Getting in shape can be tough, but there are plenty of iPhone apps that can help give you a hand. From tracking what you eat and picking healthy foods, to getting help with executing workouts, you can use these very best fitness apps to help get results.
P90X ($2.99)
The official app of the tough 90-day workout regimen goes with its DVD set, P90x is a great way to keep on-track if you’re sticking with its workouts and nutrition plan. The app lets you track your progress in your workouts, keep track of how many calories you’re consuming (and burning), set reminders to make sure you do each day’s sets, and makes it easy to see your progress over time.
Fitocracy (Free)
Keeping motivated in your fitness goals can be one of the toughest parts of working out and eating healthy, which is why Fitocracy works to turn those things into a bit of a game. With things like badges and achievements linked to your progress through your workouts, plus a big social community that can help encourage you to stick with it. The app is also loaded with workouts to help you accurately track your progress.
Fooducate (Free)
Nutrition tracker Fooducate is dedicated to helping dieters eat healthy without also making themselves miserable. The app helps you keep track of the calories you consume, and also points out what’s in the foods you might buy with its built-in barcode scanner. Fooducate focuses not only on quantity of calories, but also quality, and helps you choose healthier eating alternatives.
RunKeeper (Free)
As the name suggests, RunKeeper is for runners, and uses your iPhone’s GPS capabilities to keep track of your runs. You’ll be able to see your routes on maps and create new ones before you head out, and RunKeeper uses GPS to give you accurate information about mileage and pace, so you can see your improvements. It also supports control of music on your iPhone so you can bring your workout playlist along, too.
Zombies, Run! ($3.99)
Some people need a different kind of motivation to go run — namely, hordes of the undead chasing them. That’s the idea behind Zombies, Run!, which turns your workout into a game by playing a radio drama-style story of the zombie apocalypse, in which you are a major character. As you follow along with the story, you can build up your home base with the fictional items you collect out on your runs, and the app can be adjusted to really push you when the walkers are (supposedly) on your heels.
Meal Snap – Calorie Counting Magic ($2.99)
Need to keep track of what you’re eating, but dreading having to manually input all that food diary information? Check out Meal Snap, which does the inputting for you. The app lets you take photos of what you’re eating and uses them to figure out what your meal is, and how many calories it includes, then logs it so you can keep track of what you’re eating, when, and how much.
PumpUp – Fitness Coach (Free)
PumpUp builds its workouts around you, rather than the other way around. You can tell the app what your favorite gym equipment is (or what you have around the house), what your goals are and what skill level you’re currently at, and the app does the rest, creating a workout that will work for you. The app also provides step-by-step coaching on how to do each move and works to keep you motivated.
Lose It! – Weight Loss Program and Calorie Counter (Free)
You’ll find other calorie counters on this list, but Lose It stands out because it works to help users create diet plans they can live with. The app takes your goals and provides you with a calorie budget, and includes a barcode scanner and recipe builders to help you stay on track. You can also share your foods with friends, keep notes in a diary journal, and log workouts as well.
Nike Training Club (Free)
You’ll find more than 100 workouts in Nike Training Club that can help you get into shape. Each is divided by duration (with 15-, 30- and 45-minute categories) and comes with video demos or still images to help you learn how to execute them properly. The app also has audio guidance to help you mid-workout, and lets you track your progress, save favorite workouts and share your results across social networks.
Map My Fitness (Free)
Another tracking app, MapMyFitness has a super-simple interface that makes it really easy to see exactly how your workouts are going over time. You can track just about anything, from trips to the gym to hikes in the woods, and MapMyFitness provides stats mid-workout, distances covered, elevation readouts, calorie counting, and more. You can also compete on local courses saved in the app to earn achievements and test yourself against other users.
