It’s never been easier to use technology to help set new fitness goals.

Thanks to innovations ranging from meal-planning apps to fitness trackers, we now have unprecedented access to tools that help monitor our progress and improvement. Here’s how to leverage technology to achieve your objectives, whether that means increasing activity, losing weight or improving your mental and emotional health.

Trackers and smart watches

The tools you’ll see in action most often are wearable devices like smart watches and fitness trackers. They provide a range of monitoring capabilities, as well as key tracking metrics such as steps taken, heart rate, calories burned and sleep patterns. Advanced models even measure stress, oxygen levels and other vital indicators.

You can establish daily targets, such as burning a specific number of calories or walking 10,000 steps. Many of these devices also offer reminders for inactivity that serve as encouragement to stay engaged. Data collected will shed new light on your overall health and habits while empowering you to make better health decisions.

Nutrition and meal planning

A balanced diet is fundamental to achieving any health goal, whether it involves bulking up, weight loss or overall well-being. Nutrition and meal-planning applications like MyFitnessPal, Noom or Lose It! allow users to log meals, track macronutrient distribution and monitor calorie intake. Many of these platforms provide personalized meal plans and grocery lists tailored to individual dietary preferences.

Some apps provide real-time feedback to promote better food choices and adherence to nutritional plans. Some even enable users to search extensive databases or scan barcodes for precise food information, which helps simplify the task of tracking dietary intake. Try integrating these technological resources into your routine. You’ll set a new path toward health.

Mental and emotional health

Need help managing anxiety, stress or other mental health challenges? Options like Headspace, Calm and Talkspace provide therapy sessions, guided meditation and mindfulness resources. Many fitness and wellness apps feature integrated communities and goal-setting functionalities, which allow users to connect with others who share similar challenges and goals. For instance, Strava enables users to track their workouts while encouraging interaction with others to promote healthy competition and a sense of community.