For numerous people, launching New Year’s resolutions frequently involves installing an app. Fitness trackers and habit-forming tools have become the preferred method for designating January as a new beginning, especially in the health and wellness industry.

Nevertheless, resolutions, even with subtle reminders, carry lofty expectations.

As TikTok user @notwildlin articulated in a video with over 210,000 views, while the New Year is regarded as a “chance for renewal,” an “opportunity,” even a “portal,” there eventually comes a time when this perspective becomes self-reflective. “At some point, you have to stop being the first person to abandon yourself,” he remarks.

“You can’t keep discarding it all and rebuilding from the ground up,” he adds in the video. “You are not a Phoenix; you are a human. And the foundation you established for yourself is not so trivial that you should be so eager and willing to undermine it and start anew. You’ve accomplished enough! You’ve achieved a lot!”

This conflict is particularly noticeable with fitness and wellness resolutions, which often emphasize appearance over health—ideals long shaped by white-supremacist beauty norms.

Nevertheless, if you are stepping into the New Year with optimism and a desire to feel better, there’s an app tailored to assist with that.

Strava

Strava is exceptionally favored for valid reasons. Blending social media with fitness tracking, Strava excels at monitoring workouts while keeping in touch with friends. With a premium subscription, you can assess your workout progress over time.

Strava is perfect for those with cardio-related aspirations, such as training for a 5K, cycling to work weekly, or hiking 500 miles. It also tracks various workouts like weightlifting or rock climbing, but its mapping and mileage tracking features are second to none.

Productive

This habit tracker comes highly recommended within the self-improvement community. You can monitor nearly any goal, from consuming a certain number of glasses of water daily to walking 10,000 steps. Observing your progress over time is both enjoyable and rewarding, particularly by March when you’ve fully committed.

Hevy

There are numerous apps available for tracking weightlifting advancements, including Hevy, Fitbod, and Boostcamp. Hevy provides a comprehensive overview of your yearly progress, encompassing the total lifts, personal records achieved, and overall repetitions completed. One user commends its “great watch integration,” although the free version is typically adequate. Depending on your specific workout requirements, you might contemplate upgrading.

Apple Fitness

For a fitness app that monitors and delivers workouts, Apple Fitness is ideal, particularly if you utilize Apple devices. If not, the Peloton app is another excellent choice with outstanding workouts.

Calm

For fitness targets associated with mental wellness, apps like Calm and Headspace are ideal. If your aim is to integrate more meditation into the new year, consider trying Calm.