Skip to main content

The 10 best health apps

Come on, get healthy: Our favorite health apps for the warm weather ahead

Most people make resolutions around the dawn of the New Year, intent on improving their health. Sadly, by the end of January, they’ve typically already fallen back into their old routines. It’s difficult to stay on task and take care of yourself, but it’s one of the most important things you can do. This is as good a month as any to kick-start a newfound initiative to improve your health or get back into your routine if you’ve fallen off the wagon.

With this selection of the best health apps, you can find the support you need to get on track, stay healthy, and become active for a long time to come. Hell, maybe you’ll even be able to keep it up — wouldn’t that be something?

Fitocracy (free)

Fitocracy
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You probably have no problem grinding out a video game to get your character to the next level. What if you could treat your own life like a character in World of Warcraft or any other lauded MMORPG? That’s exactly what Fitocracy does, putting you in a position to improve yourself by completing tasks and earning experience so you can level up in real life. The app offers a host of workout routines and expert advice, along with a robust community of like-minded individuals to keep you motivated.

 

Couch to 5K ($2)

Couch to 5K
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Running is a great workout you can do just about anywhere, so long as there is a bit of ground to run on. The problem is getting motivated to do it. Couch to 5K is a proven method, one that will take you from running exactly zero feet a day to a 5k run in a matter of nine weeks — no experience necessary. The app allows you to track your progress and log your workout routines via four motivation coaches, each of which can feed you audio cues alongside your music to guide you through the tough times ahead.

 

Fooducate (free)

Fooducate
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Simply understanding what goes into your body is a huge part of improving your overall health. After all, if you don’t know the makeup of your food, you likely won’t know how to craft the diet that will best benefit you. Fooducate is a great way to look beyond just the calorie information and get a full understanding of every part of your food. Fooducate lets you track your food intake and scan product barcodes to see a personalized nutrition grade, meaning you’ll know exactly why you should choose the Honeycrisp apple over the Hershey’s.

 

Nudge (free)

Nudge
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s safe to say we could all use a little nudge to stay on track when it comes to healthy living. Fortunately, that’s exactly what Nudge provides by allowing you to connect with and challenge your friends. The app conveniently integrates with all your other health apps — such as those from Garmin and Withings, for instance — to generate an overall score for you based on your last 30 days of activity, which you can then compare with your friends and family while you work to improve your health. The manual logger is a nice touch, too.

 

Fitbit Coach (free/subscription)

Fitbit Coach
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Fitbit Coach is like having a personal trainer on your smartphone. The app uses your goals to deliver custom workout curriculums, programs, and other content, all driven by your body and health data. The app itself is free, but you’ll need to front up a monthly subscription fee of $8 per month or $40 per year. If you’re having trouble creating your own workout routines, we think it’s well worth the cost.

 

HealthyOut (free)

HealthyOut
Image used with permission by copyright holder

One of the biggest challenges that comes with healthy eating is the challenge of eating out. Most restaurants serve meals for pleasure, not for the health benefits. HealthyOut helps you spot the better options on the menu and makes meal modification suggestions, so you won’t fill up on all the bad stuff. It lets you scour your local area for restaurants offering healthy plates, whether you’re looking for a meal that falls within a specific calorie range or one that adheres to your dietary restrictions (vegetarian, Paleo aficionado, gluten-intolerant, etc.).

MyFitnessPal (free)

MyFitnessPal
Image used with permission by copyright holder

We’re told that the average number of calories we should eat in a day is roughly 2,000. That’s a very general goal, however. MyFitnessPal fine tunes your suggested calorie intake to meet your specific fitness goals, accounts for your workouts, and helps you manage your diet to stay on track each day. It also offers a database of more than 5 million foods, connects to most fitness apps, and features a built-in recipe importer that lets you pull and track any recipe from the web. Not even the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook can do that. MyFitnessPal also integrates with Apple’s HealthKit and Google Fit.

