through its sensors. BodyMediaFit syncs with an online platform, which allows you to keep track of your activity and weight loss goals. It also measures your sleep quality.
Fitbit Flex
Site: http://www.fitbit.com/flex
Available On: Device
Price: $99.99
Description:
Worn on your wrist, the FitBit Flex tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and active minutes. LED lights show how your day is stacking up against your goal. The FitBit Flex syncs seamlessly with the FitBit App, which allows you to keep track of your activity and weight loss goals. It also measures your sleep quality and wakes you in the morning.
Jawbone UP
Site: https://jawbone.com/
Available On: Device
Price: $149.99
Description:
Worn on your wrist, Jawbone UP tracks your steps, distance, calories burned, and time spent active vs. idle. It also tracks your sleep including total hours, light versus deep, and length of time to fall asleep. Lastly, the Jawbone UP works with the UP’s mobile app, which allows you to log what you eat and breakdown your log by calories, fats, carbohydrates, protein, sugar, fiber and sodium.
Smart Scales
FitBit Aria
Site: http://www.fitbit.com/aria
Available On: Device
Price: $129.95
Description:
FitBit Aria tracks your weight, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI). Then, it wirelessly syncs your stats to your desktop or mobile device and provides graphs on trends. By tracking your data, you can see your progress over time. These graphs help you focus on long-term trends, not short-term blips. FitBit Aria also integrates seamlessly with FitBit’s full suite of cloud-based fitness tools.
iHealth Body Analysis Scale:
Site: http://www.ihealthlabs.com/wireless-body-analysis-scale-feature_27.htm
Available On: Device
Price: $109.95
Description:
The iHealth Digital Scale can measure a whole host of body composition metrics. It measures your weight, body fat, lean mass, muscle mass, bone mass, body water, visceral fat rating, and body mass index (BMI). Then, it sends data wirelessly to the free iHealth MyVitals App, which organizes your records. This scale also logs calories and daily activity if you are looking for this added functionality.
Withings WiFIiBody Scale
Site: http://www.withings.com/en/bodyanalyzer
Available On: Device
Price: $149.95
Description:
The Withings WiFIiBody Scale tracks your weight, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI). Then, it wirelessly syncs your stats to your desktop or mobile device and provides graphs on trends. It also takes your heart rate while you are being weighed. Because your resting heart rate is an indication of your overall cardiovascular health, this feature provides another metric to evaluate your health and progress. Lowering your resting heart rate over time means that you are strengthening your heart.
Sleep Devices
FitBit One
Site: http://www.fitbit.com/one
Available On: Device
Price: $99.95
Description:
During the day, FitBit One tracks your steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed. At night, it measures your sleep quality and wakes you in the morning. Then, it wirelessly syncs all data to your desktop or mobile device and provides insights on how to sleep better. By tracking your data, you can see your progress over time.
