Happy Saturday, ya’ll! Last night, I went to my very first Skimm’bassador ladies night in the city, and it was soo much fun. Lots of wine, laughs, and cards against humanity were involved.
Side Note: For those of you not familiar with theSkimm, it’s a daily newsletter delivered to your inbox at 6am every weekday that makes it easier to know what’s happening in the world. To me, watching the news is such a dismal experience these days because it’s all focused on the terrible sh*t going on in the world. I can’t bear to watch it anymore. So, I subscribed to theSkimm and by getting 10 people to sign up using my referral link, I became a Skimm’bassador, which is their version of brand ambassador, and last night I got together with about 9 other Skimm’bassadors in the city. #newfriends
If you’re interested in trying out theSkimm’s newsletter, sign up here.
Okay, focus, Marah. I don’t know about where you are, but New York City has had one whirlwind of week in terms of the weather. On Monday, it was like 65 degrees and springlike while yesterday it was cold-as-ice, FRIGID. I’m actually watching small snowflakes fall as I type this post. Figure yourself out, weather. Anyway, no matter the weather conditions, today I have a roundup of 4 free fitness and nutrition apps (I have personally used each one) that you can use day or night, rain, sunshine, or snow – and can definitely help you reach your health and fitness goals this new year. Check them out below!
Johnson & Johnson’s 7-Minute Workout
The workout that helps you make every minute count.
Features
- An exercise library with 72 exercises and 22 workouts that you can customize (or use as is) that range from easy to hard
- Learn each exercise with 72 video tutorials
- A Smart Workout feature gauges your fitness and motivation level and creates a variety of workouts specifically for you
- Listen to and control music during your workout from your device (phone/tablet)
- Workout reminders and achievement notifications to help you stay on track
- Share your workouts on social media (Facebook & Twitter) #accountability
Benefits
- A fast and simple workout (get the most out of every minute)
- Workout anywhere, anytime (no equipment necessary)
My Experience Using This App
This really is a hidden gem of an app. My boyfriend discovered it last summer, and we like to go to the Weehawken waterfront with our yoga mats and do these workouts. We bring my iPad, 2 yoga mats, water bottles, and just do the damn thing. The workouts are intense – total high-intensity interval training (hiit) routines. You know what, though? Doing a crazy intense workout outside overlooking the most amazing view of the NYC skyline makes each exercise that much more bearable, just sayin’.
We started with the 7-minute workout option and after a few times of doing it, we transitioned to the 15-minute workout – #killer. You’d be surprised what a short amount of time can do to you when you’re doing workouts like these. Highly recommend this app!
Compatibility
- Requires iOS 8.2 or later
- iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Daily Yoga
Yoga anytime, any place.
Features
- 100+ HD yoga and meditation video classes
- Varying skill levels
- 500+ pose library with detailed instructions
- Various yoga music available
- Scheduled plans for boot camp, body toning, weight loss, strength training, flexibility, and relaxation
- Health data log to see how many calories burned for each session
- Global community to keep you inspired and share updates with your friends
Benefits
- Inspires you to practice yoga every day
- Easy and convenient to workout
- Gain better results from guided yoga
- Various time durations for each session (5-70 minutes)
My Experience Using This App
This is my most-used app on this list. Two of my favorite yoga sessions are the “Fat Burner” and “Yoga for Better Sleep” options. I love the flexibility of how long the yoga session lasts – that has been my favorite feature of this app. Sometimes I do a really quick, 10-minute session, and other times when I want to invest more in relaxing or getting de-stressed, I’ll do a longer one.
Compatibility
- Requires iOS 8.0 or later
- iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
MapMyRun
MapMyRun is a fitness tracking application with a built-in GPS to track all your fitness activities.
Features
- Route tracking
- Records workout details, including duration, distance, pace, speed, elevation, calories burned, and route traveled on an interactive map
- Training log with data from all workouts
- Sink your data with wearables, including Apple watch, Garmin, Fitbit, Jawbone, and more
Benefits
- Effortlessly save and upload your workout data to MapMyRun where you can view your route workout data and comprehensive history
- Discover new workout routes and save or share your favorite ones
- Social networking allows you to share your workout details via email, Facebook, and Twitter
- Site integration from app to website
My Experience Using This App
When I lived in Denver (2011-2014) and was trying to get into the habit of running (hint hint: it never happened), I used MapMyRun when working out at Cheeseman and City Parks. The big benefit that I especially liked was that a voice comes on while you’re running and tells you when you’ve hit a mile and then fades back out to allow you to keep listening to music. Discovering other people’s running routes was also inspirational and gave me new route ideas, too. Although I don’t go on runs often anymore (I’m a group fitness class junkie now), for those of you who do go running outside, I think you’ll enjoy using this app!
Compatibility
- Requires iOS 9.0 or later
- iPhone, iPad, and iPod
MyFitnessPal
The fastest and easiest-to-use calorie counter.
Features
- A food database with over 5,000,000 food products with nutritional information for each listed food
- Add multiple foods at once
- Connects with over 50 devices and apps, including Apple Health, Fitbit, Jawbone UP, Garmin, MapMyFitness, Misfit, and more
- Built-in step counter
- Recipe importer lets you visit any recipe on the web and easily imports and tracks the foods with just a tap
- Barcode scanner allows users to scan a food item and get its nutritional values right from their phone
Benefits
- Track the food that you eat and the exercise that you do in under 5 minutes each day
- The app remembers your favorites and most used foods for easy entry
- Tracks all major nutrients – calories, fat, protein, carbs, sugar, fiber, cholesterol, and more
- Seamlessly integrates with other fitness apps and devices
- Social networking allows you to connect with friends to motivate each other and meet new friends from the MyFitnessPal community
My Experience Using This App
Honest-to-God, this app will make your jaw drop when you use it. I was SHOCKED the first week I tracked my food intake. Like, how many calories can one girl consumer while mindlessly snacking at work throughout the day? A LOT. It has made me so much more conscious and aware of my food choices. That Starbucks chai latte? So. much. sugar. It’s ridiculous! If you were to download just one app from this list, I think MyFitnessPal is the most eye-opening one that will make you change your ways, period. If you’re anything like me, having to input 500 calories worth of an afternoon coffee ‘n baked good makes me cringe. Of course, everyone should #treatyoself at times, but when you’re constantly snacking throughout the day like I was, this app really lays out your calorie consumption and allows you to get a bigger picture of your nutrition. I love looking at the macros and seeing what I’m consuming. Try it for yourself!
Compatibility
- Requires iOS 9.0 or later
- iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
Have you tried any of these apps before? If so, what did you think? If not, which one are you most intrigued by? Comment in the space below. Enjoy your weekend!
