Our Favorite Apps for Staying Healthy
In today's fast-paced world, it's common to get caught up in the hustle and need to remember to take care of ourselves. However, recent events have shown us the importance of slowing down, cherishing the little things, and making time for self-care. Fortunately, technology offers a range of health apps that can help us lead healthier, more balanced lives. Here's a list of our favorite apps to help you stay healthy.
Best Nutrition Apps
Staying healthy can be tough with a busy schedule. Many people use apps to maximize nutrition and get fast and healthy recipes. Our top picks include:
Deliciously Ella
Nourishing our bodies with healthy and delicious meals is crucial. Founded by food writer Ella Woodward, the Deliciously Ella app houses a diverse selection of easy-to-make plant-based recipes that won't break the bank. From quick weekday meals to elaborate weekend treats, you'll find inspiration in this healthy eating app and be encouraged to get creative in the kitchen. The app also features meal planners, shopping lists, and instructional yoga and meditation videos.
MyFitnessPal
If you want to count your calories and control your macros with a free app, MyFitnessPal is just for you. MyFitnessPal is a comprehensive and user-friendly fitness and nutrition app that helps you track calorie intake, control your macronutrient consumption (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), and monitor your overall health and fitness goals.
By visualizing your progress in numbers, you gain valuable insights into your eating habits and can make informed decisions to improve your overall well-being.
Staying on track to lose weight, get toned, or maintain your healthy weight is possible. This app also lets you scan barcodes and input food manually so you can count how many calories you consume each day. MyFitnessPal will also track your fitness and fasting goals to help you achieve every health and fitness goal.
Best Meditation Apps
Meditating, breathing, and focusing on your inner thoughts can soothe life's inevitable chaos. Luckily, there are guided meditation apps you can leverage to feel zen. Here's our top pick for the best meditation app:
Headspace
Designed to teach you how to breathe, meditate, and live mindfully through guided mental exercises, this free app promises to help you get happy, stress less, and sleep soundly in just a few minutes. If you're not feeling like yourself or need a pick-me-up, find restoration with Headspace's thoughtfully made app.
Looking to find a little more zen? Check out these relaxation techniques you can practice on the go.
Best Biking & Hiking Trails App
When exploring biking and hiking trails, having a reliable app can boost the outdoor experience. The apps below will help you discover new trails, track progress, and share adventures with friends while staying active and connected.
AllTrails
With over 400,000 trail maps and 50 million users, there's a reason people are raving about this top-rated app. AllTrails allows users to find local hiking and biking trails within minutes. Fellow outdoor enthusiasts leave reviews and post photos, and you can search for paths ideal for walking with dogs, riding bikes, walking with kids, and more!
Strava
Strava connects avid riders, runners, walkers, and hikers looking for great trails to follow when preparing for a race or to enjoy nature. When you activate it, the app tracks your route and draws it directly to a map. Users can also share kudos and experiences and compete with friends to break their longest-route record!
Best Exercise Apps
Staying fit has never been more accessible, thanks to various exercise apps that cater to specific fitness goals and preferences. These exercise apps below will indeed become your ideal virtual fitness companions.
Nike Training Club
The Nike Training Club app has something for every fitness level. It boasts expertly designed workouts developed by world-class Nike Master Trainers to meet your needs.
From bodyweight exercises to high-intensity interval training, the app's extensive library of workouts empowers users to work out anytime, anywhere. It's an essential tool for fitness pros and beginners alike.
FitOn
Are you looking for fitness and mindfulness? Or nutrition and motivation? You can get that with FitOn, the #1 fitness app. With free and paid versions, you can choose your trainer and do exercises like Pilates, yoga, and HIIT with them at home or the gym. Plus, after every workout, you can take a picture and share it with your friends on the app!
Best Brain Training Apps
Lumosity
Sharpen your brain with daily exercises to improve memory, increase focus, and help you feel sharper. Lumosity was built through a collaboration of neuroscientists and researchers to ensure the app targets various cognitive skills. The app offers engaging and interactive games, puzzles, and challenges that target multiple aspects of cognitive function.
Wordle
Five letters and six chances—that's all you get to unravel Wordle's secret word of the day. Join over 250,000 users and challenge your brain with this wildly popular game. It's free to play, you can only play once daily, and it's sure to be your newest obsession.
Best Water-Tracking Apps
Staying hydrated is essential for overall well-being. With the help of water-tracking apps, keeping track of your daily water intake has never been easier. The following apps are our favorites.
Plant Nanny
This app takes an interactive spin on tracking your daily water intake and setting personal goals. Each time you drink a glass of water, you log it in the app and collect, hydrate, and grow little virtual plants.
Water Time Drink Tracker & Reminder
When drinking water isn't your favorite activity, receiving a reminder on your phone may help. This water-drinking app reminds you to drink water throughout the day to hit your daily goal. You can also add customized drinks you have during the day that'll count towards your progress.
Best Sleep Apps
Sleep apps are great if dozing off at night is a challenge. These apps offer sleep tracking, soothing sounds, guided meditations, and personalized insights, helping you achieve restful and rejuvenating sleep for improved well-being. Below are our top picks.
White Noise
The White Noise app provides a variety of soothing sounds to help you relax, concentrate, or fall asleep. With 40+ perfectly looped sounds like an oscillating fan and ocean waves, this app is excellent for those who need a little relaxation or help to get to sleep.
Sleep Cycle
Sleep Cycle is an alarm clock that tracks your sleep patterns. It uses your smartphone to monitor your sleep movements and phases at night. The app's alarm function also works as a smart alarm that'll go off during light sleep so you feel refreshed and energized.
Each morning, it'll produce a detailed sleep analysis to give you an in-depth look at your sleep duration, quality, and time spent in different sleep stages.
Improve Your Life with Health Apps
Health apps can be powerful tools to improve various aspects of your life. These apps offer many features and functionalities that promote better health, fitness, and overall well-being. Whether you want to track your physical activity, monitor your nutrition, manage stress, improve sleep, or maintain mental wellness, there's a health app available to suit your needs.
FAQs
What is the best health app that is free?
One of the best free health apps available is MyFitnessPal. This app offers a comprehensive approach to health by allowing users to track their diet, exercise, and overall fitness goals. It features a food database, calorie counter, exercise tracker, and personalized insights to help users stay on track with their health and wellness goals.
Which health app is most accurate?
Several health apps are available, and their data's accuracy may vary based on factors, including the device's sensors and algorithms used for tracking. However, Google Fit and Apple Health are known for their accuracy. These apps come pre-installed on Android and iOS devices and can integrate data from various fitness and health-related apps.