Written By Ashlyn Ellis
The average adult in America spends roughly 3 hours on their phone daily. At the same time, 2 out of 3 Americans are overweight and/or obese. What if there was a way we could simultaneously be on our phones and live a healthier lifestyle?
Here are 4 different apps that can help anyone increase their physical activity and get closer to reaching their health related goals.
My Fitness Pal
MyFitnessPal is by far one of the best apps you can have on your phone right now. When you sign up, you’ll enter information such as your height and weight and also what your overall goal is – lose, maintain, or gain weight. Based on your information, MyFitnessPal will calculate your estimated total calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients that you should be consuming per day to reach your selected goal. You can easily track your water, food, exercise, and weight all in the palm of your hand — no more need for that messy journal you bought at new years and lost a few months ago! The best part about about this app is the food logging feature. They have a database of thousands of different foods so that they are easily to calculate into your food log. Once you upload your food, it shows you your calorie, nutrient, and macronutrient breakdown based on what you have eaten.
Click here to download
StepBet
StepBet is an awesome app to challenge yourself to stay active by walking! This app allows you to join a game with other people around the country and bet yourself a certain amount of money (usually $30-$40). Your money goes into a “pot”, so when more people join the game the more the pot grows. Throughout the game, you have a certain number of steps you need to meet each week in order to continue throughout each week of the game. By the time you reach the end, you get back the dollar amount you put in PLUS you and all of the other winners split the pot of those who did not meet their step requirements. It’s a fun way to challenge yourself and even earn a little money on the side.
Click here to download
Plant Nanny
Struggling to get your water intake? Then this app is for you. Plant Nanny is an app that is targeted to help you increase your water intake by offering a fun incentive. When you download the app, you enter your body weight and height and it will calculate an estimate of how much water you should be drinking per day. After that, you pick a virtual plant that is your responsibility to keep watering. Every time you drink a glass of water, you will log it into Plant Nanny and it will “water” your plant. You have the option to receive notifications on your phone reminding you to water your plant (aka drink some water) which is very helpful for those who get busy throughout the day.
Click here to download
Fooducate
Similar to MyFitnessPal (MFP), Fooducate offers calorie and nutrient tracking. However, what makes this app stand out its food grading system. When you log your food, you can see a report of the grad (A+ through F), an explanation on why it has that grade, the nutrition components of the food, and healthier alternatives (if any). You can use Fooducate alongside MFP. You get the convenience of MFP’s tracking system and the explanations and alternatives Fooducate offers.
Click here to download
Here is an example breakdown of a Lenny & Larry’s Protein Cookie. Check out the alternatives section, it shows different healthier options that will benefit your overall health and wellness goals.
Health and fitness apps can really be a great aid and serve as extra accountability as you are working towards your health and fitness goals.
Equip | Encourage | Empower 