Whether you are a fitness aficionado or just starting out, everyone can benefit from the myriad of fitness and health apps. In fact, it is one of the fastest-growing areas in the IT industry, with a market volume in the billions.
Apps have made fitness affordable and accessible and will help you monitor your progress and set realistic goals. There are also online communities built within these apps to connect you with other health lovers who will motivate, inspire and push you (a little competition doesn’t hurt). If you are looking to get fit, eat more healthily, or sleep better, listen to these apps to support you in your health journey:
Apps for fitness
- MyFitnessPal. Free to download for Android and iPhone devices, MyFitnessPal integrates with most fitness apps and helps you track your weight-loss journey by monitoring your food intake and calories, steps, and workouts. The app will help you reach your goal calories and improve your health choices by quickly and easily entering your food consumption. There is even a barcode scanner that allows you to scan food items.
- Strava. This app uses GPS to monitor where you travel during outdoor workouts, including running, cycling, and rowing. You can set goals, keep track of your exercises, and see the activities and challenges other Strava users post. It is a perfect app to stay motivated with your fitness and connect to like-minded health enthusiasts. It is free for Android and iPhone users and syncs up with your smartwatch or MyFitnessPal.
Apps for eating
- Plant Nanny. We all know that drinking an adequate amount of water every day is essential. Plant Nanny helps you do just that by tracking your daily water intake in a fun way. An animated plant within the app is kept alive by the regular cups of water you consume and will grow the more you “water” it. It will also show you your water-drinking history, calculate your recommended intake and give you various plants to care for.
- Fooducate. Knowing what goes into your body is an important part of health and one that has been made easy by the app Fooducate. It not only gives you calorie information but helps users understand the full scope of what they are consuming by listing the pros and cons of the product. You can track your food intake and scan barcodes to determine a product's nutritional value. It is accessible on both Android and iPhone devices.
Apps for meditation and sleep
- Calm. While it is essential to find the support of a licensed therapist like those on betterhelp.com if you are struggling with mental health issues, apps like Calm are dedicated to improving your mental well-being by helping you meditate and sleep better, as well as ease symptoms of anxiety. It features breathing techniques, various guided meditations, music stations to soothe your mind, masterclasses by experts on health, and video lessons on gentle stretching methods. It is accessible on Android and iPhone devices with a premium subscription.
- Sleep Cycle. Sleep is vital to good mental and physical health; it removes built-up toxins in your body, heals and repairs blood vessels, and balances your hormones. This free app tracks your sleep quality and your heart rate while you snooze and will help you see where sleeping improvements can be made. It also wakes you up at your lightest sleep phase, so you get up well-rested and energized for the day.
