Eight apps to improve quality of life
Discover apps that will help you exercise, meditate, control your sleep and your diet
Image: Przemyslaw Marczynski on Unsplash Most individuals of the last generations are almost inseparable from their gadgets and they are almost always connected. Generations Y and Z grew up in contact with cable TV, video games, computers, various types of games, smartphones, tablets, and are true “digital natives”. Many scholars relate this change in the way we interact with technology with a transformation in the cognitive and information storage process.
Although the criticisms of gadgets are intense, mainly because of the time "wasted" from spending a lot of time connected, they can be much more than just distraction tools. The technology of modern life gives us many comforts like instant file sharing, compact storage and constant connection. The apps for smartphones and tablets allow us to further extend the functions of our devices, and turn it into a scanner portable, in a video game, in a more practical way to learn a language, to order food or a ride and so on. It all depends on how we use the tool. Some of the possibilities among the endless lists of apps available are apps that promote healthier and more sustainable habits. They can be great allies in weight control, monitoring physical activities and diets, monitoring health, etc. Check out a list of sustainable iOS apps.
We've selected eight apps (for iPhone and Android operating systems) that can help you in your quest for a healthier life. The apps have several functions, but they are all aimed at making it easier for you to acquire healthy habits that will improve your health and give you a little boost in organizing your tasks. Are you ready to change the routine? So take a deep breath and get to know the apps:
Stop, Breathe & think (available for Android, iOS and Web)
The application is designed to encourage you to think, even for five minutes, about how you are feeling physically and emotionally. The five minutes can be sacred and allow you to relax, reflect and collect yourself. It gives you some questions about how you're feeling and ranks you among the available adjectives. Depending on how you are, it gives you different breathing exercises and posture tips. After the process, he asks you again how you are. It's great for tracking your emotional state, analyzing possible progress, and reflecting on how you've been living your life. Do you assess your status in a negative way every day? What could you do to change this situation?
Headspace (available for Android, iOS and Web)
The app teaches you meditation techniques through a daily activity schedule. It will help you to detach a little from the worries of everyday life, and it will provide you with a moment of contact with your inner self to release the stress. There are breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, body and environment control. If you have never meditated and are interested, the app is a good start. In addition to being intuitive, the app it is very didactic and encourages you to complete the activities. On a tracking page, you can check your progress statistics. A few minutes a day can provide a more “relax” moment and help you to focus and not lose your physical and mental health amidst the chaos of routine.
Daily yoga (available for Android and iOS)
The app provides you with a yoga exercise routine. It has yoga sessions of varying lengths and difficulty levels, from mild to intense. There are instructions for doing the individual exercises, high-quality videos for you to follow along with relaxing soundtracks. So if you want to start doing yoga, this app is a good choice. Some exercises are free and some are paid.
Habitica (available for iOS and Web)
In addition to being functional, it is one of the most fun on the list. In this app you can manage your daily tasks, start new habits and all this while having fun. But how so? The app was programmed in the form of an RPG, so you create your character, choose your avatar characteristics and start playing. You select the activities you need to do on a daily basis, such as taking medicine, drinking an adequate amount of water, studying, exercising, and so on. By completing your tasks, your character gains experience, unlocks rewards, and earns coins that can be used to purchase in-game items for your character. You can also mark habits you want to lose, such as eating junk food or smoking. The logic is simple, when you eat that chocolate after hours or smoke, you will lose points. Another possibility is to invite friends to form a group and perform tasks together, such as a college paper or a month of yoga. Did you understand? It's a video game of your life and you are the player! So if you don't take good care of your character, game over!
Zero Cigarette (available for Android and iOS)
Smoking is a disease, and overcoming it is not easy. Therefore, the Zero Cigarette app is intended to be another tool to help smokers who want to get rid of this habit.
Heartbit (available for Android and iOS)
How about turning your physical activity time into miles? That's the idea of the "Heartbit" app. The logged data is extracted and converted into points, which can be exchanged for benefits such as travel and hotel accommodation, but there are many other types of services and items.
Sleep Better (available for Android and iOS)
The app allows you to monitor your sleep hours as well as their efficiency. Have you ever had the feeling of waking up well, setting the alarm so you can sleep a few more minutes, go back to sleep and wake up mega tired? This could be related to the period of sleep when you were awakened. The best time to wake up is when you're in a light sleep. Therefore, the app Sleep Better functions as an alarm that varies depending on your day's activities and your sleep stage. If you've had a stressful day, just program the app for this function. Based on the information you give the app before bed and the time you need to wake up, it calculates the best time to wake you up. You can watch the graphs and statistics of your rest nights, and you can add variants like nightmares, neutral dreams or good ones to get more accurate results in your reports. Also, the app gives you tips so you can improve your sleep routine.
NutraBem (available for Android and iOS)
This app allows you to record the evolution of your diet, in addition to having access to balanced diets according to your goals. The application calculates your body mass index (BMI) and from it will guide your diet. You will keep a daily record of your meals and the app will show the calories consumed compared to the ideal value. It analyzes your daily consumption profile and offers proposals to adapt your eating habits to achieve your goal. The app indicates how much calories you can still ingest in the day to stay within your plan. You can record your weight and chart your evolution over the weeks.
What's up? What do you think of using your smartphone to acquire healthier habits and change your routine? Conscious consumption of technology is smart consumption!
