FEMAIL picks 10 of the best fitness and health apps

As technology has advanced through the decades, it has been easier than ever to distract ourselves from going to the gym and keeping fit. 

But the tech world has also given us a thousand ways to stay in shape, without having to set foot on a treadmill or pay thousands for a personal trainer. 

Now there are hundreds of apps full of personalised diets, workouts, and playlists. But which ones are worth your while? 

FEMAIL has done the work for you, selecting 10 of the best apps on the market, many of them free, to help you train, sleep, and stay motivated.

FEMAIL has selected 10 of the best fitness and health apps on the market, many of the free, to help you train, sleep, and stay motivated

The 7 Minute Workout Challenge app provides full video and audio instructions of 12 exercises to be performed for 30 seconds with 10-second rest intervals

The exercises don't require any equipment and provide the equivalent of a full hour workout

The 7 Minute Workout Challenge app provides full video and audio instructions of 12 exercises to be performed for 30 seconds with 10-second rest intervals 

It was a concept that astonished millions: You could workout for just seven minutes a day, and still get results.

At only $4.49, the 7 Minute Workout Challenge provides full video and audio instructions for each exercise and step-by-step guidance so you know when to rest. 

The 12 exercises – performed for 30 seconds with 10-second rest intervals – don’t require any equipment and provide the equivalent of a full hour workout – as long as you give it your all. 

No internet connection is required to watch the videos, so you can get to those push-ups, squats, crunches, and dips no matter where you are.

And if that isn’t enough, the 7 Minute Workout app has a whopping full five-stars in the App Store.

Diet journal MyFitnessPal also has the world’s largest nutrition and calorie database, with more than 5 million food that range from a simple apple to a full meal at McDonald’s

The app shows users how many calories they should be eating  for optimal weight loss each day – and notifies them if they’re eating too much (or too little)

Diet journal MyFitnessPal also has the world’s largest nutrition and calorie database, with more than 5 million food that range from a simple apple to a full meal at McDonald’s

Many have credited their weight loss success to MyFitnessPal, a free calorie counter and exercise journal.

The app, which can be accessed via phone or computer, shows users how many calories they should be eating  for optimal weight loss each day – and notifies them if they’re eating too much (or too little).

MyFitnessPal also has the world’s largest nutrition and calorie database, with more than 5 million foods that range from a simple apple to McDonald’s meal. 

And the free app has brought people together, thanks to an active community that shares everything from success stories to recipes.

The $4.49 Couch to 5K app reaks down a training plan that just consists of 30-minute workouts, three times a week, for nine weeks to help users prepare for their first 5K run

Couch to 5K has interactive coaches that talk during each workout to keep you motivated, and allows users to share their progress on social media

The $4.49 Couch to 5K app breaks down a training plan that just consists of 30-minute workouts, three times a week, for nine weeks to help users prepare for their first 5K run

Becoming a runner can seem like a daunting task but the beloved Couch to 5K – which has more than 50,000 users in Australia – is designed to transform novices into full-fledged marathoners.

The $4.49 app breaks down a training plan that consists of 30-minute workouts, three times a week, for nine weeks to help users prepare for their first 5K run.

Couch to 5K has interactive coaches that talk during each workout to keep you motivated, and allows users to share their progress on social media.

There’s even free GPS support, so you can map your routes while calculating the distance and pace of each run.

Sleepbot is a free app that tracks movement and sound, waking you up during a selected 30-minute time interval when it has determined that you are at your lightest possible sleep state

Sleepbot is a free app that tracks movement and sound, waking you up during a selected 30-minute time interval when it has determined that you are at your lightest possible sleep state

We all know that lack of sleep can be detrimental both to our fitness goals and overall health, so making sure to get enough of it is of utmost importance.

That’s where Sleepbot comes in. The free app tracks movement and sound, waking you up during a selected 30-minute time interval when it has determined that you are at your lightest possible sleep state.

Sleepbot’s smart alarm aims to wake you up softly and make you a smarter sleeper. The app also tracks your progress, showing you how a few restless nights can have long-term effects through the week. 

And there are tools to help you get more sleep, from tips and tricks to a feature that allows you to set a reminder to go to bed when you’re deep in a Netflix binge. 

