VIVE LA RESOLUTION
Commitments for 2020 broken already, or need some help sticking to them? These brilliant apps can help you reach your goals
OK, SO I admit it – while day one was OK (yoga was done, no drinking took place, and I read a whole two pages of my book), day two was a disaster. Back at work, there was no time for yoga or reading… and one little drink couldn’t hurt could it?
Bang went the New Year resolutions for another year.
Even so, we can all resolve to do a little better in 2020, and just because we got off to a false start, doesn’t mean we can’t try again, does it?
Get a little extra help with these great apps to sort out your fitness, diet, mindfulness, finances, and alcohol consumption. And have a happier New Year!
EXERCISE
STEPSAPP PEDOMETER
(iOS and Android, free with in-app purchases)
■ They say: 2+ Million users already enjoy StepsApp. StepsApp turns your phone into a simple and beautiful step counter.
Just put your phone in your pocket and off you go! StepsApp includes: Automatic step counting; Today widget; stunning charts and animations; Google Fit integration; Apple Health integration; no extra hardware required
■ We say: There are plenty of complicated workout apps on the app stores these days, but maybe, just maybe, not all of us actually want to look like Chris Hemsworth.
There are plenty of demonstrable benefits to just getting out of the gaff and going for a walk.
Setting a simple steps target, monitored by a good-looking app like this, is a foolproof way of getting started.
DIET
WW (iOS and Android, free with in-app purchases) ■ They say: WW is ranked the #1 doctorrecommended weight-loss programme, and for the ninth year in a row, WW has been named “#1 Best Diet for Weight Loss” by U.S. News & World Report.
Download the WW (Weight Watchers) app today to get access to food & fitness trackers, thousands of delicious recipes, expert sciencebacked techniques to help you lose weight, and all the support you need to reach your goals.
■ We say: Maybe Weight Watchers didn’t sound cool enough, I don’t know… but the newly rebranded WW programme remains one of the most effective ways to lose weight and feel better.
And this app is that programme in your pocket (save the shaming public weigh-in, obviously). Anyway, there are lots of recipes within, simple progress tracking, and the calorie counting is all done for you… there’s even an in-app barcode scanner.
MINDFULNESS
CALM (iOS and Android, free with in-app purchases) ■ They say: Calm is the #1 app for Sleep, Meditation and Relaxation.
Join the millions experiencing better sleep, lower stress, and less anxiety with our guided meditations, Sleep Stories, breathing programs, stretching exercises, and relaxing music.
Calm is recommended by top psychologists, therapists, and mental health experts.
■ We say: Even a fool like me can be in no doubt of meditation’s ability to counter the mental stresses of modern life, and just a little each day can make a big difference to your mental wellbeing.
Calm is one of the top services out there for guided meditation and help with sleeping, and its millions of users can’t be wrong.
MONEY
PENNIES (iOS, £3.99 with in-app purchases)
■ They say: Keep track of your spending and save money with Pennies, the award-winning budgeting app for iPhone, iPad and Watch.
Winner of Apple’s ‘Editors Choice’ award and thousands of five-star reviews worldwide, Pennies is THE budgeting app for everyday people.
■ We say: You know how you spent too much in December while promising to cut back in January?
This app will help out. It’s a clear and simple no-nonsense budget tracker – you tell it what you’ve got, what you want to save, what you want to spend (and what you do), and it will present the cold hard facts of the matter to you without pulling punches to help you stay within your means (and pay back all that money you didn’t have but spent last month…)
ALCOHOL
ONE YOU DRINK FREE DAYS (iOS and Android, free)
■ They say: Make a pledge to take a few days off and you’re more likely to follow it through and reach your goals.
Drink Free Days is for people who like a drink but want some support in tracking and cutting down on the booze.
Understand more about your current drinking and risk levels as it’s common for people to underestimate how much they drink.
Health guidelines recommend we all take at least three days off drinking a week, so simply pledge and nominate a specific number of drink free days each week and get practical, daily support to help you stick to it and be more successful in reaching your goals.
■ We say: The jury’s out on the long-term health benefits of Dry January – of course, drinking less is always better for you, but going without for a month is pointless if you’re going to down a bottle of wine every day for the rest of the year.
Much better to make sure you have a few days off each and every one of the 52 weeks till you make your next set of New Year resolutions.
This app, from Public Health England, can help with that – and offer support and guidance along the way...