As of this writing, there are over two million apps available. For some, this can make apps seem overwhelming and even annoying. This is why I only check out new apps by word-of-mouth suggestion. The following are five health and fitness apps that I use regularly.
Carb Manager
Carb Manager is a nutrition tracker that tracks calories, macro and micronutrients. What’s different about Carb manager is it also tracks net carbs and helps you stay below your net carb goal. Many people on a keto diet use Carb Manager, but it works well for any lifestyle. It even helps you set up your macros according to the way you want to eat. For example, if you want to go Zone Diet, it will set your macros at 30% protein, 30% carbs, and 40% fat. If you want to go keto, it will set your macros at 25% protein, 5% carbs, 70% fat and will help you set a calorie goal. You can also set your own custom macro and calorie goals. It is compatible with Fitbit, Garmin, and Apple Health. It stores your recently viewed and frequently eaten foods to make it easier to enter foods you eat repeatedly. This app is free and has a paid premium version available.
Sleep Cycle
Sleep Cycle is a sleep analyzer that uses your phone’s microphone and other sensors to rate and track your sleep quality. It records what time you went to bed and what time you woke up. It records when you fall asleep, and when you hit deep sleep. It then generates a graph over your sleep duration and assigns a quality score and a regularity score.
Sleep Cycle also has an alarm function that will use a thirty minute window to find the lightest part of your sleep cycle to wake you. It uses a gentle sound that slowly increases in volume to wake you up as gently as possible. This app is free and has a paid premium version available.
ErgData by Concept 2
The ErgData app uses a Bluetooth connection to connect to the PM5 monitor on my rowing machine. It gives you extra information that the monitor does not, such as drive time and drag factor.
My favorite thing about the app is it is a go-between for the Concept 2 website and the row machine. All of your workouts and data are recorded under your profile on the site. What I really love are the different challenges Concept 2 comes up with. The million meter challenge is one I am currently doing, where you row one million meters in a year or less. I’ve also completed a half-marathon challenge and would like to row a marathon some day.
Strava
Strava started out as a cycling app and has expanded to running, hiking, and just about anything. Strava records your workouts and all data such as pace, elevation change, mileage, and calories burned. Strava is unique in that you can follow people, and they can follow you. Your followers can comment on your workouts in a social media type fashion. Strava also has different challenges that you can choose to participate in to make fitness more enjoyable.
Zero
Zero is a free fasting app that helps you with intermittent fasting. It’s main feature is a timer that allows you to set a fasting goal, sixteen hours for example, then sends you notifications which help motivate you toward your goal.
It has a statistics feature that allows you to chart your progress and journey. It syncs with Apple Health using health markers like weight, sleep, and resting heart rate to compare to your fasting practice. It even has a journal that tracks your mood to see if any adjustments are needed over time.
Zero’s premium plan, Zero Plus, has features such as custom plans, premium content, fasting zones, advanced statistics and more. If you’re into intermittent fasting or any fasting practice, this app is a must!
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Apps should be helpful and convenient. With over two million of them available, it can be hard to find apps that save us time and help us reach our goals. I hope this has helped you and if there are any apps that you absolutely love, please comment and let us know what they are!
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and is not intended for medical diagnosis or treatment. If you have a medical concern or issue, please consult your physician.
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