Whether you realise it or not, your smartphone has become an essential part of your life. Although we tend to use it primarily for communication and leisure, it can be a powerful tool on your health and wellness journey – for which there is always room for improvement. In this article, we highlight five of the best health and wellness apps on the market today.

 

1. Flo

As much as we have been led to believe that a 28-day menstrual cycle is normal, it really is not. In fact, a cycle can range in length from 21 days to about 35 days, and for some women’ the lengths of their cycles can still be irregular. Hence, being able to track your period, and even being prompted when it should be imminent can be quite beneficial. Also, throughout the course of a menstrual cycle, there are hormonal changes that affect your mood and how you feel.

Flo is among the most popular period and cycle tracking apps on the market. In addition to tracking your cycle, you can track your symptoms, know when you are ovulating, and even find patterns in your cycle, plus a lot more!

The Flo app has a free and premium version, which starts from USD 9.99 for a one-month subscription

 

2.  Calm

Let’s all be real. Life is stressful. From the time you wake up until the time you go to bed, you are on the go, juggling all of your responsibilities and commitments, which can heighten your stress and anxiety levels. Moreover, even when you are ready to go to bed, it can be a struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep. So you wake up tired, but you still have to push through.

Calm is among the most popular apps for sleep, meditation and relaxation. It aims to help you reduce stress and lower anxiety, so you can sleep better and refocus your attention. Calm works by offering guided meditation and breathing exercises that can be tailored to fit into your busy schedule, guidance to explore mindfulness as a daily habit, Sleep Stories soothing music and sounds to help you relax and even fall asleep.

The Calm app has a free and premium version, which starts from USD 14.99 for a one-month subscription.

 

3.  MyFitnessPal

All too often, we underestimate the number of calories in the foods we eat, and overestimate the number of calories we burn when we exercise. As a result, even if we are tracking the food we are eating, we can still find it even hard to reach our diet and fitness goals.

MyFitnessPal takes the guesswork out of tracking our food intake and physical activity. It easily allows you to log your meals and has a comprehensive food database of over 300,000,000 items, whilst also allowing you to add your own foods as well. You can also track your exercise and physical activity throughout, chart your progress and join the community of users who share their experiences and journey to better health.

The MyFitnessPal app has a free and premium version, which starts from USD 9.99 for a one-month subscription.

 

4.  Johnson & Johnson 7 Minute Workout

You may not have 30 minutes or an hour every day to commit to exercise, but you should be able to find at least seven minutes.

Johnson & Johnson 7 Minute Workout was among the first to try to give you as complete a workout in the shortest possible time. Designed by Chris Jordan, Director of Exercise Physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, the workout features 12 different 30-second exercises, with five seconds of rest in between. Also, the workout library has over 72 exercises and 22 additional workouts (to the basic 7-minute one) that can be customised to create over 1,000 variations to help keep you motivated and moving.

The Johnson & Johnson 7 Minute Workout app is free.

 

5.  Down Dog Yoga

Yoga has become one of the most popular practices that not only has a strong fitness component but can also foster improved mindfulness and better mental health.

Down Dog Yoga is among the highest-rated apps on the market today. If you are a beginner or an experienced student of yoga, there are options to customise the length of the class, the focus of the class, the speed, music, etc. In terms of practice styles, it includes Vinyasa, Cardio Flow, Hatha, Gentle, Restorative, Yin, Ashtanga, Chair, Yoga Nidra, Hot 26, and Sun Salutation practices. You can also design your own class thanks to over 30,000 different configurations, so you never get bored and can enjoy a brand new yoga practice whenever you come to the mat.

The Down Dog Yoga app has a free and premium version, which starts from USD 7.99 for a one-month subscription.

 

 

Images:  madison lavern (Unsplash); Google Play