4 fitness apps to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions
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The gym in January is a place of hope, with the “resolution rush” bringing in those who have renewed their vows to get fit for the New Year. But, if we’ve learned a thing or two from past years, the crowd begins to dwindle by February. In March, there’s an all-out exodus.
Don’t want to be a resolution drop-out? Find your app(titude) with these great fitness apps that will help you stay on the treadmill track.
The app: Couch to 5K
Cost: $1.99
Great for: Those who typically make lofty resolutions
How it works: A key to accomplishing your resolutions? Setting realistic goals and having a plan for how to accomplish them, which is right where this app— perfect for beginners—can come to the rescue. Go ahead and pick out a spring-time 5K that you want to run and start training with one of the app’s four virtual trainers. Spend just 20 to 30 minutes training, three times a week, for nine weeks, and you’ll be ready to finish your first 5K. The training plan is designed by Active.com trainers and you’ll hear human audio cues to guide you through your workout.
Buzz: Runner’s World says this about the app: “The popular Couch to 5K app helps new runners avoid injury from doing too much, too soon.”
Get it: Buy from the Apple iTunes store; or the Google Play store
The app: Zombies, Run!
Cost: $2.99 for Apple, $3.99 for Android
Great for: Those who run best when they’re being chased.
How it works: Forget The Walking Dead. The zombies in this audio adventure are the running dead, and they are after you, motivating you to run your best (whether that’s a trail run, jog in the park or a treadmill routine). Delivered through your headphones, you’ll hear the guttural groans of approaching zombies. Immerse yourself in the story: You’re “runner 5” and hundreds of lives are counting on you to rebuild a base of a few survivors into a civilization. When you’re out on your runs, you’re collecting supplies and avoiding hordes of zombies.
Buzz: CNN says “Turns exercise into a game—a terrifying, terrifying game.”
Get it: Buy from the Apple iTunes store; or the Google Play store
The app: Buddhify
Cost: $2.99
Great for: Those who need to meditate, stat!
How it works: Been online too long? There’s a special meditation for that. Pick from customized meditations for different parts of your day—whether you’re just waking up or having trouble catching ZZZ’s, taking a break from work, feeling stressed or dealing with pain or illness. A healthy body starts with a healthy mind. The app dubs itself as the “mindfulness app for your modern life” and it gives you a simple way to bring calm to a hectic day.
Buzz: C-NET says this about the app: “Whatever’s ailing your brain, mindfulness meditation can help. A lot. And a great place to start is with Buddhify 2.”
Get it: Buy from the Apple iTunes store or the Google Play store
The app: 7-Minute Workout Challenge
Cost: $1.99
Great for: Those short on time (AKA everybody)
How it works: Don’t have time for long workouts? Then, make them extremely effective. Researchers have picked a dozen exercises that are performed for 30 seconds with 10-second rest intervals. The high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with minimal rest is the equivalent of working out for an hour—in just a little over seven minutes, revving up your metabolism for the day. These exercises don’t require any equipment and can be done at home so long as you’ve got a chair and a wall.
Buzz: The 7-Minute Workout Challenge got a high-five from The New York Times, which summed up the routine this way: “Those seven minutes should be, in a word, unpleasant. The upside is, after seven minutes, you’re done.”
Get it: Buy from the Apple iTunes store or the Google Play store
