Many of us spend too much time on our smartphones. But could we put all that time staring at screens to better use? Perhaps some of it could even be used to improve our health.
From fitness tracking to diet and wellbeing, there are many apps available for people wanting to have a healthier lifestyle.
It doesn’t matter what your health or fitness goals are, there is definitely something out there to meet your needs.
Below are some of the best health apps available for all.
Strava
“Strava, which was launched in 2009, is a fitness app that tracks cycling, running and swimming via GPS. It can track distance, speed, calories burned, heart rate and more. The app allows users to share activities with the large Strava community (put to good use locating US military bases earlier this year, some may recall).
Strava can also be used as a social network platform for athletes to share their activity and communicate their progress. The app is available for free on iOS and Android, although the premium subscription costs £5.99 a month.
Runkeeper
Launched in 2008, Runkeeper is a GPS fitness tracking app available on iOS and Android. The app is designed to provide motivation for fitness beginners, as well as professional athletes with reminders that can be set for workouts.
Runkeeper can be used to track a range of workouts from running to hiking, and can be used to track set goals and progress. It is available for free on Apple App Store and Google Play, with the pro subscription available at £7.99 a month.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is one of the most popular health and fitness apps in the world. Launched in 2005, the smartphone app can be used to track diet and exercise. The database includes over six million food suggestions for users who want to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
This includes the option to track calorie intake and nutrients no matter what the users’ diet is like. MyFitnessPal was acquired by sportswear maker Under Armour in 2015. The app is available on iOS and Android for free.
Twilight
Twilight is a sleep app that reduces blue light emission that comes from smartphones to update at specific times of the day, helping users to fall asleep easier. The app lowers the screen backlight with a red filter that is adjusted based on the sunset and sunrise times, so it can be used for night reading with no damage to the eyes.
Twilight has been tested with AMOLED screens to ensure there are less light emission and equal light distribution. The app is available on Google Play for free, with a pro package at £2.99 a month.
Happify
Happify is a great smartphone app which helps to improve users’ health and emotional wellbeing. The app provides solutions to handling stress, feeling sad and other emotions which allow users to let go of old habits and develop a healthy balance that includes a range of activities and games that act as small steps to an improved lifestyle.
Happify allows users to track their emotional wellbeing, with tracks that meet the needs of every user from mindful meditations to assessments. The app is available for free on Android and IOS.
Sworkit
Sworkit is a health and fitness app that provides different exercises for home workouts. It is particularly useful for users that may not like going to the gym. The exercises can be adjusted to fit around your personal goal, with over 50 workouts that are built to work on everything from strength to yoga.
Sworkit also includes animations that guide you through all the workouts that can last from five minutes to one hour. The app is available on iOS and Android and offers a free 30-day trial. Pricing starts from $12.99 (£10.09) a month.