The Zova app features full body workouts with videos to guide you through each exercise, acting as a free personal coach that can fit right into your pocket

Australian app Zova has put many fellow smart fitness trainers to shame, featuring a sleek and easy-to-use design that won it an Apple Design Award

The Zova app features full body workouts with videos to guide you through each exercise, acting as a free personal coach that can fit right into your pocket

Australian app Zova has put many fellow smart fitness trainers to shame, featuring a sleek and easy-to-use interface that won it an Apple Design Award.

The app features full body workouts with videos to guide you through each exercise, acting as a free personal coach that can fit right into your pocket.

Zova also includes the 2X3 Body Program, a smart fitness program that offers two personalised workouts a day, three times per week, to help get you toned and lean.

The program even evaluates your activity throughout the day, allowing it to make smarter selections when choosing your exercises.

The Australian app Streaks is a virtual to-do list of sorts, allowing you to choose up to 12 tasks that you want to turn into daily habits - including exercises 

The Australian app Streaks is a virtual to-do list of sorts, allowing you to choose up to 12 tasks that you want to turn into daily habits – including exercises 

The Australian app Streaks is a virtual to-do list of sorts, allowing you to choose up to 12 tasks that you want to turn into daily habits.

Streaks aims to motivate by tracking progress right in front of your eyes. Every time you complete a task, your streak gets extended.

It can even hook-up to the iOS Health App on iPhones, allowing Streaks to automatically tracks goals like walking a certain number of steps a day or running a certain number of miles.

You can also choose which days you want to accomplish your tasks, so those cheat nights or rest days from the gym won’t cause your streak to end.

The FitRadio app The Australian app Streaks is a virtual to-do list of sorts, allowing you to choose up to 12 tasks that you want to turn into daily habits to help fuel your workouts 

The FitRadio app The Australian app Streaks is a virtual to-do list of sorts, allowing you to choose up to 12 tasks that you want to turn into daily habits to help fuel your workouts 

Nothing fuels a great workout like great music, and FitRadio is designed to making it as easy to find as possible.

The app features thousands of ready-made mixes, more than any other workout music app, from DJs that have been handpicked.

FitRadio allows you to pick playlists based on both genres and workouts, so you can find what you’re need if you’re in the mood for Hip-Hop or about to try Zumba. 

And, unlike popular music apps like Pandora or Spotify, FitRadio pays attention to transitions and how songs relate to each other to keep your playlist – and workout – as smooth as possible.

Everything from walking the dog to a 5K run can help you earn money for charities, donated by corporate sponsors, thanks to the app Charity Miles 

Everything from walking the dog to a 5K run can help you earn money for charities, donated by corporate sponsors, thanks to the app Charity Miles 

What if you could do some good for the world, while being good to your body?

So is the purpose of Charity Miles, an app designed for the type of person who ‘likes to make a difference’.

Everything from walking the dog to a 5K run can help you earn money for charities, with the funds donated by corporate sponsors.

All you have to do is pick which charity you’d like to support, and off you go. The free app has already raised a whopping $2.5million for charity.

The free Pact app asks you to make a pact to yourself each week. If you break your pact, it gives the money you pledged to pay to other members who met their goals 

The free Pact app asks you to make a pact to yourself each week. If you break your pact, it gives the money you pledged to pay to other members who met their goals 

There are apps that allow you to earn money for charity, and then there’s Pact – an app that lets you make some extra dough while you lose those kilos.

The free app simply asks that you make a pact to yourself each week to either exercise more or eat healthier.

Pact then keeps it’s tabs on you throughout the week to see if you succeed. If you fail to meet your pact, it gives the money you pledged to pay to other members. 

And if you succeed? You get a reward, generally ranging from 30 cents to $5, from other members. 

The more pacts you make and accomplish, the more money you earn.

The popular FitStar app, designed by former NFL player Tony Gonzalez and now owned by FitBit, delivers persoanlised workout programs right to your phone

The popular FitStar app, designed by former NFL player Tony Gonzalez and now owned by FitBit, delivers persoanlised workout programs right to your phone

The popular FitStar app, designed by former NFL player Tony Gonzalez and now owned by FitBit, delivers personalised workout programs right to your phone.

First the app asks you to do a few workouts and rank whether they were too tough, too easy, or perfect.

It then uses this data as well as your fitness goals to create a challenging workout plan that gets results.

The free option comes with two workout sessions per week, as well as high-definition videos and audio tracks.  

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