Top 5 health and lifestyle apps to enter the new year with
Words Ebun Lufadeju
With the digital age at its peak, we’ve seen almost everything become more accessible with the click of your phone. 20 years ago, you had to leave your house to transfer money to another bank account but now it can be done from the comfort of your home in under 2 minutes, with a few clicks of your phone. This advancement has not left your health and lifestyle behind. With the new year coming up, why not start using your phone to improve your health?
My Fitness Pal
At number one we have My Fitness Pal, which is a calorie counter app. The app allows you to enter your weight loss and health goals – all tailored to your age, weight and height. Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight, tone up, start a new diet or just track your habits, this app has everything you need to embark on your health journey. You can log your calorie intake in the diary each day and it even comes with a handy barcode scanner that can help you save time whilst shopping. The app also comes with the My Fitness Pal is packed full of content, from recipes, workout routines, challenges and plenty of tips on how to stay healthy.
Try My Fitness Pal Premium free for 1 month, after that, it’s £39.99 a year (£3.33 a month) – which you can cancel at any time and is definitely worth it!
Streaks
With the new year comes new year resolutions, but how many of us actually stick to those resolutions? If you’re like me, you love to-do lists, why not take it from pen and paper to your phone? You can track up to 24 tasks that you want to complete each day. You can even share your tasks with other Streak users so that they can encourage you and keep you accountable – which makes it that much more fun! The app also allows you to create negative tasks to break bad habits like smoking or a high coffee intake. At just £4.49, Streaks is definitely one for the new year.
Flo Period & Ovulation Tracker
Okay, so this is an oldie but a goodie! Flo Period and Ovulation Tracker claims to be the number one women’s health app. It is used by millions of women all over the world and over 100 doctors and healthcare experts are part of the Medical Board. The app allows you to create a personal programme and uses artificial intelligence for the most accurate menstrual cycle predictions. You can even take it a step further by logging symptoms to detect imbalances in your body and advise you to see a doctor. Besides that, the app comes with lots of handy guides on women’s health from PCOS, nutrition, vaginal discharge and many more! The subscription plan is priced at only £29.99 a year (£2.49 a month) and you can use a free trial if you’re still making up your mind.
Headspace: Meditation & Sleep
Headspace provides a guide to mindfulness for everyday life. It allows you to learn how to meditate from a range of hundreds of guided meditations. There are guides on how to manage anxiety, stress, sleep and focus. It’s great for meditation newbies to experts. There are even short sessions that can fit effortlessly into a busy schedule and meditations for winding down to sleep, all the way to meditations perfect for starting your day. Headspace offers subscription options priced at £9.99 a month or £49.99 a year.
Think Dirty – Shop Clean
This one is for beauty lovers. Think Dirty is an easy way to learn about the potentially toxic ingredients in our cosmetics and personal care products. It has an integrated system that allows you to scan the barcode whilst you are out and gives you the information in a way that’s very easy to understand.
Bonus: Smartwatch (£19.99 - £399.99)
So, these watches are definitely game-changers, it could be a FITBIT, Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch – or whichever brand suits you. The Smartwatch makes tracking your fitness goals fun and engaging. You can count the number of calories you lose whilst working out, which can be extremely motivating. Some watches even remind you when to stand or engage in a breathing exercise. It’s a great investment for those on the go, who want to be health conscious.