Everyone has been looking for more and more options for apps covering online exercise and fitness recommendations. Our phones are with us constantly and they are already helping us with reminding us to stay active. More modern phones are built in with a pedometer where you may also be able to track things like weight, water consumption, or even give you challenges with different types of exercise. However, unless you have it turned on or you turned it off because you didn’t like the notifications, you may have forgotten that that was an option. But what if that isn’t doing it for you? Give these apps a try if you haven’t already.
Apps are in no particular order.
(Note: we are not sponsored by any of these apps. We just think they are great options for anyone.)
Exercise Related Apps
1. Optimity: This is an app that gives you points to get gift cards and other fun stuff for the steps that you take, water you drink, and more! If you are someone that struggles with motivation, this may be an app that can help you with consistency or want some help with a new routine. What type of rewards do you get? Well, there are gift cards to Amazon, coffee shops, Visa gift cards, and can even get money off your grocery shop for participating grocery stores. This is one of the few apps like this that also works for Canada.
What we don’t like (because not every app is perfect): It is not compatible with all wearables. It links up to an Apple Watch or FitBit, but if you are like some of us and use a Garmin, it will be harder to use this app to get the points for free stuff.
2. All Trails: Hiking has become one of the most popular forms of activity over the course of the pandemic. All Trails is a favourite of ours that because it doesn’t just include traditional trails, but it includes parks, gardens, and more! It also allows you to change your activity type (whether you want biking, bird watching, and more!) and tells you the ‘suitability’ of trails (Dog friendly, stroller friendly, wheelchair friendly, and more!). Remember to follow dog rules for the trail if you bring them along. There are many other options and aspects that we love but we don’t want to seem biased.
What we don’t like: The one thing that we don’t like is that the app doesn’t tell us if a trail or park is closed or if the parking lot is closed. You must do a little hunting for that info.
3. PBSC: Have you seen those black and green bikes all over Toronto? Wanted to use them? Download this app. Yes, you must pay to use the bikes, but this is a great option for those of us that don’t have space to have bikes of our own. The app opens to the map that shows you where all the closest bike stations are, and the tips tell you how full the stations are. A black bubble indicates that the station has electric assist bikes, for those that may need a little help pedaling around the city. You can also pay through the app, so if you want to limit what you are carrying around.
What we don’t like: Unless you remember to check before starting your trip, the time limit counts time from 0 to 30 mins, not down like you may expect. Trips are only 30 minutes and the app doesn’t give you a warning that you are getting close to the end of the 30 minutes, making it easy to get charged the overage fee.
4. Strava: This is also a very popular app and you can see why once you start scrolling through it. You can use it for running, walking, biking, and workouts and there is a great community that has been created through the app if that is something you are looking for. You can join groups and challenges, friends and strangers can celebrate milestones with you, you receive badges for hitting milestones and completing different types of physical activity types. This is also another great motivational tool if you are missing that group or community dynamic of physical activity and exercise. Like All Trails, it tracks route via a map.
What we don’t like: You are unable to create your own challenges and groups unless you have a paid account. At the time of writing this, we’ve heard that they are thinking of adding that option but have not done so.
5. Nike Training: If you want an easy bank of workouts ranging from 5 minutes to an hour, we think this is a great app! You can search by workout type, workout time, where you are in your exercise journey, and what your exercise goals are. We love the motivational recordings that play as you are going as well as the videos of the exercises that loop while we are in the process of the exercise.
What we don’t like: the exercise category of beginner, intermediate, etc. do seem a little high. People may be discouraged if they choose the category that they are, but the workouts are more difficult then they are expecting. You also don’t get 100% access to all exercises with the free account.
Nutrition Related Apps
1. MyFitnessPal: This is a great all-around app when it comes to tracking nutrition and exercise. But we really like it for it’s nutrition tracking component. You can set your macros if you are starting that, it is easy to input meals that you make, you can save things, there are nice graphs to show you changes and daily values.
What we don’t like: certain features are only available with a purchase of a membership. Some useful features fall under this category.
2. Simple: With intermittent fasting gaining more and more popularity, an app to help you track how you are feeling with the process at certain stages would be super helpful. Enter Simple, the intermittent fasting app that allows you to track exactly when you start and end your fast down to the minute. You can also track your exercise, weight, liquid intake, food, mood, and more, which we think it great! With intermittent fasting, mood and hunger can make things difficult and you can track changes or patterns. It also gives a great animation about what is going on with your body during each component of your day. If you pay for a monthly or yearly fee, you can have a personal plan made for you to follow.
What we don’t like: Even though it shouldn’t matter, for those interested, calories are not tracked, but for those of you interested, you cannot track macros.
Do you have a must use app for your health and fitness needs? Let us know!