4 apps that can help you lose weight

There comes a point in most people’s lives when the paunch starts spreading. Whether you’ve been fit or not in your previous life suddenly has no bearing on the matter. Your fat stores are gathering strength – and you’ve got the notion to blitz them. But how to do it? A personal trainer? Expensive. Gym membership? They always go unused.

So how about trying out a cool new app to help in your weight loss efforts?

Calorie Counter – Android & iOS

Do you know the calorie count of everything that you’re putting into your body? Well, you quickly will, if you start to use MyFitnessPal’s Calorie Counter. You’ll soon see where those extra calories stack up and where you can cut them out across your day – by taking your coffee without milk, for instance. Input your calories every day to compare your calorific intake (from food) to your calorific expenditure (from exercise), and start to see the impact of both your diet and exercise in combination.

Strava – Android & iOS

Strava is, to put it bluntly, a runner’s dream app. But that isn’t to say that it’s only for those who are already running – it is handy for everyone, from beginners through to pro athletes plus it works for cycling too. Strava is so much more than a run tracker. It compares you with other runners doing the same route, compares sprints of yours, as well as longer distances within the same run, gives visual representations of your runs and how well you’ve done, and gets you involved with a runner’s social media network.

7 Minute Workout – Android & iOS

If you are finding exercise particularly tough to get into, then pose this question to yourself – “Do I have 7 minutes to spare to exercise?”. Of course, 7 minutes really is nothing… it is gone in the blink of an eye, which is how this app positions itself. By breaking down your exercise into tiny blocks, it makes it much easier to complete. The app goes through 7 minute workouts, complete with full instructions, and lets you track your progress. Come on… of course you have 7 minutes to spare.

RockMyRun – Android & iOS

For those that find it easier to work out with the right soundtrack in place, RockMyRun is the pick of the bunch. This cool app gives you playlists specified by BPM and time. Some playlists have a steady BPM, whereas others workup then cool down – much like your workout would go. Playlists are uploaded by the community, as well as by app contributors – and you can add your own. While it’s targeted at runners, if you’re after a steadily paced workout doing any type of exercise, then give this app a look.