Four of the best health and fitness apps for travelers in 2020
Traveling can throw you off your routine in many ways, especially when it comes to maintaining your diet and workout habits. You might be staying in a hotel with a fancy gym, but it’s easy to pass up when you are out of town.
Lounging poolside is often more tempting. Not to mention the draws of checking out that taco truck all the locals rave about or the chef-driven restaurant that is hailed as a “must-see” during your trip. These distractions can easily throw you off your game and have you playing catch up when you return home.
But, as they say, there’s an app for that. We’ve found a handful of tools that can help you keep healthy habits when you’re away from your comfort zone, without taking all the fun out of traveling.
Freeletics
There’s a ton of workout apps out there, from 7 Minute Workout to Sworkit, but we love the versatility and customization of Freeletics. There are several components to the Freeletics system — Training Coach, Gym, Nutrition and Running –- but we love the Freeletics Training Coach – Bodyweight & Mindset app for traveling. You can choose customized workouts based on your goals, level or targeted muscle groups. The app offers tailored workout routines using your own body weight, no equipment required.
Many workouts are suitable for limited spaces, so you can head to the local park if you want or just get in your workout right in the hotel room. Choose a custom training journey to set specific goals within a timeframe. The AI coaching learns from your feedback to make workouts even more effective for your personal style and strengths.
It’s also definitely worth checking out the other apps in the system if you are looking for guidance in the gym, wanting to focus on clean eating or if you’re looking to improve as a runner.
https://www.freeletics.com/
ClassPass
If you find yourself missing favorite group fitness classes when you’re out of town, there’s an app for that, too. Connected to a global network of more than 30,000 gyms and fitness studios, ClassPass lets you search for fitness classes based on your location and the membership gives you credits to use at any of the participating locations.
You can receive personalized recommendations for classes, or filter searches for specific offerings based on time, location or activity. One tap in the app books your reservation and you can even invite friends, which is great when you’re visiting a friend’s hometown, or if you made some new friends during your trip. Up to 10 unused credits roll over to the next month if something comes up and you don’t use them, so don’t stress if you don’t spend them all on one trip.
https://classpass.com/
MyFitnessPal
Fitness encompasses more than just exercise; diet is a huge component of maintaining fitness goals. The MyFitnessPal app is a superstar when it comes to logging your food and activity. With an extensive and thorough food database, MyFitnessPal makes it easy to track daily nutrition, even down to the macros.
This is hugely helpful not only for everyday use but also when you are traveling and have a tendency to dine out more than usual. You can log activities and exercise to see where you stand at the end of the day. (That’s perfect if you’re trying to maintain a strict caloric intake or deficit.) It also provides feedback to better help you reach your goals.
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
HappyCow
For vegans and vegetarians, HappyCow is fantastic for finding veggie-centric dining options based on location. Instead of spending time filtering through sites like Yelp or Trip Advisor, you can narrow down the best options nearby and the app provides information like hours, reviews and pricing for each restaurant.
Even if you aren’t vegan or vegetarian, this app can be useful for finding healthy dining options if you are trying to steer clear of fast food or steakhouse temptations. With listings in more than 185 countries, travelers with dietary restrictions will find meal planning a breeze with HappyCow.
https://www.happycow.net/