The top 10 health and fitness apps

Smartphones are more than gadgets for keeping you connected and entertained - they can also help make you healthier, fitter and happier.

This guide to the 10 best health and fitness apps reveals how your iPhone 4 or Android smartphone could help you lose weight, sleep more soundly, monitor your calorie intake and even give up smoking.

NHS Quit Smoking app

This app aims to “help you successfully stop smoking” by providing daily support and motivational messages during those crucial first 30 cigarette-free days.

The app also keeps track of how much you’re saving by not buying your usual 20 Marlboros, counts down the number of days you’ve been smoke-free and provides tips for staying off the cigs forever.

Available on: The iPhone

Cost: Free.

British Military Fitness app

Get fit military style by putting a virtual instructor on your smartphone who will help keep you motivated to exercise by creating personalised workout routines.

The app also lets you synchronise your workouts with friends and offers video demonstrations of all the exercises involved.

Available on: The iPhone

Cost: £2.99

St John Ambulance First Aid app

This app includes the latest first aid advice for dealing with emergency situations, offering illustrated guides and spoken instructions.

Simply select the type of emergency faced, such as fainting, and the app will bring up information about the right medial measure to take, such as CPR, and how to apply it to the victim.

Available on: The iPhone

Cost: £2.39

Nike+ GPS app

This app is ideal for runners and joggers because it talks to your smartphone’s GPS sensor to help plot your route and progress on a map in real-time.

It also plays “mid-run cheers” to help keep you motivated and lets friends comment on your various runs - great if you’ve just completed a 20 mile marathon.

Available on: The iPhone

Cost: £1.19

Pocket Yoga app

Put a yoga instructor in your pocket wherever you go with the Pocket Yoga app, designed specifically to help you perfect positions including the Tree and Cobra.

Each position is supported by detailed pictures and spoken instructions that help you work through the yoga routine at your own pace. The app can also be displayed on your TV (if your smartphone has an HDMI port) so that you can see each potion more easily.

Available on: The iPhone and Android

Cost: £1.79/£1.84

Bupa Fitness app

The Bupa Fitness app aims to improve your flexibility, balance, core stability and strength through a personalised four-week workout routine.

Each workout takes you through a warm-up, four exercises and a cool down, after which your fitness success will be logged by the app to help keep you motivated.

Available on: The iPhone.

Cost: Free.

iFitness app

Achieve your goal of getting and staying fit by working through over 100 exercises, videos and routines available on the iFitness app.

Instructive videos show you how to perform each routine correctly and a weight tracker gives you the confidence that all those rigorous gym sessions are actually having some benefit.

Available on: Android

Cost: £1.23M

Calorie Counter Fat Secret app

Sweating it out in the gym’s no good if you’re still putting the wrong foods in. So this app helps you quickly and easily discover calorie counts and nutritional information about the foods you eat.

Information for a range of foods is available, including everything from popular food brands to restaurant chains. The app also tracks what you’ve eaten, totting up your entire daily intake and measuring it against the ideal.

Available on: Android.

Cost: Free.

Baby ESP app

Keep track of your baby’s health and fitness with this app, which claims to make it simple to know exactly what your baby needs and when.

The app helps you track the baby’s:

• Meal times
• Feeding times
• Medicine times
• Bath times

Advanced features also make it possible to post information for other mums onto Facebook and to chart your baby’s changes over time.

Available on: Android.

Cost: £2.46

White Noise app

Sleep is an essential, but often forgotten, part of health and fitness, so the White Noise app offers 40 ambient sounds to help you relax and doze off.

The app’s sound bank includes ocean waves, light rain, showers and thunder storms. The app can even be set to switch itself off after you’re sound asleep.

Available on: Android and the iPhone

Cost: £1.23/£1.19

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