When it comes to working out, I love a challenge. I've been working out with free weights and going to Zumba, for a while now, but I wanted to try something new. I decided I wanted to start running. I downloaded the running training app C25K (Couch to 5K) to help with building my stamina to run for long distances.

Many millennials like myself are turning to apps and wearable technology to stay fit. According to a survey by Goldman Sachs, about 25 percent of millennials consider eating right and exercising an important part in maintaining their health, compared to less than 15 percent of Generation X and baby boomers.

"It's usually a confluence of health, body image, peer affirmation and self-actualization," says Jeff Fromm, marketing strategy consultant and president of FutureCast, who attributed the trend to multiple factors.

In a report by mobile analytics company Flurry, health and fitness apps grew 62 percent in usage from December 2013 to June 2014.

"We believe many factors that are contributing to this eye-catching growth," the report states. "First, a glance at wellness and fitness accessories retailed by Apple in the U.S. is a good indication on how many health, fitness and vital-sign-tracking devices the iPhone can replace. These accessories come with applications that are designed for daily use.

"Second, there has been a lot of innovation in the apps themselves over the past two years, especially when it comes to integration with Facebook and other prominent social networks."

According to another study by advertising agency Barkley, 73 percent of millennials exercise to enhance their physical appearance. The same study also showed that 60 percent of millennials say they work out on a regular basis and these exercise behaviors tend to be more interactive and social than just a regular trip to the gym.

"Interactive is important, participative is important, new is important, getting the most from my minutes and being able to socialize," Fromm said of what attracts millennials to exercise.

Sales of fitness trackers continue to climb because of millennials seeing technology as a personalized tool to keep track of their health goals and enables them to share with their social media networks. More than 11 million fitness trackers were sold in the first quarter of the year, according to the International Data Corp.

"Millennials seem to be wired for this kind of data, this kind of feedback," says Dr. Jason Mendoza, who is running small studies to see if the devices will help teenagers.

Fitbit, one of the most popular fitness trackers, has sold about 20.8 million devices between September 2009 and the end of March 2015. The company is valued at $6.5 billion — recently going public on the New York Stock Exchange.

Although the use of fitness trackers continues to grow, many owners lose interest after the novelty of knowing how many steps they've taken or how many calories burned in a day wears off.

Research firm Endeavor Partners estimates that about a third of fitness trackers get abandoned after six months. Healthcare investment fund Rock Health says Fitbit's regulatory filings suggest that only half of Fitbit's nearly 20 million registered users were still active as of the first quarter of 2015.

"The question for investors is how long the market will continue to grow at this rate, and whether Fitbit can execute on growing engagement before ... the number of devices sold per year reaches saturation," Malay Gandhi, a managing director at Rock Health, wrote on a blog.

For millennials, the novelty may not wear off for quite a while. According to CareerGlider, half of fitness band users between the ages of 18 and 24, and 31 percent of fitness app users keep close track of their fitness progress.

"[Millennials] want to be able to share their accomplishments with their peers," Fromm said. "If you had a killer workout with your pals and you didn't share it, did it actually happen?"

My goal is to eventually run a 5K. Right now, my calves say otherwise, but with a little training with C25K, I should be able to do it in a few months.