Given your jam-packed schedule, it’s probably tough for you to think about your health on top of everything else. And focusing on diet, workout, hydrating, and getting enough sleep can seem like a full-time job.
Luckily, we are living in the 21st century, and technology is here to help. We’ve found the best apps to keep you on track and motivated to stick to a fitness routine and diet program. You may not get those perfectly chiseled six-pack abs, but you can download your way to a healthy mind and body.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal has been around for a while, but it’s still the best app for tracking and motivation. Ranked as the #1 Health and Fitness app on iTunes, this app pushes users to keep tabs on their diet programs through an easy-to-use database that offers nutrition information for over 5 million different foods. Whether you want to lose weight or start a new diet, MyFitnessPal will be your trusty sidekick.
Download here for free.
Headspace
Optimal health requires more than just logging 30 minutes at the gym. “Many scientific studies have demonstrated how beneficial meditation is for our health. The Headspace app is a winner as far as bringing the practice of meditation to the masses.” Chirag Shah, MD, tells MensHealth.com. “Look out for improved mental acuity, patience, productivity and sleep with daily use.” Download here for free.
SleepCycle
Sleep plays a crucial role in good health throughout life. If you don’t get enough sleep every night, your body will have a hard time healing and repairing heart and blood vessels, balancing your hormones, and maintaining your blood sugar levels (among many other issues). Sleep Cycle tracks your quality of sleep, as well as your sleeping heart rate. But its most unique feature is that it wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase in the morning, making you feel well-rested and ready to tackle the day.
Download here for free.
Charity Miles
Giving back and feeling like you’re contributing to a larger cause is good for your overall health. Charity Miles helps motivate you to get moving while simultaneously making an impact. The free app asks what charity you’d like to donate to, and with each mile you walk, run, or bike, you help earn the chosen charity earn money. (The donated funds come from corporate sponsors.)
Download here for free.
Fooducate/iTunes
Fooducate makes it easy to eat a balanced and healthy diet. As the app’s name suggests, its goal is to teach you about the products you buy at the grocery store. Just scan over 250,000 barcodes to see a personalized nutrition grade, learn about the pros and cons of the product, and choose the healthiest option.
Download here for free.
8Fit
Skip the gym with 8fit, which creates customizable exercise programs and meal plans. If you don’t want a gym membership or if you’re always on the go, these HIIT workouts will keep you in shape without taking up too much of your time.
Download here for free.
Lose It
An app that does it all, Lose It!, is a goal-oriented app that will help you achieve your fitness goals through food and exercise tracking. “The best way to really lose weight is to keep track of what you’re eating. The app Lose It! is the perfect way to log what you are eating to reach your goal weight,” says gastroenterologist Dr. Roshini Raj. “Their Snap It feature makes doing so even easier by simply taking a photo of your meal to log it and get the calorie count.”
Happify
Stress has been linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide. Happify builds on a huge body of research about mental health to help users overcome stress and negative thoughts and build better emotional health and resilience.
Download here for free.
HealthTap
Instead of turning to Google when you have a strange ache or pain, pose your question to a database of real doctors using HealthTap. This app enables patients to take action by connecting them with a physician to answer any health-related query. The doctors will give real and actionable advice to help you feel better as soon as possible without necessitating a trip to the doctor’s office.
Download here for free.
Instant Heart Rate.
It’s crucial for you to keep tabs on your heart rate during a workout — you want to ensure that you’re pushing hard, but not too hard. Instant Heart Rate is one of the fastest and most accurate mobile heart rate monitors. In addition to giving you a fast BPM reading, the app tracks your heart rate over time to provide a helpful and informative report.
Download here for $4.99.
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