Top 9 Health and Wellness Apps
/When I got my first smartphone I promised myself that I would not become anti-social or addicted.
I remember when BlackBerrys (CrackBerrys) first came out. I was not a fan. I didn’t love how everyone I knew that had one was always on their phone. The lack of interaction irritated me, and I was totally anti-smart phone.
I know, right?
Believe it or not, but my family literally got together one Christmas and bought me my first iPhone. They had all jumped on the bandwagon, and I was the only one left behind. Guys, this was Christmas 2012 and I got a 4s. It made sense because my family lived all over the world, lieterally (at the time the five of us were spread between US, Belgium, and Nicaragua) and with the iPhone we could easily message and FaceTime.
Needless to say, over the past 6 years my phone has become my constant companion. Granted, it doesn’t help that I run my business primarily from my phone. In fact, a couple years ago when I upgraded both my phone and my computer at the same time I spent twice as much on my phone as I did on my laptop. My reasoning was that I use my phone more than my computer, and often, as a computer. I stick to that belief even today.
So where am I going with this? Apps.
You can’t deny that one of the amazing things that has occurred to our smartphones over the last several years is the development of apps. There is literally an app for everything, and I almost hate to say that I am here for it.
But! As long as we use our technology to be helpful to our lives (make things easier, faster, etc.) and not hinder our lives (get in the way of our social interactions, become obsessed with social media) then I don’t see anything wrong with using the resources we have at our fingertips.
So with that being said, I wanted to share with you my current favorite Health and Wellness apps and why I love them.
Enjoy!
Clue
This one is for the ladies. And it’s awesome. Clue helps you track your monthly cycle and everything that goes along with it. I love that you can also customize what you want to track. Along with tracking blood flow, pain (such as cramps and headaches), and mood (happy, sad, PMS) there are several other categories that you can choose to track. There is everything from cravings and digestion to energy level and sexy time, and even an area where you can create your own tags. There are other apps out there that do the same type of thing, but this was the one that was originally suggested to me, and I love it. Bonus- it’s free and available for both iPhone and Android.
131 Method
So this one is not actually an app, persay, but a link to an online program. The 131 Method is my personal favorite nutrition program and I love having this “easy button” right on my home screen for reference. From there, I can easily navigate to tons of recipes, lessons, and research to help with my nutrition as well as look up resources for my clients (though if my clients are looking for in depth nutrition coaching, this is one of the places I send them!). Note: This is a paid program, but it’s totally worth it!
If you have a favorite fitness website, it’s easy to make an “app button” by adding the site to your home screen from your phone’s browser.
MyFitnessPal
When it comes to nutritional tracking in an app, my favorite tool is MyFitnessPal. I’ve tried several different apps over the years, but I always come back to this one. MyFitnessPal is accessible as both an app and a website and on all platforms, which makes it easy to access no matter your preferred form of technology. I also like that you have the option to allow your friends (and trainer!) to view your diary. I have my clients add me as a friend so I can view and print their diary which allows me to make notes and suggestions.
While MyFitnessPal can be a bit challenging to use when you first start with it, the more you use it, the easier it becomes. The foods you eat often will start showing up in a list, and you can easily create meals and recipes to make your tracking quick and easy. Bonus- This is an Under Armour app and plays nice with all the other Under Armour apps, which I love.
Fitbit
This app probably needs no explanation. I’ve got a FitBit, I use the app. If you’ve got one, you probably use the app as well. It’s the best way to see all the information FitBit collects in one place. Steps, floors, miles, active minutes, and calories burned.
I love seeing week to progress and verifying that I’m getting a good amount of steps in every week.
Record by Under Armour
This is my most recent app acquisition from this list, but I’m totally digging it. Record lets me hook up my heart rate monitor so I can see visual graphs and charts of my heart rate throughout my workouts. Also an Under Armour app, you can set it up so that it integrates into MyFitnessPal so you can have your nutrition and fitness information in one place.
While I have yet to take full advantage of the app, it also allows you to keep track of other important health issues like sleep, how you feel, and overall movement. Bonus- this app plays well with others. FitBit, Apple Health, and Connect by Garmin are just a few of the apps and devices that you can connect in Record.
Seconds Pro
This is currently my favorite interval timer. I’ve used several, but Seconds Pro has come out on top. That being said, there are a bazillion interval timers available, and I haven’t tried all of them. I like Seconds Pro because not only do you have the ability to create and save your own intervals, but you can even have the app say different things such as “go, stop, squat, burpee, rest.” Basically it allows you to not have to think about what’s coming next if you don’t want to. You can also color code the intervals, so you can easily see the change if you have your phone somewhere visible (and if you’ve done High Intensity Intervals before, you know how important having all the cues is to getting it done right). You can also close out the app and/or play music at the same time while the intervals continue to run, which many interval timers won’t let you do.
There’s a free version of this app, but the paid version is only 4.99 and totally worth the upgrade.
Charity Miles
So this is cool. Charity Miles is an app that allows you to earn money for the charity of your choice while you walk, run, or bike! AKA... it's an app that's kind of awesome. All you have to do is start the app when you start your workout and the charity of your choice gets some moneies! Easy peasy.
Not only that, but you can join groups as well, which can help encourage you to move more. Even though I’m not a runner, I’m a part of the Potterheads Running Club… and on Team Ravenclaw. (#cawcaw!). Throughout the year they run different events for the teams to get House points which always encourages me to walk or run more than normal. Harry Potter may not be your thing, but there are several groups that you can choose to join if you like, including the new The FRICKin Good Life team!
MapMyRun
I know, I know, this one may seem like it’s coming from left field from me. If you know me you know that I’m a not a huge fan of running. However, my husband “enjoys” running, and I’ve been doing these virtual run/walks with my Harry Potter running club (see above) for the last year as well. Enter MapMyRun. Like the other Under Armour apps, MapMyRun plays nice with MyFitnessPal, which is a bonus. You can track your route, find routes, and add friends in this app as well. And for of you who actually care about improving your running (bless you), you can keep track of your pace as well.
Beachbody on Demand
Like the 131 Method, this is also a paid app. The Beachbody on Demand app is the app that pairs with a paid Beachbody on Demand subscription. It’s a steal for less than $100 a year. There are tons of workout programs that are specifically designed in a way that makes it easy to follow the workout plans they’ve laid out. Or, choose your own adventure and find the workout that’s right for you at the moment. They’ve got everything from weight lifting to Yoga, kickboxing to line dancing. There’s really something for everyone. My favorite programs are PiYo, TurboFire, and LIIFT4, but I love having the app available because I’m trying to get more Yoga in my life. The way I see it, most drop-in classes cost 20-25 per class, so as long as I use it at least 5 times a year, it’s paid for itself. Any more than that, and it’s a bargain. Speaking of which… It’s probably time for some more yoga ;)
So here’s the thing. I’m posting this in July of 2019, and things are always changing. As technology changes, my favorites may change as well. I’ll keep you posted if and when they do!