Make working out work for you this year!

Let's face it, fitness is not everyone's favorite go to activity, but everyone still wants to be that person; the one who enjoys getting their gear on and heads to the gym with a determined look, ready to tackle the bars. We all want shed off the excess fat and maintain that nice body all year round,' and we want to feel more than comfortable in our own skin. We want to feel attractive and sexy! So what holds us back from achieving those fitness goals we keep chasing after? What can we do to make the time invested in the gym really count?

Luckily, we're living in a society where technology thrives more and more each day. This puts us at an advantage. We have access to almost anything we wish for just from our phones. We can use this access many of us take for granted to our advantage. Now, with new and innovative Apps coming out every day, there are endless choices for entertainment, productivity platforms, and countless ways to connect to others around the world who seek the same goals.

We have gone through lists of Apps that are related to fitness and nutrition and compiled some noteworthy ones. This list is meant to inspire you to seek new ways to enjoy exercise and to reinvent the old way you have done things.

 Some people do prefer the same consistent routine and that is great! However, for the most of us, adding new twists to enhance monotonous experiences seem like a favorable strategy to keep us moving.

Here are some ways to make this precious time we are sacrificing worth it and a truly fun experience!

Gamifying apps

1. Couch to 5k (C25K)- This App is compatible with the Apple Watch, Samsung and Fitbit smart watches. It is the ONLY 5k training app which has partnered with MyFitnessPal, as mentioned on their website. It advertises to prepare you for running 5k in 8 weeks at 30 minutes for three days a week. The app has playlists integrated which sync with your body as you're running! It also calculates your distances and syncs your calories to your smart devices. I find this app to be absolutely amazing since it is based on a program known to give results. It has been featured on countless news channels and top lifestyle and fitness websites. Another plus? It's free!
2. Couch to 5k training- This is similar to the original C25K; it has the same concept except it has a virtual coach that talks to you as you run helping you to keep going but also prevents injury by preventing you from doing more than you're ready for.
3. Zombies, run!- Who's up for escaping zombies as they run? Yup! Cool twist to a running app. Keep yourself engaged in your run by building defense bases and listening to music of your choice. Ready to be the hero of your very own zombie adventure? If you've never been too fond of running, this will surely get your adrenaline going.
4. Superhero workout- along with its main theme to help save humanity from an invasion, it uses your device's front face camera which is motion activated to count your reps and measure the number of calories you burn. You can connect to Apple TV which works well for home workouts! It also motivates you to workout your entire body by doing different exercises in order to unlock weapons and other abilities in the game. Strengthen two types of abilities at once and have fun?? Pretty cool for a home workout if you ask me!

Incentivize your workouts, save time and build community 

1. Nexercise- The invention for you lazy folks! It's ok to be lazy and it's even better to acknowledge it and see what's out there for you to get up from your bum! With this app, you can earn points to unlock real incentives, such as gift cards, which you can use at your favorite stores! How cool is that? Pretty much, you are getting paid for working out. If this sounds like you, give it a try and see it's a keeper!
   
   
2. Workouts for women- Rated #1 free fitness app in 2020. This is a great app to carry around because it has built in workouts for your entire body and the best part is that they are all very short workouts. There is really no excuse not to invest 7 minutes daily to better our health! It also creates a new workout for you every day saving you even more time from choosing. Prices: 4.99/month or 35.99/yr. Great if you're looking to start burning fat and increase daily fitness habits and at the same time save on those expensive gym memberships! And just because it's geared toward women, it doesn't mean it wont work for men.
   
   
3. Fitocracy- It is a fitness community rated 'Top Innovation in Health and Fitness Winner" by Mashable AND Men's journal named it the App of the Year. Members use this app to track their progress, create their own personal workouts, choose from the ones already integrated on the app but most importantly, to motivate themselves to stay on track! You can earn points and unlock achievements among other cool features. There seems to be a lot to this one guys! Check it out :) There is nothing like an online community of support especially when you don't have it physically present in your daily life!