Whether you want to get fit or find a new job, these apps will help you stay on track.
For the next few weeks, there will be no escape from magazine covers that champion a “New Year, New You” (or friends who have vowed to start green juicing). But whether you’re the type who makes and breaks resolutions quickly or has steadily improved your life year after year, you’re probably resolving to resolve something.
Resolutions are generally the same year in and year out: lose weight; quit smoking; get a better job; save money; etc. But how do you finally achieve them without putting too much pressure on yourself?
How about an app? PCMag found a few to help you reach some of the most popular resolutions. Because many have a social component, you most likely won’t be journeying down the road alone, particularly if you’re on a treadmill surrounded by the hordes of people who just joined your gym this month.
If you need one app to rule them all, meanwhile, keep track of your resolution progress with Strides (iOS) or Resolutions (Android). For something a little more specific, check out the list below.
Be a Better Person
Being a better person is at the
top of the list of resolutions for Americans, according to a Marist poll. But just how to achieve that has baffled philosophers for centuries. The closest you’ll get as far as apps go is Grid Diary (
iOS), which lets you take stock of and journal your day via helpful prompts to focus on gratitude, family, and friends. The prompts are customizable so you can set what’s important to you.
Journey is a good alternative for Android users.
Lose Weight
MyFitnessPal (
iOS and
Android) makes calorie tracking easy, with a database of over 6 million foods. If something’s not there, enter it manually or scan a UPC code. But it’s the integration with
fitness trackers and apps that really makes it a winner, giving users an overall picture of calories in, calories out. If you want a more formal program, you’d do well to join the time-tested Weight Watchers and use its
accompanying app, which includes 24/7 support from a coach.
Get Fit
Trainers are expensive. Unless, that is, they’re Nike Master Trainers, who offer free, video-guided workouts in the Nike Training Club app (iOS, Android), which covers all fitness levels and offers plenty of variety.
When you don’t have enough time for a full workout, try J&J Official 7 Minute Workout (iOS, Android). The app’s name is a bit of a misnomer but in a good way: there are a range of workouts, from seven to 32 minutes each, which were developed by the director of exercise physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute.
Eat Healthier
Another one worth considering is DrinkControl for cutting on alcohol (and saving money, obviously) http://drinkcontrolapp.com