Our smartphones have turned into devices for managing different aspects of our lives. On a more interesting note, mobile technologies have done quite a lot in the sphere of health and wellness.
The global projection for the health app market is $86.37 billion by 2030. As such, increasingly, individuals are resorting to their devices for help to live healthier.
This blog post reviews some of the finest Android apps to fill up gaps in your exercise routine.
Health Tracking Applications
The first category in this list is that of apps providing an outlook toward health tracking. These apps represent your health dashboard, showing insights through various parameters related to well-being.
1. MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal has grown to become a household name in the health app world, with over 200 million users. Its ease of use and health-tracking devices have been major factors in its popularity.
One can easily log meals with the help of an extended database of food items that comprises millions of items. The application calculates the calories one intakes and balances nutrients to help one make a better decision regarding diet.
But MyFitnessPal doesn't stop there. It also provides an exercise log, be it gym or any steps you take during your day. The information on diet and exercise is combined to provide a complete record of the daily energy balance.
Key Features:
- Calorie tracking
- Exercise logging
- Progress charts
- Extensive food database
2. Google Fit
On the other hand, Google Fit focuses more on activity and less on diet. Google Fit can track automatically most of your movements using the variety of sensors available in your phone, classifying them by type: walking, running, cycling.
One of the real strengths of Google Fit is its health app and device integration. With this, you'll be able to draw data from your fitness tracker and smart scale, among other health apps, into a single view.
Key Features:
- Activity tracking
- Heart rate monitoring
- Sleep tracking
- Integration with other health apps
Fitness and Exercise Apps
Moving from mental to physical fitness, let's explore some top-rated apps designed to keep you active and in shape. For a more personalized approach, an online fitness coach can be accessed through apps that connect you with professional trainers who can create customized workout plans and provide real-time feedback.
3. Nike Training Club
What takes it over the top for the Nike Training Club is the depth of its library with free, high-quality workouts. With its repository that covers over 185 exercises, catering to different fitness levels and preferences for workouts, it's a versatile choice for any user.
Workouts can range from quick 15-minute sessions to more rigorous and tiring 45-minute workouts. Not to say, things do offer expert-led programs and customized training plans based on your goals and fitness level.
Moreover, if you desire more guidance, you will have a body transformation coach by your side through apps offering one on one fitness training. These applications connect you with professional trainers for custom workout plans and continuous feedback.
Key Features:
- Over 185 free workouts
- Customized training plans
- Expert Guidance from Nike Master Trainers
- Apple Watch Integration
4. FitOn
FitOn is the word, not just because it is useful, but also because the fitness app is well known for a variety of free workout videos and live classes. Different types of workouts on FitOn include strength training, yoga, HIIT, and dance.
Another feature that could emerge as one of FitOn's unique selling points is the integration of social elements. It permits friends to schedule workouts, share achievements, and even compete for a bit of fun and motivation in the workout.
Key Features:
- Free workout videos
- Live classes
- Personalized meal plans
- Social features for motivation
Even better, they offer one-on-one fitness coaching, so assure yourself you will have all your needs attended to and personalized in success toward your physical fitness goals.
Meditation and Mindfulness Apps
With growing awareness of the significance of mental health, there was a boom in the use of meditation and mindfulness apps. Apps strive to make it easily fit into daily life, reduce stress, work more efficiently, and feel a little bit happier every day.
With growing awareness of the significance of mental health, there has been a surge in the use of meditation and mindfulness apps. These apps aim to seamlessly integrate mindfulness into daily life, helping users reduce stress, enhance focus, and cultivate happiness. As highlighted in Zen Teens: How Mindfulness and Meditation Are Revolutionizing Sobriety for Young People, mindfulness is also becoming a powerful tool in supporting teens on their path to sobriety.
5. Headspace
Headspace is meditation for mobile. This app comes with an enormous library of guided meditations, from 3-minute quickies to 20-minute deep dives, it certainly offers a considerable suite of solutions. What separates Headspace from others is its more relaxed and scientific approach to mindfulness.
Studies have shown that with the use of Headspace, one could decrease stress by as much as 32%. This impact demonstrates that digital tools in promoting mental wellness can work.
Key Features:
- Guided meditations
- Sleep stories
- Focus music
- Stress management techniques
6. Calm
Calm does things a little differently, with more varied content. It hosts guided meditations, only it also has sleep stories read in a calming voice to help people fall asleep more easily breathing exercises, and relaxing music.
One of Calm's unique features is its "Daily Calm," a new 10-minute meditation released each day to help users build a consistent mindfulness practice.
Key Features:
- Daily meditations
- Sleep stories narrated by celebrities
- Breathing exercises
- Relaxing music
Diet and Nutrition Apps
A healthy diet is extremely essential for great well-being. Allow us to discuss some apps that will help you make far better food choices while at the same time staying true to your dietary objectives.
7. Yazio
Yazio takes an approach to logging nutrition. The app allows logging food items and monitoring anything from every day consumed calories to macronutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
The really impressive thing about Yazio, however, is the degree to which it works. Meal planning and macro tracking through this app have returned an average weight loss of 2.5 pounds per week among its users. That's the kind of success rate that speaks for itself in terms of the power of data-driven nutrition management.
Key Features:
- Calorie and macro tracking
- Meal planning
- Recipe suggestions
- Weight loss coaching
8. Lifesum
It's all about the holistic approach to nutrition at Lifesum, creating a diet plan that works best for your needs, be it weight loss, muscle gain, or just refreshing yourself a bit.
