It’s a new year, a fresh start, and with that many of us vow to improve something about ourselves.
Perhaps this is the year you finally lose the spare tire, kick the smoking habit, or cut down on alcohol consumption.
Or maybe it’s time to better manage your finances, stress, or work-life balance?
Regardless of what your New Year’s resolution is, as the expression goes, there’s an app for that. A healthier lifestyle could mean a clearer head at home and work, more energy, and increased happiness.
And so, the following are a few recommended – and free – health-related downloads for your smartphone or tablet (iOS and Android). Some of these include an optional “pro” (paid) option for more advanced features or extra content.
LOSE WEIGHT
Log your food intake and exercise, wherever life takes you, so you can keep track of your fitness goals. This is the idea behind the free MyFitnessPal. More than 14 million foods and restaurant dishes are in the database – and you can scan the barcode of millions of packages to automatically log the info – therefore you can expect an accurate look at your caloric intake for each meal.
The company says your info is securely synchronized with the web version, too, should you want to log in on a computer.
A similar free app is Lose It!. Use your fingertip to set a goal – such as a modest goal of losing five pounds in one month – and then the program will calculate what should be your caloric intake each day. Tap in what you’ve been eating (by food, such as “one medium apple,” or even by brand, like one bowl of “Kraft Macaroni and Cheese”) and it will calculate the calories for you (and even fat, sodium, and so on, if you like).
Exercise is also factored into your daily routine. Your info can be also synched to the LoseIt.com website.
GET FIT
MapMyFitness lets you easily calculate the impact of your physical activity – whether it’s a walk, jog, runs, hike, bike rides or rock-climbing excursion.
Heck, even vacuuming can be tracked.
Your workout is analyzed – including your time, pace, and estimated calories burned – so you can see you progress and stay motivated. The app can also connect you with other users in your area to join a group. If you like, you can even share your fitness goals and results with your social network. Devices, like activity trackers, smart watches and heart rate monitors, are also supported.
For some fun fused with your fitness, the free Zombies, Run! lets you hear a terrifying tale in your headphones about a zombie-infested future, and you’ll need to run faster to get away from the flesh-eating undead as they get closer. You’ll automatically collect supplies to build up your base, such as ammo and medicine for other human survivors.
Part of the larger ZRX app, Zombies, Run! features include more than 100 missions, a “Zombie Chase” interval training mode, the ability to run with your own music and optional synchronization with a password-protected website to track your progress on a map.
QUIT SMOKING
Overcoming an addiction, like nicotine, can be extremely difficult. But tech may be able to help.
The free Smoke Free app might be able to help motivate you to reach your goal in 2025.
The app creates a personalized plan to help you quit smoking, and you can choose whether you want to go cold turkey or wean off the nicotine. It’s up to you to keep track of the cigarettes you smoke, but you’ll see progress rings that keep track of your smoke-free streaks, money saved, unlock goal-based achievements as extra motivation, and access to a robust community for additional support, filled with likeminded people.
Over 40 different techniques will help you become (and stay) smoke free. Get tips on dealing with cravings, add notes to see what patterns can be identified, and use the graph to see how temptations are diminishing.
DRINK LESS
Ideal for quitting drinking – but also smoking, vaping, eating junk food or gambling – Quitzilla: Quit Tracker lets you track actions you want to curb and help work towards you beating them.
If you quit “cold turkey,” add the exact day of the occasion and read daily facts and stats about it, along with a running tally of the money saved, which you can put towards a healthy reward for yourself.
Quitzilla also features a motivation tab in which you can add your own reasons to quit – and let them serve as motivation for when you feel a temptation. The app also displays a “Quote of the Day” from various famous authors.
For Android, there’s also Sobriety Counter, which lets you view the number of days you’ve spent without a drink. This could serve as a powerful motivating tool, along with how much money you’re saving through sobriety.
The app also includes a journal to help you record your progress and experiences, plus there’s a distracting memory game, nearly 30 themes to personalize the look of the app (along with optional home screen widgets), and 64 badges that virtually reward you for not drinking.
– Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and the author of the book, Apple Vision Pro For Dummies (Wiley)