It’s a tradition as common as turkey sandwiches on Boxing Day. For many of us, a New Year often means a resolve to start looking after ourselves after the indulgences of the festive period.
And whilst in the past, the focus was on joining a gym or starting the latest hyped diet plan, these days we’re a little smarter.
More and more of us have realised that true wellness requires a more holistic approach.
Luckily, there has never been such a great range of apps available to help us meet our goals, whatever they might be.
Best For Yoga Lovers
Known as the most popular form of exercise in the world, yoga offers an amazing range of health benefits to people of all ages.
If you want to vary your daily practice or are interested in getting started, Daily Yoga might be the app for you.
This app offers HD quality video classes, and with over 50 to choose from, you won’t be getting bored in a hurry.
There’s also a library of over 500 poses to learn, music to stream as you practise, and with personal record tracking, you can easily see how you’re progressing.
A community hub and great value subscription options make this app a perfect choice for those missing classes in the gym.
Best For Variety
If you like the idea of getting fit but find yourself getting fed up with an activity after a month or so, Aaptiv might be the perfect fit.
Currently rated as the Number 1 audio and video fitness app, Aaptiv boasts an impressive range of fitness classes covering everything from barre workouts to outdoor running and strength training.
With 40 new classes added each week, your workouts will never get stale.
Indeed, Aaptiv has proven popular with employers such as Amazon and Starbucks, who provide staff with memberships as part of company wellness drives. Why not offer it to your own team?
Best For Self-Improvement
Based on research in positive psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness, Happify was developed with experts in order to provide real methods for change.
This app relies on science and gets results, with 86% of users feeling better about their lives after two months of use.
Ideal for those looking to reduce feelings of stress or anxiety, Happify sets you simple exercises and games which help rewire mental processes in order to challenge negative thinking. You can even track your happiness score.
With business plans available, this is another app which could greatly benefit your employees, especially in these worrying pandemic times.
Best For Gamers
Habitica brings an element of fun (and even competitiveness) to getting into some good habits. Your “tasks” are turned into monsters that you (in avatar form) must overcome in order to progress.
It’s a game enaction of your real-life goals, and can help with motivation, as meeting your targets unlocks rewards such as gold coins or upgrades to your avatar.
And if you slip back into your old ways, you will move back in the game, too. You can play against friends, or find support in mutual interest groups.
Habitica’s old-school video game graphics give it a certain retro charm and it’s certainly more enjoyable than ticking items off a to-do list.
Best For Sleep
A good night’s sleep can be the best health booster your body and mind can get. Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy to achieve.
With the SleepScore app, the odds are certainly turned back in your favour. Using the latest technology based on sonar, this app tracks your sleep patterns through your smartphone’s microphone and speaker.
This data is then able to offer incredibly detailed analysis and practical, personalised advice.
It will even wake you up during your lightest sleep cycle, so that you always start the day feeling fresh and raring to go.