 

CarbsControl ($3)

CarbsControl
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Carbs are a prevalent part of many different foods and, frankly can be tough to avoid. Cutting back on them is a great way to improve your overall diet, and in turn, make you feel healthier. CarbsCounter takes care of deciphering how many carbs are in each part of your meal and helps you temper your intake, automatically logging your nutritional details and providing you with a quick means for setting carb goals for every meal. Preset entry categories make recording that “morning coffee with creamer” even easier.

Waterlogged (free)

Waterlogged
Image used with permission by copyright holder

One of the easiest ways to improve your health is the simple act of drinking more water. It’s the healthiest and best beverage for you, and drinking it offers all sorts of benefits that will improve your overall health. The aptly-titled Waterlogged is designed to help you track of the amount of water you gulp down each day, whether you prefer to record your liquid intake using photos or basic metrics. The premium version of the app also lets you view maps and graphs of your recent progress, with an option for setting up extra reminders.

 

ShopWell (free)

Shopwell
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What you put in your body requires more thought that we probably give it. If you don’t want to do that thinking yourself, trust ShopWell to do it on your behalf. Scan the items that you’d normally buy at the grocery store and let ShopWell produce a list of healthy alternatives for you instead. The app incorporates your specific goals — to lower your cholesterol, for instance — while helping you avoid allergens such as gluten and lactose if need be. Sadly, sometimes you don’t want to know the detailed nutritional facts.

 

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
The best Google Pixel 9 Pro XL cases for 2024
A Pixel 9 Pro XL in a case.

Google has revamped its smartphone lineup this year with the introduction of the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. However, don't be misled by the "XL" label; this new, larger smartphone isn't significantly bigger than last year's Pixel 8 Pro. The additional letters instead indicate the arrival of a more compact 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Pro, catering to those who want the power of Google's top model without the bulk.

If you enjoy Google's larger phones, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is likely to be a great fit for you. However, a big phone necessitates a sturdy case — not only because of its size but also for adequate protection. Given the popularity of Google's smartphones, case manufacturers quickly joined the trend, creating various options. Here’s a selection of the best cases that offer a blend of style and protection to suit nearly every Pixel enthusiast.

Read more
Best phone deals: Save on the iPhone, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and more
Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro cameras seen from the back.

There have been several new phones released in the latter half of 2024, which typically means there’s going to be plenty of phone deals on previous generations in addition to what the new releases have to offer. This is certainly the case right now, as there’s plenty of savings available if you’re in the market for iPhone deals, Samsung Galaxy deals, or Google Pixel deals. Here, however, we’re going to look at the best of everything that’s available. If you’d like to shop for specific phone deals you can check out today’s iPhone 15 deals, Samsung Galaxy S24 deals, and Google Pixel 8 deals, but if you don’t have a specific phone in mind just yet read onward for all of the day’s best phone deals.
Nokia C300 — $120 $140 14% off

The Nokia name may trigger nostalgia for the early days of cell phones, but the Nokia C300 is as modern as it gets in an entry-level smartphone. It has an octa-core processor for better performance and multi-tasking, yet still manages to get up to two full days of battery life on a single charge. Its camera system is more on the entry-level end, but it still takes 13-megapixel pictures and has three lenses for different shooting scenarios. This phone comes with a pre-installed, full version of Android 12, allowing you to keep up to date with all the latest features the operating software has to offer.

Read more
The best smartwatches in 2024: our 12 favorites
The Apple Watch Series 8 and Galaxy Watch 5.

The world of smartwatches gets more exciting each year as tech giants like Apple and Samsung compete to create more powerful wearables with leading-edge health features, while new contenders enter the game with their own unique takes on the category. The Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch are both class-leading devices that save lives, keep your health in check, and provide a handy way to stay on top of what's going on in your life.

Of course, a smartwatch is more than a technology device; it's also a fashion statement, and even the most sophisticated smartwatch technology is useless if you don't want to wear it because it's unattractive or unwieldy. That makes the decision on which one to pick a more personal one, and that's why each manufacturer has its own distinctive style.

Read more