It helps one log packaged foods with its barcode scanner and has a huge database that covers most ingredients used to prepare home-cooked meals. It also makes sure you drink enough water and integrates well with your fitness tracker to give the whole picture of your health.
Key Features:
- Personal diet plans
- Easy food logging with a barcode scanner
- Water intake tracking
- Integration with fitness trackers
Sleep Improvement Apps
Quality sleep is the root of good health. These apps will help you track and improve your sleep.
9. Sleep As Android
Sleep As Android is a strong resource for anyone aiming to improve their sleep quality. The application uses your phone's sensors or any wearable device connected to it to track sleep cycles and provide detailed insight into sleep patterns.
One of its very conspicuous features is the smart alarm, which seeks to wake you up during the lightest phase of sleep to leave you refreshed. It has been reported by users that it raises quality sleep by 25% when they are using Sleep As Android, which proves it does work.
Key Features:
- It tracks sleep cycles.
- Smart alarm for optimal wake times
- Detection of snores
- Integration with wearable devices
10. Relax Melodies
Although this is not strictly a sleep tracker, Relax Melodies is aimed at helping a user get to sleep more quickly and sleep more soundly. The app has a large library of soothing sounds and melodies that users can mix to create their perfect sleep soundtrack.
It also offers guided meditation on sleep and bedtime stories both for adults and children. Moreover, the SleepMoves feature of the application guides you with light exercises before you go to bed.
Key Features:
- Custom soundscapes
- Guided sleep meditations
- Bedtime stories
- SleepMoves
Sleep Improvement Apps
Special health monitoring apps can be helpful to all those who suffer from a specific health condition. They include:
11. BG Monitor Diabetes
BG Monitor Diabetes is an essential solution for more than 1 million users worldwide relying on it for managing their condition. It monitors your glucose in real time and thus helps to maintain the targeted blood sugar level.
One of its best features is an option for setting up emergency alerts. If a user's blood glucose readings go out of the safety zone, the app can send automated notifications to previously indicated contacts and thus provide an extra level of protection.
Key Features:
- Blood Glucose Tracking
- Medicine Reminders
- Detailed Reports for Healthcare Providers
- Emergency Alerts
12. Instant Heart Rate
Only using the camera and flash from your phone, Instant Heart Rate can turn it into a legitimate heart rate monitor. Place your finger onto the camera lens, and the app can detect minute color changes in the fingertip that coincide with your pulse.
While not a substitute for medical-grade equipment, Instant Heart Rate can still help track your heart health over time. It does a little more than that, though. There is a stress check feature and another one that finds your heart rate zones so that you can work out more effectively.
Key Features:
- Heart Rate using a phone camera
- Stress Check
- Heart Rate Zones Calculator
- In-depth History and Trends
What to Look for in Health Apps
When engaging in health and well-being applications, it is very important to pick out tools that will benefit your lifestyle and health goals. Here are key factors to consider when selecting a health app:
- User-Friendly Interface: It should be intuitive and easy to go through. If it's complicated to use, you are less likely to stick with it long-term.
- Data Privacy and Security: In an application that is to be responsible for sensitive health information, ensure there are stringent privacy policies and data encryption. If it is dealing with medical data, look for HIPAA compliance.
- Integration: Apps that can synchronize other health devices or apps provide a view of the health.
- Customization Options: Apps that allow personalizing goals and customizing as per the needs of individuals work the best.
- Pricing: Many apps are free with basic features, offering premium options, while some others are paid at the beginning.
- Data Visualization: You want clear graphs and charts to show progress over time.
- Offline Functionality: Some features should work without an internet connection for convenience.
Remember, the best health app is one that you will use consistently. It can be a great idea to test at least some out to find which one perfectly fits your daily routine and motivates you in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.
FAQ'S
Understand who your target audience is and what sort of health goals they have. Then, make the design easy to use, and consider developing wearable device integration. Create a prototype, test it thoroughly, and engage user feedback. Ensure you are abiding by health data privacy laws. Once fine-tuned, publish your application on the various app stores and promote it on social media and within health-oriented communities.
Most Android phones do not have a pre-installed health app as with an iPhone. However, quite a good number of Android device makers do bundle their health apps. For example, Samsung has Samsung Health, while Google has Google Fit. There are also a good number of third-party health and fitness applications that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store for particular requirements.
The value of any paid health app is always a question of needs and commitment. Most of the free apps do have very impressive features, but the paid ones usually offer more advanced tools or an ad-free experience. Consider starting with the free versions whenever available and upgrade only when you feel that the app is useful to you and you want to get premium features.
Here Are More Lifestyle Articles For You To Explore:
- How Remodelling Your Home Can Transform Both Its Appearance and Functionality
- Bensons for Beds: A Comprehensive Look at Their Offerings
- How to Protect Your Roof from Unpredictable Weather
- Heating Oil Prices Long Island Simplified: Domino Fuel’s Affordable Heating Solutions
- How Sustainable E-Commerce Can Facilitate Better Home Lifestyles
- Family Adventures and Relaxation: Discovering the Best of Hemet, CA
- How Luxury Jewelry Box Materials Impact Brand’s Value
- 11 Ways EHR Software Supports Preventative Care Strategies
Leave a Reply