An appt start to 2013

NEW year or not, a health overhaul is not easy. Yet, as with many things in life, technology has made the slog easier. Thanks to smartphone apps, support is just a tap away. For people who are time poor and living life at breakneck speed (that’ll be most of us), turning your smartphone into your personal trainer, nutritionist, or life coach seems common sense. 

The cyberworld is replete with every conceivable type of app. Cutting the proverbial wheat from the chaff requires a mind-boggling trawl, so we asked health experts to nominate the apps they cannot live without. Then, to kick-start our own well-being programme, we put each app through its paces:

RESOLUTION: Achieve your personal goals

The expert: Life coach Judymay Murphy, www.judymay.tv,

Expert pick: www.43things.com 

“I love this, because you can be constantly reminded to take your small pieces of action on each goal. You stay focused and can build the kind of momentum that isn’t possible when you only check in.

If you have a goal to pay off credit-card debt, getting a reminder at 5pm on a late shopping night, or 9am Saturday morning, can make the difference between paying down that debt or building up that unwearable shoe collection.”

Road test: I’m a big fan of lists, so seeing your goals in black-and-white certainly helps to make them more real. The app charts your progress, encourages you to write an entry for each goal, and takes a picture to help with ‘visualising’ your goal.

In one instance, my goal was ‘write a script’. The app helped me break this down to smaller, manageable goals (‘write five pages before tomorrow’). Once you have managed each hurdle, you get to tick off your goal and — cue serious gratification — move it into the list of tasks you ‘have done’.

Once you get used to the site, you can ‘cheer’ other users on and, crucially, get others to cheer on your own efforts. It won’t quite achieve the goal for you, but it’s a big help.

Available: For iPhone and Android

Cost: Free

RESOLUTION: Step up your exercise regime

The expert: Personal trainer Karl Henry, www.karlhenry.ie Expert pick: Fitday.com. “I recommend FitDay to all my clients to help them lose weight and track their eating habits.

“It is the best way to keep yourself accountable, and motivated, when you are actively going in there, daily, to log in your workouts and nutrition.”

Road test: On starting my account, I was forced to input my weight and activity level (quite the wake-up call).

When inputting foods, there is an American bias, meaning that Irish users might not end up with quite an accurate tally of their calorie intake (Tayto crisps, for instance, were mysteriously missing from the list of foods).

The activity side of the app is far more interesting, and went some way towards encouraging me to do some exercise (in a bid to bring the ‘calories burned’ number up).

Alas, the app hammers home just how much exercise is needed to burn calories — 15 minutes of stair-climbing burns just 125 calories. Depressing stuff. The app, however, gets two thumbs up from me.

Available for: iPhone

Cost: Free

RESOLUTION: Give up smoking

The expert: Ash Ireland, www.ash.ie

Expert pick: The iCoach, found at www.stopsmokingcoach.eu. “Any device, or mechanism, which can help young people or adults to quit is of value. We particularly recommend the app produced recently by the Irish Cancer Society, as it encourages, and advises, young people on quitting,” says an ASH spokesperson.

Road test: As a non-smoker, I had a friend, who is anxious to quit, road-test the app.

After a round of questions (example: ‘How long after you get up do you have your first cigarette of the day?’), the app provides a dashboard of tips, tricks and devices, from an advice panel to a number of fact sheets about quitting smoking.

There is even a panic button for when your cravings hit fever pitch (warnings such as ‘Are you worried about your sex appeal?’ pop up when deployed).

My friend’s favourite feature was the savings calculator, which showed that he could save €5,000 a year if he refrained from smoking.

Alas, he is still on the cigarettes: proof positive that an app can only do so much.

Available for: iPhone, Android

Cost: Free

RESOLUTION: Get walking

The expert: Dr Bernadette Carr, medical director at VHI, www.vhi.ie

Expert pick: EveryTrail (www.everytrail.com). “When it comes to looking after our health, I always recommend that people visit their GP for the best medical advice as opposed to downloading information from a virtual source. such as a smartphone app.

However, I’m a great fan of walking and this app is one of my favourites.

There are many health benefits that can be gained from regular exercise. Walking is very social, great for keeping fit, lifting your mood, and de-stressing. It’s also a lifelong activity. This app is definitely worth checking out.”

Road test: Walking can be monotonous, but this app endeavours to brighten up your nearest walking trails. Highlighting potential activities like photography and sightseeing, the EveryTrail app offers points of interest, tips on how to start, and a facility that helps you save your trips to memory.

While ideal for walking enthusiasts, the app isn’t likely to ignite a love of trails if you’re more of a couch potato.

Available for: Android, iPhone

Cost: Free

RESOLUTION: Lose weight

The expert: Fiona Gratzer, of Unislim Ireland, www.unislim.ie

Expert pick: Unislim. “It has a free eating plan, 5k walking

tracker, a food tracker, and lots of Unislim tools to help members stay motivated. I use it to keep on top of my daily yums (our treats).”

Road test: For anyone serious about losing weight, this app has it all: motivational stories to keep your goals in sight, a feature that saves pics of your weekly progress, and a shopping list that should help shift pounds.

The app also offers novice walkers a programme to take them from zero to 5k within eight weeks.

Experts also note that people who keep food diaries will enjoy more success with their slimming — with the protein/fat/carb/fruit intake broken down, this is a nifty way of curbing your carb enthusiasm.

In all, it’s a handy app if, like me, you find the prospect of losing weight either a chore or daunting.

Available for: iPhone and Android

Cost: Free

RESOLUTION: Drink less alcohol

The expert: Fionnuala Sheehan, chairperson, MEAS, www.meas.ie

Expert pick: MyDrinkAware (available on mobile via MyDrinkAware.co.uk). “The unit-measure size and weekly guidelines are slightly different in Britain, but the app is still useful in terms of calorie intake and general drinking patterns.”

Road test: This app does not pull its punches. After a night out, I did a quick inventory of units consumed. Five glasses of wine equalled 12 units, just two shy of the recommended 14 a week for women.

In my naive state, I had assumed that I took in just five units.

Many people are unlikely to take an honest tally of their drinking on a night out, but when the numbers start to add up, the app certainly provides plenty of food for thought. Worse again, the app gently reminded me that I had managed to consume 842 calories to boot. Sobering stuff, indeed.

Available for: iPhone and Android, via mobile web browser

Cost: Free