The Top 5 Health and Wellness Apps Your Daily Routine is Missing
For many people technology can mean the opposite of health and wellness: Long days at the office computer, video games, mindless swiping on dating apps, you name it. Despite technology’s sometimes bad rap, the below applications will put you on the path to a better you. From meditation to exercise and weight loss, check out our top five picks for health and wellness applications.
1. Headspace meditation. This application has hundreds of themed meditation sessions on everything from stress to sleep. Better incorporate mindfulness in your day-to-day routine with bite-sized guided meditations perfect for a busy schedule. If you’ve ever attempted to meditate and ended up simply stressing about your to-do list, this app gives you the mental clarity you need, and even includes SOS exercises in case of sudden meltdowns.
Fit for a better life.
"We designed the 8fit app to be the easiest, most simple way for anyone to achieve a healthier, happier life through exercise and good nutrition. The HIIT-based workout programs are designed to progress as you go, and your custom meal plan ensures you're getting the nutrition you need to meet your goals. Other features like an in-app grocery shopping list and our growing collection of at-home yoga practices make it easy to find time to stay healthy and balanced."
2. 8fit fitness. This application takes a holistic approach to health and fitness by allowing users to personalize their workouts to their strengths and weaknesses, paired with healthy and delicious recipes that are quick and easy to follow. As you save recipes, it makes it easy to plan ahead and shop for the week. Consider this app a personal trainer in your pocket tailored to your health and fitness needs--no gym membership necessary.
3. Calm sleep stories. Also focused on meditation, this application has a unique twist with featured sleep stories to help you drift into a quiet slumber. These fictional tales cover sleepy topics such as “The Mysterious Sounds of the Sea,” and “Island of Dreams,” ready in soothing voices to lull you to sleep. How soothing can these stories get? If Bob Ross used to lower your 8-year old heart rate, you’re in luck with sleep stories narrated by the one and only frizzy-haired legend to cure your insomnia. "Difficulty sleeping is a modern epidemic", says Michael Acton Smith, co-founder of Calm. “We need to create a transition time, so that rather than stimulating our minds with TV or emails or Facebook, we instead allow them to unwind. We seldom do this. It’s no wonder that so many of us struggle to calm our racing minds and nod off naturally.” Sleep Stories can aid this transition.
4. My Possible Self mental wellness. If life seems to be turbulent lately and mental health is a priority, My Possible Self may be the application to get you through it. The 'moments' function allows you to monitor your feelings and recognize any patterns or triggers in your behavior, and the self-help 'modules' help you tackle issues such as stress, anxiety, loss or major life changes.
5. MyFitnessPal weight loss. If losing weight has been on your to-do list for just a little too long, this may be the application to jumpstart your progress. The platform allows you to set weight loss goals and helps you track calories to keep you on track. A fun gamification element will keep you motivated, and logging food is easy with the ability to scan food barcodes or manually log items in a database of over five million different foods. MyFitnessPal also works in conjunction with over 50 devices and apps including Fitbit and Garmin wearable devices so you can synchronize your health data.