I use my iPhone for more than just texting and checking social media, my phone is also a powerful tool to help me achieve my health goals. While I have a folder full of health and fitness apps on my phone, I have a few that are my favorites that I use the most.

Here are my top three favorite health and fitness apps. PLUS a bonus.

Fitbit

I’ve been a loyal Fitbit user since 2011 and I’ve been singing it’s praises since the very beginning. When I put on my first Fitbit there wasn’t even an app for that, you had to visit your computer to check out your data or enter a meal.

The app has a gorgeous interface that puts all the important stuff right where you need it. You even have the ability to move things around so you can see what’s more important to you.

Not only do I wear my Fitbit to track my steps, I also track my water intake, food consumption and weight. With the app I can easily add food or water with just a few taps.

The food database is pretty expansive and I rarely need to enter things myself. When I do, I need to go to my computer but 9 out of 10 times I don’t need to create a new food. In one of the more recent updates to the app they added the ability to scan a barcode to enter your food. The barcodes aren’t always in the database but I have a feeling you’ll be able to start adding things very soon.

Also new to the app is the ability to track your exercise. This is for when you run, walk or hike and uses your phone’s GPS signal to track your workout. I’ve been using this feature on my rehab walks and I really like how it works. You have the ability to play your music right through the app so you don’t need to open your music library or Pandora before you start your workout.

My Aria scale also syncs to the Fitbit app so I have a complete picture each time I open it.

Nike+

This is an essential for every runner.

There is more than meets the eye with this app, not only is it a great tool for tracking your runs, but there is also a Coach section where you can train for different distances. Within each distance, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon or Full Marathon, there are three ability settings from beginner to advanced.

If competition gets you going the Nike+ app has a leaderboard to rank you amongst your running friends. I may or may not go the extra mile if I see I’m close to beating one of my friends. Hey, a little healthy competition never hurt anyone.

Don’t wear Nike running shoes? No problem, the app works off the GPS in your phone so no need to have the chip in your shoe.

WebMD

This app has a lot to offer, from recipes to a health improvement program, there’s a lot packed into this free app.

Healthy Target is the health improvement program and it offers a few simple things you can do each day to be more healthy.

Above you can see my week one daily goals. All I need to do is check each thing off that I accomplish each day. Everyday the app sends me a push notification to encourage me to either keep up the good work or get my act together.

Further down the page it shows my data which is pulled from my Fitbit data for sleep, steps, and weight. After all my data are articles that I might find interesting on my health journey.

The other thing I use the WebMD app for is the Health Tools where I can look into a drug my doctor has prescribed, research a condition or procedure, check out any symptoms I may be feeling or get important first aid information.

Like I said, there’s a lot packed into this free app.

Apple Health

I’m really excited to see what is to come with the new Apple Health. I like the idea of pulling data from multiple sources and having it available in one convenient location.

Right now the best part of the new Apple Health is the Medical ID. I know someone who collapsed and had a heart attack while refereeing a soccer game. They grabbed his iPhone to call his wife but it was password protected, they couldn’t get in and his family was delayed in being notified of his medical emergency.

The new Medical ID is accessible from the lock screen in case of an emergency.

Rumor on the street is that Fitbit will not be integrating and I really think that’s a missed opportunity on their part. If you wear other fitness trackers you may be in luck since many of the others have integrated.

To see what apps are currently Apple Health compatable you can find a listing under the featured tab in your App Store, they were kind enough to put them all in one place.

What are your favorite health and fitness app?

My Top 5 iPhone Apps

I’ll admit, when the iPhone first came out I thought it was the stupidest thing in the world. I laughed at my husband for wanting one and said I’d never get one. I was happy with my little iPod Touch and flip phone.

Fast forward to today where I’ve owned every iPhone to come out since the 3G (that’s four different phones in about as many years). It was hard for me to narrow things down to five when I have over one hundred and thirty actually on my phone.

Here in no particular order…

Pandora

Pandora has become a favorite of mine especially in the car. I had XM radio for a while but got sick of hearing the same songs over and over. Solution? Ditch the XM, save myself a few bucks a month and listen to what I like.

Whether I’m in a Dave Matthews mood or a Florence and the Machine mood I can play a station that makes me happy and I rarely hear the same song twice.

Grocery IQ

This is the perfect app for me! It took a little while to get it set up with my favorite store but now it’s absolutely priceless. I’ve always been a grocery list maker, I blame it on my mother who is also a grocery list maker. I don’t want to forget anything I need and it helps me keep my impulse buys down since I try to only buy what’s on my list. Grocery IQ lets me make my list quickly and then it organizes it in the order I shop my store. As I do my shopping I simply check off each item and nothing is forgotten.

The other thing I LOVE about Grocery IQ is that you can print coupons from it or (if your store participates) you can add coupons right to your saving club card.

Who Is Hot

Knowing if a storm is headed our way is important and I use Who Is Hot to keep track of the weather. You can also see what the weather is like where any of your friends are, but I just use it for me.

It uses the location service to show you exactly what’s coming your way on the (animated) radar. Who Is Hot also gives you current weather conditions, forecasts and warnings. Where ever I travel, this app keeps me up to date with the weather so I never get caught off guard when a storm hits.

Fitbit

I’ve been wearing a Fitbit for over a year now and I love it just as much today as the day I bought it.

Using the Fitbit has helped me keep tabs of how active I am, what I eat, drink, and motivates me to step it up when I need to. It’s a great tool for anyone trying to lose weight and anyone trying to lead a more healthy lifestyle.

The Fitbit app helps me monitor my day when I’m not around my computer. I can enter my meals and water on the fly. Should I actually get out to the gym for some exercise I can enter my workout right on the app so I don’t forget. The Fitbit and it’s app have helped me take my quest for a healthier lifestyle to the next level.

Bank of America

I realize that not everyone is going to bank at Bank of America and if you don’t you should still check to see if your bank has a similar app.

I chose this app as one of my top five favorites because of all of the convenient features. When I travel I can easily find banking centers and/or ATM’s so I can save on fees while I’m away. Also to help me avoid fees the apps will send a notification to my home screen if an account balance gets a little low, or when our direct deposits are deposited.

With the Bank of America app I can also find deals in my area that will help save me some money and all I have to do is shop at the stores listed and I’ll be credited for the deals.

But my favorite feature in this app is the deposit feature. I can simply take a photo of my check right in the app, enter some other info and the check is automatically deposited into my account. Even that saves me money when I don’t have to drive the twenty minutes to my bank.

These are all amazing apps that help me be more productive and the best part…they’re all FREE.

So there are some of my favorite apps, what are yours?