Getting fit requires willpower, determination and planning — but that doesn’t mean that you can’t help the process along with the right gadgets and apps. Here are five recent contenders to consider.
Exercise picture from Shutterstock
Jawbone UP24
The UP24’s big improvement on the original (and well-liked) Jawbone UP fitness band is the use of Bluetooth to automatically upload data to your phone, rather than requiring you to hook up via a cable. While that means slightly less battery life, the convenience of auto-uploading and an updated app for iOS and Android make this a compelling fitness tracker.
RunKeeper
RunKeeper has long been one of our favourite fitness tracking apps, in part because it is continually updated and improved. The latest version ups the ante considerably with built-in training plans from professional coaches to help you maximise your performance. It’s available for both Android and iOS.
Lumo Lift
Suspect that your posture could be better? The Lumo Lift is an ingenious dongle that clips to your clothing and tracks your position while sitting or standing. If you start slouching, it buzzes you to alter you to the need to stand (or sit) up straight.
Nudge
There are lots of apps for tracking your activities and diet. What we like about Nudge is that it keeps everything in one place, so you don’t have to dive into multiple apps. It’s available for iOS and Android.
Samsung Gear Fit
Samsung’s Gear Fit isn’t solely a fitness tracker: it doubles as a smart watch, so you can keep track of email and social media as well. While it only works with Samsung Galaxy phones, that makes it a solid choice for lots of phone owners.