It’s easy to forget a meal or stay up later than intended during a stressful week. Thanks to wellness apps, you can de-stress quickly and on the go. Wellness apps are more than a trend. Most new Android and iPhone devices come standard with health monitoring tools. Wearables, such as the FitBit and Apple Watch have tracked trillions of heartbeats and steps walked. These numbers that make up our health can tell us more about ourselves than has ever been possible. We’ve highlighted some wellness apps that can help you interpret what these numbers mean and get better sleep, exercise and relaxation on the go!
Sleep Soundly
Pillow: Smart Sleep Tracking
Getting a good night’s sleep is complicated. For one, how long it takes to be well-rested isn’t the same for everyone. The other issue is how hard it can be to track.
Pillow: Smart Sleep Tracking is an app that removes the guesswork from getting better rest. Simply set a time to wake up and hit start right before falling asleep. Pillow tracks where you are in a sleep cycle and wakes you up a few minutes before your alarm is set, based on when it will be easiest for your body. The more nights you use Pillow, the more data you’ll have to gauge the quality of your rest. Pillow is a top-rated app for iOS but currently isn’t available for Android devices. See below for sleep apps available on the Google Play Store. Sweet dreams!
Price: Free to download. The premium version is $4.99, which unlocks access to more in-depth statistics and some cosmetic features, and is available for purchase in-app.
See Also: Sleep Cycle, Sleep Better, Sleep Time
Link: Download Pillow on the App Store or find more details online.
Meditation Made Easy
Calm
Meditation’s benefits, including lowering blood pressure and lessening the symptoms of anxiety, are backed by research. But, it can be hard to know where to start. Guided meditation can be easier and more impactful than going it alone.
Calm is an app that takes the stress out of de-stressing. Through a simple, yet elegant interface, you can choose a relaxation program that works around your schedule. The app’s daily, 10-minute guided meditation can help set the tone for you day, while inhaling in rhythm with the “Breathe Bubble” can take the edge off when there’s only a minute to spare. Calm also acts as a life coach, sending affirmations rewarding you for making time for yourself – and gently nudging you when you haven’t.
Price: Free to download. A subscription to premium can be purchased in the app. Prices vary.
See Also: Headspace, Giant Mind, Stop, Breath & Think
Link: Download Calm on the App Store or on Google Play.
Yoga For a Flexible Schedule
Asana Rebel: Yoga and Fitness
The on-the-go yogis of 2018, tasked with (somehow) finding a few hours every week to fit in time at a yoga studio, are stretched too thin. But thanks to the meteoric rise of virtual instruction, it’s now easier than ever to maintain your practice – or start a new habit!
One of the easiest virtual programs is Asana Rebel: Yoga and Fitness, which contorts to whatever your individual fitness goals are. Looking to specifically strengthen your back? There’s a program for it. Looking for a month-long, guided program to gain flexibility? There’s a program for that, too. Many of the instructors run classes offline, and the video programs project the same soothing tones and light fitness or spiritual insights that would sound at home in any conventional studio. The app lets you customize your own program, schedule as many times as are convenient and sends encouragement when you follow through.
Practicing with a phone isn’t perfect: a phone’s small screen and the lack of a physical instructor to correct your posture are two big drawbacks. But until full-size holograms can beam in on-demand, this 2018 form of yoga is convenient and engaging.
Price: Free to download. Subscription options for premium features can be purchased in the app. Prices vary.
See Also: Daily Yoga, Down Dog, Smiling Mind
Link: Download Asana Rebel on the App Store or on Google Play.
Conquer Challenges with Coaches
Lucid Mental Training
Coaches are an important aspect of every part of our lives, and mental training’s effectiveness is backed up by research.
Lucid is an app that grants you access to world-class coaches – access that used to be exclusive to clients like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Lucid’s head coach, Graham Betchart, has designed a daily five-minute audio course focusing on four pillars to help break down mental blocks: wisdom, confidence, focus and drive. Betchart, who coached the top NBA draft pick for 2014, 2015 and 2016, uses simple tools to help affirm and lock users into the moment – useful for the treadmill or to prepare for a client meeting.
Price: Free to download. Subscription options for premium features can be purchased in the app. Prices vary.
See Also: Stack Personal Coach, Nike Training Club, Headspace for Sports
Link: Download Lucid Mental Training on the App Store or on Google Play.
Ace Your Next Workout
WOD Deck of Cards
Exercising regularly is a good habit. One of the struggles in starting a healthy habit – say, exercising every morning before work – is getting through the routine to get to the reward.
WOD Deck of Cards is an app for people who want to begin a workout habit or those looking to mix up their usual program. Here’s how it works: you first assign an exercise for each suit of cards. Pushups can be diamonds and burpees are clubs. Once you tap start, the app sends out one of 52 possible sets for you to do. The number of reps corresponds with the number on the card, though a pair of jokers are thrown into the mix for an extra-challenging set. The customization WOD Deck of Cards offers makes it easy to adapt to all fitness levels. The app even records your time and allows you to save particularly satisfying sets of cards for use later.
Price: Free to download.
See Also: ShredDeck, RipDeck, SweatDeck
Link: Download WOD Deck of Cards on the App Store or on Google Play.