You’re a busy mom. You’ve got your hands full with work, family, and life. Odds are you don’t have tons of time to spend thinking about exercise and healthy eating habits. Fortunately, there are tons of mobile health and fitness apps out there that do the work for you. Don’t have time to go through and test them? This article has you covered.
Health apps take up a broad section of the app store, and there are many niches, including data tracking, self-improvement, treatments for anxiety and depression, and apps for brain training. We’ve reviewed the best apps that these various niches bring to market.
Note: Some apps offer in-app purchases, and others are only accessible with a physical product.
What are the benefits of using health apps?
One of the clearest benefits of health and fitness apps is how easy they make tracking progress. If you’re trying to lose weight or get in shape, an app can be a great way to monitor checkpoints and see how far you’ve come. Depending on the app, you’ll either input data yourself or have a physical product connected to the app that monitors and logs it for you. You can use this data to spot trends and stay on track towards your goal.
Another benefit of these apps is that they use effective motivational strategies to help you continue. Many apps have unique, motivational messaging that help you get over procrastination and mental friction. Health apps also remind you to keep working on the habit(s) you’re trying to build via push notifications. Enabling daily reminders can make it easier to stay on track when life becomes busy and distracting.
Apps can also connect you with a supportive community, whether it’s friends, family or virtual strangers. According to Digital Authority Partners, health engagement between medical facilities and patient communities can be maximized by using health apps. We all need a little push sometimes, and in these moments the best support we can receive is from a knowledgeable and/or like-minded community. The internet is vast, and using it to connect and learn can sometimes prove the difference in achieving a goal. Health apps take this learning component one step further by providing tips, recipes, and other content that helps you get the most out of the app.
Let’s dive into some of the premier health apps on the market. (We’ll include links to their sites at the end.)
Best health apps (according to niche)
Oura Ring – Data tracker
As an overall health and data tracker app, Oura does it best. Unfortunately, it’s a physical product that comes with a yearly membership, making it the most expensive on the list. Yet its data is abundant and invaluable, from showing you exactly the time you fell asleep to your heart rate during different stages of exercise. Oura can track all of these health data by itself. Unlike other health apps, it rarely asks you to input estimated data. You can then export this data and other overall trends into the Apple Health app. The best part? Oura’s battery life lasts 5-7 days before needing to charge.
We love the Oura Ring because of its long list of features and benefits. In addition to tracking, Oura suggests specific solutions for when you have a terrible night’s sleep or didn’t reach your activity goal the day before. Don’t forget the tried-and-true methods behind good daily health: getting a good night’s sleep, exercising regularly, and staying hydrated are key to staying energized throughout the day.
A more affordable alternative to Oura, specifically for sleeping data, is Sleep Cycle. Read more for how Sleep Cycle analyzes your sleeping patterns.
Elevate – Train your brain
Elevate is a health app that helps you maintain and improve your mental acuity (sharpness). The app has games for different subjects, including math, memorization, reading ability, speaking ability, and writing. In addition to the games, Elevate offers daily goals and streaks. It also has a personalized training plan you can set up that helps you focus on your weaknesses. It’s a well-rounded app for keeping you on track and accountable.
Elevate has a paid version, but the free version works well for most. If you’d like to learn more about Elevate, you can read more here
Remente – Self improvement
Remente is a self-monitoring app focused on self improvement. The idea is to track how you feel 100% of the time and then use that data to improve certain aspects of your life. The Remente includes a journal for writing notes, a library of content, and a goal tracker.
Its holistic functionality makes Remente one of the most versatile health apps on the market. It’s not limited to one function like Elevate or Oura. It covers all aspects of your life, giving you a well-rounded view of your health. Think of it as a calendar for your self-improvement journey where you can check off tasks after completion.
Headspace – Meditation and focus
Headspace has been at the forefront of meditation apps for several years, due to having the most extensive content library of any meditation app. This is an excellent feature because it means that you can find the right type of meditation exercise for just about any mood or situation.
In addition to its vast library, Headspace offers a 14-day trial and a monthly subscription. It doesn’t require any previous experience with meditation. Headspace encourages users with all levels of meditative experience to use its technology.
MyFitnessPal – Exercise and Nutrition
It may not be the only secret behind eating healthy amidst a packed schedule, but MyFitnessPal has you covered with strategies for exercise and nutrition. Featuring over 14 million foods in their database, MyFitnessPal helps you eat and cook healthier without sacrificing flavor or excitement in your recipes. Hand-in-hand, the app offers an extensive exercise database for all fitness levels.
What’s great about MyFitnessPal is that it’s both free to use and covers most of the basics of tracking calories. You can also connect with other users in the app to get encouragement and support.
Final Thoughts
These are just a few of the best health apps for moms. Each has a unique set of features to help you live a healthier life. Our advice: stick to one or two apps that stand out to you, download them, and then try to incorporate them into your daily life. You don’t want to download all the apps and then overwhelm yourself. Make living a healthier life a simple, everyday habit.
Here are the links:
