(Image credit: http://www.nexercise.com/)
Everyone knows that keeping fit and healthy isn’t exactly the most fun thing in the world (unless you’re one of the minority of us that truly enjoys torturing yourself exercising in Singapore’s excessively hot climate – in which case, you definitely have more willpower than me). It can be very difficult for most of us to just get our butts off the couch and do something about our fitness. Thankfully, app makers have noticed this, and have tried to make apps more fun to motivate us to exercise. Most of these apps involve some sort of “cute” element, social/competitive element, gaming elements, or just try to make being healthy easier. Hopefully with all of these new apps, your new year’s resolution of being fit and healthy will be easier to achieve!
1. Plant Nanny
Free
Available for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone
Water occupies 70% of our body weight, and yet water is something that we might not get enough of each day. Everyone knows that we’re supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but how many of us actually remember to do so? Now you can track how much water you’re drinking with the adorable Plant Nanny app! Plant Nanny calculates how much water you need to drink per day according to your weight and activity level. As you drink, your adorable little plant gets watered as well, growing from a little sapling to an adult plant! Easily input how much water you’re drinking, with the type of cup you’re using as well as the ml, and never forget to drink again with Plant Nanny’s reminders. With many different cartoon plants to choose from, you’ll never be bored of drinking water!
2. SleepBot
(Image credit: prmac.com)
Free
Available for iPhone and Android
In busy Singapore, it almost doesn’t matter if you’re a student or working professional – you’re bound to not be getting enough sleep. Here comes SleepBot to the rescue! SleepBot is a Smart Alarm with Motion & Sound Tracker to track your sleeping patterns. SleepBot logs your sleep for you, and lets you know if you’re getting the quality sleep time your body needs. You may be waking up many times in the night or having a fitful sleep without even knowing, but SleepBot through its motion and sound tracking, will allow you to find out. SleepBot also tracks your sleep debt, so you know exactly how much you have to catch up on. With its handy charts, logging your sleep patterns is a piece of cake. Simply plug it in, and fall asleep.
3. Nexercise and/or Fitocracy
(Image credit: www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com)
Nexercise: Free
Available for iPhone (Challenges by Nexercise) and Android (NexTrack)
Fitocracy: Free
Available for iPhone and Android
The cool thing about both of these apps is that they essentially make fitness a game. Not a 1-player game either, but a game you can play with your friends. Choose from the many workouts and fitness moves in the apps or log your own workouts for points and exp. Accumulate enough, and you reach the next level, gaining badges along the way. Compete with your friends, and see who can score the most points while working out! The competition and achievements will keep working out from becoming boring, and allow you to motivate yourself better!
4. Blogilates
(Image credit: http://www.alwayswith.nl)
Free
Available for both iPhone and Android
Blogilates, the free app for the popular Blogilates YouTube and web phenomenon is something that really complements her free videos. In addition to allowing you to keep up with Cassey Ho, Blogilates founder, the app also has an “Instagram” like forum inbuilt, which allows you to post pictures and connect with everyone else on the app! The incredibly supportive community will be there throughout all of your progress pics as you gradually get fitter and fitter.
5. Just Dance Now
(Image credit: itunes.apple.com)
Free
Available for both iPhone and Android
Just Dance Now isn’t your traditional fitness app – but it IS a tremendous amount of fun. Just Dance Now is a dancing game much like Para-Para that you can play, using your smartphone as a controller (much like how the Wii is used). You will need a connection to a television, computer, tablet or stream the game on screen from the synced website. It has a good number of free songs to try (with a daily limit of 3), and the best thing is that you can even play with your friends! While dancing may not be the same as weightlifting, anything that gets you onto your feet and moving can only be a good thing for your body!
6. RunKeeper and/or equivalent run mapping apps
(Image credit forums.appleinsider.com)
Free
Available for both iPhone and Android
RunKeeper and other equivalent apps (MapMyRun, Nike+ Running, Strava) just to name a few are apps that log the distance you run and map it for you using your phone’s GPS. Some of these apps also allow you to connect with the community and your friends. Most also come with features like tracking your pacing and other fitness objectives. Many people have even creatively used such apps to “draw” gigantic pictures with their running routes!
BONUS: Zombies, Run!
~S$5
(Image credit: http://www.windowscentral.com/)
Available for both iPhone and Android
Zombies, Run! is worth a try just for its unique and interesting design. It’s both a fitness running app, AND a game. Zombies, Run! puts you in the shoes of a runner outrunning the zombie apocalpyse. This app comes with a fully featured storyline, allowing you to immerse yourself in the game (with audio recordings of the storyline that simulate the sounds of being chased by zombies), and it has been said to get people’s hearts pumping in more than one way! You can collect items for your missions while you’re out on your run, and then use those items to upgrade your base to protect yourself from zombies. This app is not just fun, but apparently incredibly effective at motivating people to run (as seen by the sheer number of positive reviews).
What are some of your favourite “fun” apps for fitness? Let us know! We all need a good reason to motivate ourselves into being healthy!
