Wellness apps that keeps you on track
It’s 2015 and the average American adult spends five hours and nine minutes daily with digital media. If your job requires you to work on a computer, you’re probably averaging upwards of eleven hours of daily electronic use. Why not make the best of your use with a few helpful apps to better your health?
Staring at a brightly lit screen for several hours in one sitting can be tiresome and damaging to your eyes and it’s easy to fall into bad habits when you care about what you are doing. The human body isn’t built to sit in one position for the entire duration of the day. It’s important to take a break and step away. Here are a few apps that will help:
Dejal Time Out is a computer app designed as a break reminder tool. It provides two different kinds of breaks: a “Normal” break, usually for 10 minutes at the tail end of 50 minutes of work, and a “Micro” break: a brief pause of typically 10 seconds every 10 minutes to give your eyes a much needed break. A progress bar will show how long until the break is over, and buttons are available to postpone or skip the break if the break is unwanted.
Another issue with being tied to a desk all day is not drinking enough water. About 60% of our body is made up of water. The human brain is made up of 90% water and when we deprive our body of hydration it can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy-short-term memory and difficulty focusing.
WaterMinder is a water hydration and tracker mobile app that gives you a clean visual view of your daily and weekly water intake. This five-star rated app makes it simple and quick to set reminders to track water intake, see water intake history and set goals, and includes a detailed list of water drinking tips. You will no longer have a reason not to drink enough water, not to mention you can fill up your water while taking a break from your screen!
If you actively consider your daily physical activity, calorie intake, or sleep patterns all while holding down a full-time job and extra curricular activities, you’re probably pretty busy. It’s important to stay on track and with today’s technology, there’s someone (or something) here to help.
FitBit is a tracking device that can be worn around your wrist as a bracelet or neck as a necklace. It tracks every part of your day – including activity, exercise, food, weight, and sleep – to help you find your fit, stay motivated, and see how small steps make a big impact. Fitbit syncs wirelessly and automatically with your phone and computer to show your progress using charts and graphs in an easy-to-understand dashboard. Share your charts with friends and family in a fun and motivational community. It’s simple and effortless with a wide range of benefits for your mind and body.
StretchClock is an app for computer users that reminds you to stretch throughout the day. These desk exercises are designed to provide pain relief from and reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive stress (RSI), back pain, shoulder pain that can be caused by sitting. Anyone who uses the computer for more than an hour at a time should consider using a break reminder app. Simple video exercises provide easy to remember stretches designed for you to stay healthy even on the most busy of days.
It’s important to remember to take care of yourself. With these apps and accessories, there should be no reason not to!
