FITNESS
W L W L
TOP WELLBEING APPS FOR 2021
By Charlotte Forde
Traditionally in January fitness facilities see almost double the number of members ; resolutions are well underway ; “ New Year , New Me ” becomes our favourite phrase ; everybody is motivated after the Christmas period to lose any extra pounds gained over Winter and start on their Summer bodies - it ’ s a cycle that we see repeatedly each year , however , 2021 is different . Gyms are closed , most people are working from home or homeschooling and motivation is low with the cold and dark mornings and evenings .
With the restrictions that we are currently facing it is imperative that we are still taking care of ourselves from the inside out . Our health should be our priority right now both physically and mentally but this can be difficult when we are out of routine and limited to what physical activity we can achieve . Maybe you cannot see your friends who would normally be there to motivate you or you may not have access to the equipment that you would use in the gym , maybe you are homeschooling so finding the time for yourself is a factor - whatever your barrier is take this opportunity to get creative , challenge yourself and know that you can achieve anything that you set your mind to and are willing to make little changes for .
Technology is an amazing way to stay on track when you are focusing on your wellbeing and it doesn ' t have to be expensive . In fact , here are a few of my favourite free apps that help motivate me to exercise , encourage relaxation and help me remain focused with my diet : -
MyFitnessPal - Calorie Control This is my all time favourite app ! It ’ s no secret that I absolutely love my food so MyFitnessPal is perfect for helping me stay on top of my calories on a day-to-day basis . MyFitnessPal was designed by the brand Under Armour and is specific to you so takes into consideration your gender , age , height , weight and activity level to identify your Basal Metabolic Rate ( the number of calories required to keep your body functioning at rest .) which is important when setting your daily calorie allowance so that you can begin to monitor how many calories a day you need to maintain or lose weight .
I really like this app as it educates you on how to maintain a realistic , well balanced diet that still enables you to consume the food that you enjoy . There are no restrictions on what you can and can ’ t eat . It is simply a food diary that identifies your calorie intake , simplifies macronutrients and helps you understand your habits . It has really handy tools like a barcode scanner which makes food entry quick and easy , it also has millions of food already stored in their database so when you search for a meal it is more than likely to be already available to search and add to your personal diary . If you need a little bit of inspiration , the app also has recipes and you can also use it to track your activity too . What ’ s also great is that if you already have a favourite app that you use for activity , MyFitnessPal connects to the majority of apps like Apple and Samsung Health , Garmin , Fitbit etc . so you don ’ t even have to add your exercise separately , it does all of the hard work for you .
Top Tip : Ensure to input everything that you consume ( some things will definitely surprise you ), also make sure you measure your ingredients as this will have an overall impact on your calories . If you have a few days that go over your calories or your macronutrients , don ’ t worry ! Change into a week view and make up for it over the duration of the week .
Couch to 5K - Aimed for beginners wanting to eventually run 5 kilometres ( 3.1 miles ) Okay so I ’ m not going to lie , I hate running ! I was a sprinter in school and have always enjoyed high intensity and powerful activities like KickBoxing , Spin and Body Attack , so long and slow , aerobic exercise doesn ’ t appeal to me , however , in the current climate and with so many limitations on what activity you are able to do , the benefits of running are obviously far greater than sitting at home and you may achieve some weight loss , definitely gain fitness if you are new to exercise and for me getting outdoors helps with my mental health .
The app is really easy to use and perfect for beginners , the programme has been designed so that it is achievable for most people and is clear and simple for you to understand and follow the programme . At first you train in intervals by varying your pace which gradually increases over the duration that it takes you to achieve a 5k run without stopping , this would be my preference of training normally as your body has to adapt to the various levels of strenuous activity and increases your strength as a consequence so I use the app more to monitor my pace and try and decrease my time rather than complete the continuous run . You normally work a lot harder and to a maximum capability over a shorter period of time when working in intervals resulting in a greater calorie burn in comparison to steady state training , however , if your goal is running long distances , then intervals are also the best way to achieve this when starting out .
So now you ’ re probably thinking why is this one of my favourite apps if I don ’ t use it in the way that it has been designed to ? The answer is , this app motivates and prompts me to actually run ! I wouldn ’ t normally include running in my training regime but during lockdown it is something that I make time for and I can do it with the kids . The programme itself tells me exactly what to do , it provides a warm up and cool down and counts my intervals giving me motivational prompts along the way meaning I can completely switch off , take in the beautiful scenery and not have to think about anything .
Top Tip : I also open my Adidas Runtastic app when I go out running which means that if you sign up to Adidas you earn additional points every time you train giving you priority access to launches of new products , discounts and much more .
General Apps for Mental Health and Mindfulness I don ’ t use a specific app for this as it all depends on my mood and how much time I have , the same as how each individual will have different coping strategies for their own mental health . An app that I like to use either first thing in the morning or last thing at night is “ 5 Minute Yoga ”, this app is super quick to integrate a bit of movement and flexibility into your day when you have very little time and you also learn a new combination of five yoga poses each session .
Top Tip : There are so many great free apps out there but ensure that you don ’ t download a free app that only signs you up to a free period and then will start charging you after your free trial .
It is completely normal to feel out of sync at the moment . I have been in the fitness industry for over 17 years and still find it hard to get myself motivated , I also still like somebody to hold me accountable especially for my diet . Many personal trainers including myself are still working online at the moment therefore if you require further guidance or need something more than just an app to help get you started please feel free to reach out and email train @ ellevatefitness . com or call 07523 843911 for a free and confidential consultation .
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