10 health apps that can help you manage your wellbeing

If you want to keep healthy, improve your diet, or get more exercise then it’s never been easier to find motivation. 

With hundreds of apps designed to help you manage everything from your calorie intake to your mental health, loading up your phone can be the key to a healthier lifestyle.

So, to help you, here are 10 great apps that can help you to look after yourself.

 

1.Headspace

Good health isn’t just about your diet or exercise. We’ve written about ways to manage your financial wellbeing and looking after your general mental health is also crucial.

Headspace helps you to do just that. Research has found that meditation can help you to reduce stress and increase your overall wellbeing, and Headspace provides a simple and fun way of lowering your anxiety levels.

The app lets you choose guided meditation sessions aimed at helping you sleep, manage stress, and relieve anxiety. You can choose from a wide selection of sessions, so whether you need a short breathing exercise or a longer stress management session, you’ll find something for you.

 

2.Couch to 5k

This initiative by Public Health England is one of the most popular health apps. Designed to help coach you from your sofa to running a 5k – and perhaps trying a “park run” – this free app contains loads of great tips and inspiration.

In association with BBC Get Inspired, the sessions combining walking and running are easy to follow. You can also choose one of five “trainers” to work with, including Olympic gold-medallist Michael Johnson and comedian Sarah Millican.

Download the app and follow the plan, and you could be running 5k – around three miles – in just nine weeks.

 

3.My Fitness Pal

My Fitness Pal is the world’s most popular health and fitness tracking app. It enables you to log your meals and snacks and track your eating habits and calorie intake.

The app contains more than 11 million different foods and a barcode scanner, making it as easy as possible to log the food that you eat. As well as keeping an eye on your calorie intake, the free nutrition coach also allows you to set weight goals and maintain healthy eating habits.

 

4.Chill Panda

Chill Panda is a new type of app that allows both children and adults to begin to understand how their bodies respond to different feelings.

If you’re feeling run down or you have noticed heightened feelings of fear and anxiety, the Chill Panda app will help with a wide range of breathing exercises, distracting techniques and worry management. 

The app will even monitor your heart rate and a panda avatar will suggest the appropriate play-based tasks for your current state of mind.  

 

5.Aaptiv

Want to get involved with exercise classes but don’t want to join a gym? Aaptiv offers 30 new classes each week, and more than 2,500 classes overall. 

The app is designed to give you the same experience of a boutique fitness class from the comfort of your home (or outdoors). Aaptiv plans your workouts based on your fitness level, workout preferences and the equipment you have access to.

You can also track your progress by keeping records of workout-related trends. Disciplines include stretching, running, strength training, and yoga.

 

6.Centr

If you fancy improving your overall mental and physical health, and the only way to do that is to be coached by one of the Avengers, then Centr is for you.

Fronted by actor Chris Hemsworth, the app tailors its programme to your needs using a series of questions that cover your current activity level, fitness goals, and dietary preferences.

Once you’re ready to go, you’ll receive a schedule of workouts and meditation or mindfulness sessions, as well as weekly meal plans and snacks that you’ll really love. You’ll need to make time as there are lots of sessions to fit in and there’s quite a bit of cooking to do!

Centr is specifically designed around your personal goals and will help you to achieve your aspirations with guidance from the world’s best trainers, chefs, and wellbeing experts. 

 

7.Strava

Strava is of the most popular exercise apps for a good reason – it’s a really social way to keep records of all your efforts.

As well as letting you keep careful details of all your exercise sessions, you can share your runs and bike rides with a huge community, congratulate others on their efforts, ask for advice, and compete with friends.

It’s easy to get started, and most of the key features are free. Paying for the premium version gets you better training analysis, access to a new mobile route suggestion feature and more.

 

8.MySkinSelfie

Skin cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK. It’s also the leading cause of death by cancer for men under 40. 

As it is very treatable if caught early, this free app developed by Newcastle University lets you monitor and regularly check any moles you might have. 

You simply take photos of your moles each month and compare the images to see if there have been any changes in things like size or colour, which could be cause for concern.

 

9.Nike Run Club

If you enjoy going out for a run then this excellent app provides run tracking that covers key statistics such as pace, distance, and time.

What makes it different from other apps is that you can take advantage of guided sessions and training plans. The audio-guided runs feature Nike coaches and famous athletes like Mo Farah, and there are also mindfulness-focused sessions through a partnership with Headspace.

The training plans are tailored to your current fitness and future targets which mean you can work towards your goals. So, if you are not sure how to train for your event or are just looking for extra motivation to get out for your run, this free app will help.

 

10.Zombies, Run!

If you want exercise motivation that’s a little more light-hearted, Zombies, Run! is the ultimate in running gamification.

When you use the app, you’re plunged into a world where the undead run amok and you are the key to humanity’s survival. You can pick one of more than 400 running “missions” where you attempt to gather supplies for your base in a bid to rebuild civilisation. 

The strength of Zombies, Run! is in the combination of an immersive story with an extremely slick app, all of which is designed to help distract you from any pain in your legs and lungs.

Bear in mind that you only get a handful of missions to try in the free version. So, if you find yourself hooked, this is one app where paying a small amount for the premium version is very much worth it.

 

Get the right financial protection

One of the best ways to create financial wellbeing is to ensure you have the right financial protection in place. It’s hard to overemphasise the peace of mind you will benefit from when you have the right life insurance and Critical Illness cover for you and your family.

We work with dozens of the UK’s leading insurers to help you access the right cover at the right price. Get in touch to find out how we can help or compare life insurance online with our easy-to-use website.