Top 5 Health Apps I Love (And You Know I’m Not A Big Lover o’ Apps)
Way too much going on to take care of yourself?
Chillax’ and let your phone be your new bestie. You won’t even have to remember its birthday or lend it your favorite skirt.
With just a simple touch, your phone now can keep track of all sorts of important personal health stuff just for you. All you have to do is give it the right friggin’ tools to support you.
Short version: Download a few apps and you’re good to go.
No need to stress about about which of the many new health apps out there are best. That’s what you’ve got me for. As a Harvard-trained gynecologist who also happens to be a woman and who also runs on overdrive, I want all the tech assist I can stuff into my phone. ‘Course, I only want the best apps perched on my bandwith.
So here’s my list of the top 5 health apps I’m lovin’ on my smartphone right now:
1. Menstrual Calendar – Need to know when to try to make a baby? Or not to? Or simply to book a winter getaway to Palm Beach when airfares on sale? Now there are apps that track all your lady business for you! How great is that?
Apps To Track Your Menstrual Cycle:
- Free Menstrual Calendar, By Tamtris: cost $0.00 – A really great basic calendar.
- iPeriod, By Winkpass Creations, Inc: cost $1.99 – A more tailored fit for those willing to pay for it.
2. Your Personal Running Coach – Let’s get real, running is hard. Wouldn’t knowing with each step how good it is for you help? It works for me. I want to know how many calories I’ve burned, how long and far I’ve been running, and how I’m doing compared to my last run. Enter the Nike+ Running App: it has all that and more with features like a pedometer, pace tracker, timer, calorie counter, and GPS! And if that wasn’t enough, Nike+ also lets your run go social, so your friends can cheer you onward! Plus, the integrated music player has a powersong feature to blast you through the rough spots in your run! Eye of the Tiger and you! What more could you ask for in a fitness app? How about free? Yesss.
App That Helps You Do Your Best:
- Nike+ Running App, By Nike: cost $0.00 – Can’t ask for a better price than that!
3. Smart Sleeping (?!) – Sleep is magic, a vital health boost for both body and brain. You want to make sure you’re getting all you can from your sleeptime. But how can you keep track of how you’re doing if you’re the one catching z’s? Sleep labs used to be the only option, but now thanks toapps, you can track your sleep patterns at home in the comfort of your own bed. Best part, no lab tech with a clipboard watching you while you snore!
Apps That Optimize Your Down Time:
- Sleep 101, By Zeo: cost $0.00 – calculates how well you are sleeping, and has a special alarm to optimize restfulness.
- Zeo Sleep Manager Pro, by Zeo: cost $99.00 – expensive, but well worth the investment, the headband sensor helps to pinpoint your REM and deep sleep, giving you the most accurate advice possible for an app
4. Better Your Brain – Wish you could be more Zen about life‘s little problems? Want to let go of anger, resentment, guilt, anxiety, loss, sorrow, frustration, and stress? Instead of being stuck in a negative nosedive, you can instead nourish your brain and build pathways to promote love, compassion, and empathy within yourself! Want to learn how? Distilling thousands of years of contemplative practice with a dollop of breakthrough neuroscience, this app might put the answers at your fingertips.
App to Add Zen To Your Day:
- Buddha’s Brain, By Stallic, Ltd: cost $4.99 – Based on the bestselling book by the same name, this app can help you achieve a better grounded self.
5. Mood Elevating Meditation – How do you clear your mind and envision the calm surroundings needed for truly restorative meditation? Our 24/7 lives prompt our brains to wander to tonight’s shopping list or tomorrow’s deadline. But once again technology comes to the rescue, giving us some apps to fight back against the bustle and get the peaceful meditation we need for better mental and physical health.
App to Elevate You As You Meditate:
Meditation 4 Inner Wisdom, by Glen Harold & Mobilize, Inc: cost $0.00 – Combining meditation and hypnotherapy techniques with great audio tracks allows you to sink into your restful meditation like never before.