The top fitness apps for busy mums

Created by Olympic Heptathlon Champion and mum of two, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Jennis is a health, fitness and confidence-boosting programme. Split into three different sections: fitness, pregnancy and post-natal so you can be sure the advice and workouts are tailored to you, there are plenty of well demonstrated exercises for you to choose from with minimal equipment required.

Why it’s so great for Mums: 'Sessions on my fitness app Jennis are only 20 – 30 mins,' Jess told  Mother&Baby. 'So if your baby is napping or you have a spare half hour, they are easy to squeeze in. I know this is a challenge for a lot of women to find the time, so I designed them deliberately to be short and so they would fit in.’

Join the BBG army in fitness and track your progress with this app. It has everything you need, from affordable weekly meal plans, to tracking your water intake and gradually increasing your exercise, this app is design to specifically help you. With different workout options, you can select what type of workout you want to do, from postpregnancy to yoga. 

Why it’s so great for Mums: The app starts at the basic level for each individual person and gradually increases its intensity as you start to progress. There's a post pregnancy option that can be used even years after giving birth as it slowly adjusts your body back into exercise - and you don't need to go to a gym to do it! The meals are also affordable to make and are appealing to children!
Offers in-app purchases from £18.99 and available on iOS and Android devices.

Compared to other running apps, Nike’s app is very basic and easy to use. It simply starts up, tracks your route through GPS and records your distance, speed and time.Why it’s so great for Mums: The perfect app for the running mum. It’s so simple to use and doesn’t over-complicate what should be the most simple of exercises.
Available on iOS and Android.

Myfitnesspal, a simple, free and easy to-use calorie counter, recognises thousands of foods and drinks enabling you to keep on top of your calorie intake.Why it’s so great for Mums: From your favoured Starbucks brew to a slice of classic chocolate cake, this app will mean you can track nearly every bit of food you eat if you’re watching your weight.
Available on Android, Blackberry, iOS and Windows Phone.

Start your month free trial with Sworkit to see if this app is right for you. This app takes the thinking out of your workouts by creating a personilsed workout for you, based on what you want to achieve. 

Why it’s so great for Mums: Do you only have 15 minutes to do a workout? Sworkit will create you a workout that will fit a time frame for you! Simply select how long you want your workout to be and the app will do the rest - minus the actual working out, that's on you! It definitely puts the fun back into workouts where you can do them in the comfort of your own home.
Available on iOS and Android.

If cardio isn't your cup of tea, what about giving Yoga a try? With Pocket Yoga you can recreate the experience of being in a studio and an soothing voice will tell you exactly what to do, even directing you when to exhale and inhale. Learn the poses with the pose dictionary which contains detailed explanations of the correct posture, alignment, and benefits before picking from 27 different sessions which vary in duration and difficulty.

Why it’s so great for Mums: 
Being a mum can be seriously stressful and yoga is an opportunity to take some much needed me-time, however short that may be. Not only will it help you relax by decreasing your blood pressure and heart rate but it can help you sleep better and deeper too.

If you want to strengthen your abdominal muscles or lose weight, this app gives you the best results. While you'll not see progress over night, you can do a minimum of 7-minutes exercise so over time you'll notice a big difference without feeling you spent hours working out! With detailed exercise descriptions and accompanying images, the best part of 7-Minute Workouts is that it’s simple to use.

Why it’s so great for Mums: Being a mum means very little time for anything, so squeezing in a 7 minute workout is perfect for mums who want to get fit but just don't have enough time to head to the gym! 
Offers in-app purchases, available on Windows phone.

This interval training app is based on the wildly intense, but very popular, four-minute Tabata method of training. Pre-loaded with workout routines, this app is effective, easy-to-follow and tracks your time to help you feel the burn.

Why it’s so great for Mums: Can’t even find 10 minutes of free time a day? At 240 seconds, this has got to be the quickest and easiest way to stay fit — and it can be carried out at any point in the day.
Available on iOS

This is one for the walkies. Argus tracks everything, 24/7. It monitors every step, stride, bite, sip and more. The app monitors your daily routine producing detailed charts enabling you to set realistic health goals.

Why it’s so great for Mums: As a health diary, Argus will allow you to assess all the different aspects of your life. In highlighting important trends in your health habits, such as sleep patterns, Argus will allow you to identity those parts of your life where your kids aren’t having the best influence…
Offers in-app purchases, available on iOS and Android.

This is a great app for those wanting to focus on losing weight but feel like they don’t have enough time to do so. The app lets you set goals and then fits you with a realist and healthy daily calorie budget.

Why it’s so great for Mums: It’s easy to use and you can easily stay on track each day by recording food consumed and any exercise you do. It’s a must for those mums seeking to lose their baby weight.
Also available on Kindle, Android and iOS.

This flexible program lets you choose how long you want to train for, counting down each run to music of your choice. It'll keep you motivated with voices from the likes of comedians Sarah Millican and Sanjeev Kohli, BBC presenter Jo Whiley and more.
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Why it’s so great for Mums: You're probably not planning on running a marathon anytime soon, but this app is a great way to get some exercise in, building you up to be able to run 5k. It'll help you keep up your fitness, lose a bit of weight and help you get the energy to keep up with your little one when they start running around!

This personal trainer app offers simple exercises, over 1,300 motion images and step-by-step commands to deliver a whole body workout. You can specify particular group muscles to target and set up a routine to your preference.
Why it’s so great for Mums: Only got an exercise ball? Not to worry. This app offers an inventory of equipment to customise appropriate routines according to what you’ve got in the house.
Available on iOS.