By Mary Vlahos
Technology has taken over and in most instances, made things a little easier and more convenient. Apps are an exploding industry and are creeping into every corner of our lives. Health and wellness are no exception. There are fitness apps that run the gambit from yoga to running to tracking calories burned during your daily routine. Diet apps are also plentiful, tracking all aspects of nutrition. Some even have the ability to scan labels giving you an in-depth nutritional analysis of items you buy at the grocery store. Health apps are the third type of app we will be looking at. These apps can give you access to doctors, track your medications, or give you first aid advice. Last but not least are the apps that that get you outdoors this spring such as Stark Parks or Summit Metro Parks which are also available for free.
Fitness apps are as diverse as they are plentiful. Whatever you are looking for it’s out there, from basic runner’s apps to apps that resemble personal trainers. Here are a few that I thought would be useful without being too complicated.
Fitocracy (free with premium option, good for android and iOS) This app starts you off with a fitness assessment and gives you a coach. From there it builds a personalized workout and nutrition plan and helps you achieve your goal through motivation and accountability. This app is good for any level. Whether you are a beginner or expert, there is a plan and a coach for you.
Daily Yoga (free and available for android and iOS) The Daily Yoga app is suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced. You will find 50 HD yoga lessons and a pose library with over 500 poses.
Pocket Yoga ($2.99 and available for android and iOS) Pocket yoga allows you to pick different skill levels, duration, and styles of yoga. You can choose an environment to inspire you and work on your poses from their illustrated pose library.
Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout (free and available for android and iOS) No more excuses that you don’t have the time. This app has a variety of workout selections and is easy to use. This is a scientific workout routine in 7 minute intervals.
Hot5 Fitness (free and available for iOS) Hot5 is based on high intensity circuit training. It gives you a variety of workouts to choose from in various intervals of time starting at just 5 minutes.
Runkeeper Pro (free and available for android and iOS) This is for all the runners out there. It tracks you via GPS on a map and will give you information such as speed, calories burned, pace, etc. You can choose to have this information while you are running to help keep you on pace.
Nutrition apps also top the list of very diverse and plentiful apps. You can pick your diet type, restrictions, or just basic nutrition facts. You can even use apps to help you shop for healthy foods, find recipes, or suggest healthy options at area restaurants.
Calorie Counter (free and available for android and iOS) This app has an easy to use food diary, a bar code scanner to get product information, and allows you to track calories burned from various activities. Balancing calories in and calories out is the key to weight loss.
Fooducate (free and available for android and iOS) Much like Calorie Counter, Fooducate tracks the food you eat and the calories you burn. It also tracks the quality of your food choices and will give you a variety of recipes to help you eat healthy meals.
Epicurious (free and available for android and iOS) Here’s one for all you foodies out there. Epicurious supplies gourmet meals featured in Bon Appetite and Gourmet Magazine and healthy recipes including vegetarian and vegan meals. It can even create a shopping list for you.
Content Checked ($2.99 and available for android and iOS) Content checked contains a bar code scanner to check for allergens. Just select what you are allergic to and if it’s in the product you scanned it will alert you.
Shop Well (free and available for android and iOS) With Shop Well you can scan food labels to help you find healthy options and avoid things like carbs, gluten, sugar, or whatever else you are trying to avoid. This app was created by registered dietitians and allows you to personalize your food profile.
Staying healthy is a challenge even with the proper nutrition and fitness program. Here are a few apps I discovered that can help you track blood pressure and heart rate and can even give you information about medications you might be taking.
WebMD (free and available for android and iOS) The WebMD app allows you to check your symptoms with their symptom checker, access drug treatment information, and take control of your allergies or chronic pain.
Pocket Pharmacist ($1.99 and available for android and iOS) Pocket pharmacist checks for drug interactions, organizes medications, allergies and health care providers. It also has a pill identifier, medical dictionary, and checks for FDA updates and current health news.
First Aid by the American Red Cross (free and available for android and iOS) For the accident-prone athletes, you know who you area, this app gives you access to the most common first aid emergencies. It contains videos, quizzes, and step-by-step instructions. This would be a great app for all you hikers or bikers out there that may find yourselves far from civilization when you have an accident.
It’s spring and you want to be outside, but where do you go? The parks systems have apps too. There is one for Stark Parks and Summit Metro Parks that will show you trail maps and descriptions, a calendar of programs and events, and social media links. If you’re ever in need of a ranger while hiking there are click-to-call phone numbers as well as the rules and regulations for the park you’re in. Both of these apps are free and available on android and iOS.
Now you are equipped for spring with apps that will help you achieve your health and wellness goals. We would love to hear what you think of these apps or others you have tried. Please post your comments on the Compass Media Facebook page, at Facebook.com/FollowCompass, and tell us the app you tried and what you thought of it. Now get out there and get healthy!
Fitness Diet and Health Apps
