apps You Might Find Useful for Exercise, Healthy Eating Choices, Stress Relief

apps For Exercise, Healthy Eating Choices, Stress Relief

1.  We're all trying to fit in some exercise each day-or wish we had at the end of the day.  Here's an app to help with that motivation.

For the runners, hikers, elliptical trainers, bikers and those who find the best exercise is just walking the dog, Kim McM shares her impressions of Runkeeper (a free app from FitnessKeeper, Inc. for the iphone):

"I do really love this app! I use it whether I'm doing training runs, gym workouts or even walking the dog! There is something about tracking the miles you put in! The other thing that I really like is being able to track my elapsed time and distance. Although my running buddy and I aren't training to "win" a marathon, we do keep track of our pace and try to better ourselves! I've recommended RunKeeper many times and will continue to do so!"

2.You can make healthier packaged food choices at the grocery store when you know whether and to what extent nutrients are included.  On the other hand, you can determine what suspect additives like high fructose corn syrup, unhealthy fats might be lurking among the ingredients.  The app allows you to scan the product; then it rates the packaged food from A to D according to its healthiest or unhealthiest content.  Fooducate (a free app available for smart phones from Fooducate,Ltd. ).

3.  Is it hard to pick restaurants offering healthy choices for your family or for restrictions that your doctor has suggested you follow?  Are you trying to avoid salt?  Maybe your specific focus is on gluten-free choices, or you're trying to stick to a certain type of diet. Eating out might be easier with HealthyOut, another free app for the iphone.  It uses your location to list any restaurants or even specific dishes you can find near you. 

3.  So, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you describe your stress level?  If it's in the "It exhausts me!" or "All the time!" range, you might consider an easy strategy to ease up on that frazzled state. It seems silly, but it must not be since Buddist monks have used it to promote "mindfulness" for centuries. What part of the normal work day seems to mark your exhaustion high points? This app allows you to set your phone at certain times of the day, and it "dings" to remind you to step back, take some deep breaths and regroup.  The Mindfulness Bell is a free app to try (as listed in Prevention, May 2013, 139.)

(Thanks to Kim for the exercise suggestion. By the way, if you're in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, check out Kim's business,  Elegant Design, located in Fort Worth. )