Living your Best Life: Six Apps for a Healthier Lifestyle

Winter is approaching and it is very easy to get lost and feel unmotivated to do anything. But now, is actually the time to ensure you make the most of your available free time to establish a healthier lifestyle. These apps make your life easier by developing sustainable practices that will make you feel happier and more energetic during the day. You may download them by clicking on their name in the article.

Shopwell

Available for both iPhone and Android, Shopwell helps users identify nutritional details in food products to fit their unique lifestyle. After scanning the bar code, the app will tell you ingredients information to match your dietary needs. It also provides personalized nutrition scores to help see how well different products match individual preferences and concerns.

Most importantly, Shopwell offers recommendations for certain conditions such as pregnancy, high cholesterol, and diabetes, while also warning of potential food allergies, by simply using the app. Lists of favorite foods can also be shared with friends and family. Shopwell makes picking the best combination of food items when shopping super easy, safe, and healthy!

In the photo: The Shopwell App. Photo Credit: Shopwell

Elevate

Selected as Apple’s app of the year in 2014, Elevate is designed to develop cognitive skills such as communication and critical thinking. All sorts of abilities from from processing speed, to memory, to math skills can be enhanced through training programs. Based on neuroscience research, Elevate’s games draw on training algorithms to focus and maximize the learning experience.

Elevate’s daily brain workouts have the long term goal of boosting productivity and self-confidence. By training a few times a week, users can ensure senses remain sharp. Based on personal settings, the app learning experience increase in difficulty over time and track performance. These little mental breaks help users stay motivated throughout the day.

In the photo: The Elevate App. Photo Credit: Elevate

Headspace

Let’s face it, life can be stressful. The goal of Headspace is to relax your mind and body through guided meditations and relaxation techniques. The app tackles a wide variety of issues ranging from anxiety to insomnia to trouble concentrating. Additionally, the lessons in meditation help with personal development by helping you stay focused and boosting compassion.

Headspace also integrates with the Apple Health app and adds mindful moments to help keep you alert for the entire day. Other features include two to three minute mini meditations for a quick break during the day and SOS sessions for periods of overwhelming stress or panic. For only a few minutes a day, Headspace can help you have a more balanced and healthy lifestyle.

In the photo: The Headspace App. Photo Credit: Headspace

Pillow

Everyone knows sleeping well is very important for starting your day off right. Pillow helps you get the most out of your sleep by analyzing your sleep cycles and tracking the quality of your sleep. All you have to do is put your phone on your mattress, close to your pillow, and the app will sense your movements. Pillow can also record audio occurrences such as snoring or sleep talking and offer advice about it affects your sleep quality.

Pillow has been rated as one of the best sleep tracking apps available. It even has an alarm function that wakes you at your lightest possible sleep stage so you start off your day refreshed. Trust me, getting a good night’s sleep with Pillow will make the rest of your day much easier!

In the photo: The Pillow App. Photo Credit: Pillow

Runkeeper

Runkeeper makes keeping track of your personal fitness goals becomes much easier. Although suited best for runners, this app also tracks walking, biking, and hiking activity to measure your progress. Whether your goal is to run faster, lose weight, or just get more fit in general, Runkeeper provides personalized plans to meet your needs.

The best part about this app is that it is compatible with so many other devices and applications.  It integrates with the Apple Watch and other fitness trackers like Garmin and Fitbit, and also sync with iTunes and Spotify over Bluetooth. Runkeeper also motivates you to create and follow a plan with challenges, rewards, and ways to share your achievements.

In the photo: The Runkeeper App. Photo Credit: Runkeeper

Habitbull

Find it difficult to break bad habits? Most people do, but Habitbull sets out to break this trend. This mobile companion allows you to input and start tracking your bad habits. The app keeps you accountable by showing patterns and streaks. It also provides optional reminders, both audio and visual, multiple times a day to make sure you don’t repeat bad habits.

In order to start, all you have to do is manually list out all habits you want to target and Habitbull will create unique calendars for each one. It challenges you to keep a streak going and helps you subconsciously train yourself. If you have problems with anything from biting your nails to excessive smoking, Habitbull will help you conquer these problems and set up a fresh routine.

In the photo: The Habitbull App. Photo Credit: Habitbull

In the cover photo:  Woman enjoying a healthy lifestyle. Photo Credit: Harvard Medical School

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