Forget the 12 days of Christmas. This new year I’m bringing you 12 exciting Apps that will help you get 2018 off to a great start. If like me you’re already struggling to keep to your resolutions, these Apps may help you stay on track and even introduce new ways for you to change your life this year. They are all available to download for both Apple and Android users. Oh, and did I mention they’re all FREE?

1. 8fit – workouts and meal planner

Losing weight and being healthier are among the most popular New Year’s resolutions, and are also among the hardest to stick to. If you need a boost committing helping hand to commit to your new healthy lifestyle, 8fit offers 10 to 20 minute daily exercise routines tailored to your personal weight and body goals. 8fit offers a range of workouts, from yoga to full body exercises and allows you to log any additional exercise you do, estimating how many calories it has helped you burn.

If you really like the free version of the App, you can purchase a Pro membership for just £3.75/year. A Pro membership comes with additional benefits, such as personal meal plans that allow you to enjoy healthy and delicious meals day in and day out, but the free version is more than sufficient to help you to keep exercising in 2018.

2. Peak – Brain Training

For those of you who would prefer to give your brain a workout, Peak will challenge your memory, coordination and problem-solving skills with fun, interactive puzzles to solve every day. The app is developed by neuroscience experts and tracks your progress, allowing you to unlock new achievements each time you improve. If you are really looking to push yourself this year, Peak allows you to sharpen your brain and test yourself in an exciting and thoroughly entertaining way.

3. Yummly Recipes and Recipe Box

Learn how to cook like a pro with this easy-as-pie recipe app. From grilled cheese sandwiches to pulled-pork enchiladas, Yummly combines recipes from top food blogging websites, complete with a breakdown of the nutritional values of each meal. The app allows you to filter recipes by cooking time for when you’re in a rush, and many recipes come with video tutorials to make the experience as easy as possible. It even comes with its own store that tells you where you can buy new cooking essentials such as slow cookers and bread-makers. So, if you’re a total beginner in the kitchen, or if you’re a veteran who wants to spice up your menu options, Yummly is the perfect place to start.







4. Yousician

Yousician helps you learn piano, guitar, bass and ukulele with audio tutorials and step-by-step instructions. The app listens to you play and gives you feedback on how to improve. If you can’t read musical notation, the app will show you which part of your instrument to play and for how long. You can learn a wide range of songs and compete with other players as well. Mastering an instrument takes time, but this app allows you to improve with each performance. A Premium membership will unlock unlimited lesson time for £8.33 per month.

5. 21 Buttons – Social Fashion

Black is the new back. Or was it orange? Pink? It’s so hard to keep up with trends these days so if you want to learn how to stay stylish, check out this handy shopping network. If you’ve ever wondered where that girl sitting next to you on the tube got her jacket from, this app may help. ‘Buttoners’ upload pictures of them modelling their favourite clothing items and tag exactly where you can go get one for yourself. Browse through different styles and trends and save the ones you love to your wish list. Most of the app’s users are female, but there are also plenty of guys who have shared their looks on the app as well so make sure you get involved.

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6. Detour – Immersive Audio Tours

Learn more about the world around you with Detour. Available in 18 cities across the globe, this app shows you the world in a way you have never seen it before. Perfect for anyone travelling this year, it allows you to enrich your holiday experience with thrilling audio tours. In London alone, the app offers guided tours from Chinatown to the Emirates Stadium. Next time you go to a new city, allow this app to help you take it all in.

7. What Would You Choose?

This game of Would You Rather can teach you a very valuable lesson – how to be normal. Find out what the majority said when asked profoundly difficult questions such as “Wealth or Happiness?” and “Dominoes or Pizza Hut?”. Determine whether you’re part of the mainstream or a uniquely free-spirited individual by playing this extremely addictive game of choice. Another lesson you may learn along the way is that more people on this app would choose to eat dogfood over toothpaste. The bizarre nature of humanity truly never ceases to amaze.

8. Spending Tracker

According to the Guardian, the numbers of people in the UK splurging out on restaurants and fancy hotel rooms is on a dramatic rise. So, this year, we should all learn a little bit more about that much despised concept– budgeting. Luckily, Spending Tracker can make the lesson a whole lot easier. By tracking your monthly income and expenses, the app helps you plan toward a fixed budget, and makes you less likely to over-spend. It’s definitely a handy feature to carry around with you as prices remain ridiculously high.

9. Word of the Day

If you don’t have this App already then what are you waiting for! Word of the day allows you to expand your vocabulary, challenging you to use a new word in your conversations every day. Before you know it you will be writing and speaking confidently with a wider range of words at your disposal.

10. Rapchat: Rap Maker and Studio

Here’s a fun one. For anyone looking for new ways to express themselves, why not learn how to rap? Freestyling has been proven to encourage creativity and motivation, so take the plunge and you may even become the next Jay Z. Rapchat contains thousands of fresh tracks from upcoming producers where you can write and record your own raps under your rapper name. Listen to other people’s freestyles as you promote your own and gain listeners. Maybe rapping isn’t for everyone – but how will you know you aren’t good before you try?

11. Duolingo

There seems to be an unlimited amount of Apps that offer language coaching, but Duolingo is by far the most popular, with over 200 million users. Having a second or third language can greatly benefit you, so chose choose one of the 23 modern languages this app has to offer and get started. Suitable for beginners and intermediates, the app quizzes you once a day on new key words and helps you understand how to structure sentences. Your progress is tracked as you attempt to become fluent in your chosen language. Perfecto.

12. Today in History

Today may seem like just another day to you, but we tend to forget that the world celebrates the anniversary of revolutionary historical events every day. The last app on this list, Today in History, tells you about every single recorded birth, death, holiday and event that occurred on any given day. It offers you the opportunity to make every day a little more meaningful by remembering those who came before us. Don’t miss your chance to delve into history this year.