Nowadays, there’s an app for everything! Chances are you download one off the recommendation of someone else or spend time downloading one that looks good (and free) only to delete it once you’ve used it and realised all the good stuff is locked and you have to pay for it – so sneaky!
So rather than cut your losses and go back to doing things the hard way, we find out what the experts have to say about the apps they use.
Sweat it out with Celebs
Victoria Burdon, an Exercise Scientist and Personal Trainer likes to use Zova, which connects us to the world of virtual fitness. We’re pretty much glued to our phones these days, so what’s another function to add?
The Zova app features workout videos which you can pick and train too, they also have playlists as backing tracks to keep you motivated.
They have recently created ‘Celebrity Classes’, which takes following A-listers Instagram story and video watching to a new level. Not only can you fan girl over your favourite celebs, but you can sweat and struggle kick arse with them too!
The celebrity classes feature a weekly HiiT class released every Monday.
Upload your Instagrammable Meal to Your Food Diary
Research has shown that diet is a better predictor of weight loss than by the amount of exercise you do. While exercise is great for improving cardiovascular health, improving insulin sensitivity, supporting skeletal bone mass and improving muscle tone, watching what you eat is more important for weight loss.
It’s possible to eat a very healthy diet, but still not see any weight loss. That may be due to portion sizes and knowing how much you actually eat over a day.
Jessica Spendlove, Co-Founder of the Health Performance Collective recommends Easy Diet Diary which allows you to take a photo of your food so you can log your meals, or track eating habits by recording your intake over the day. You can also scan bar codes and custom make recipes.
The benefits of this allows you to review your intake of macronutrients and micronutrients which include your vitamins and minerals. This may help you gain a better understanding of how many nutrients your consuming as well as kilojoules recommended for the day and whether you’re going above or below.
The App that Oozes “Namaste”
Already a household name, Headspace comes front of mind to Ben Lucas, Founder of Flow Athletic, who religiously practices meditation with the help of the app.
Take as little as 10 minutes out of your day to reintroduce some peace and quiet to your mind. With as many as 50,000 thoughts a day, giving your brain a break with meditation is known to be as rejuvenating as a power nap.
Research has shown that meditation is also great for stress management, focus and better sleep!
If meditation really isn’t your jam, you’re not alone. The app also offers guided meditation sessions so you can follow prompts, rather than let your mind wonder astray.
For the Foodies
Do you struggle to find a takeaway option that ticks the health boxes? With the rise of delivery food options, DIY cooking is becoming less of a priority. However, takeaway food can be a dark rabbit hole for those wanting to sustain good health.
Which is why Nutritionist Ashleigh James likes the new Sumo Salad app.
Sumo Salad allows you to create your own meal by nominating your ingredients. Each ingredient also shows you the nutritional breakdown, which means you can ensure you’re receiving a good amount of protein, fat and carbohydrate for every meal.
The app can also sync to your Fitbit so you can easily track your daily kilojoule goals.
A bit of a bonus, the app also allows you to order this online so you can swing by your nearest store, skip the line and be on your way.
Get to Know Yourself
Surprisingly, many women don’t know how long their menstruation cycles run for, let alone when are their fertile days or when they can expect their period. Which is why the app Hormone Horoscope was born. Exercise Physiologist Veronika Larisova is a fan of the app as it allows her to track not only her cycle, but her mood, energy, bowel movements, skin health and more every day. The app also provides reminders regarding your cycle, such as ‘you’re now ovulating’.
This is a great way to become more in-sync with your body and how it is functioning. It may also help to explain breakouts, which commonly occur a week before your period, or perhaps why you feel especially hungry a couple of days before your period.
Is it worth it?
Some good tips for working out an app is worth the download are:
• Check the reviews • Check how many stars it has • Sometimes paying a nominal amount for good content/service is worth the fork out