You can download all sorts of health apps these days, from those that help you exercise to others that monitor your diet. We’re currently testing some of the most popular ones – have you given any a go?
I’ve been using some health apps myself and, to be frank, they’ve been a mixed bag.
Some exercise-related apps are great, tracking your training routines, plotting your runs using GPS and monitoring your progress (thankfully, I have improved). They can be very motivating and really do encourage me to keep at it – kind of like a cheap personal trainer in my pocket. But others seem rather hopeless and are destined to be deleted as soon as the trial finishes.
Are you ‘appy with your diet?
Others that track your diet, setting you daily calorie targets and advising on a healthy balance, also seem very worthwhile. Entering everything that passes my lips into the app can be a pain, but it’s a revelation when it displays how many hidden calories I’ve consumed each day, even if it does give me a ticking off when I exceed my target.
We’ve got dietary experts checking the accuracy of these apps, and I’m secretly hoping that the apps have been setting my limits too low.
The drinks-tracker is equally revealing. I do like my beer and wine, but it’s very easy to exceed the suggested quotas each week. Before using this app, I think I’ve been using the formula that one unit equals a glass of wine or half a pint of beer. But I honestly didn’t realise that a large glass of wine contains three units! Similarly, a pint of stronger beer can easily be three units too. This app tells all and it’s a sobering experience.
What health-related apps have you been using? Do you have a personal trainer or dietitian in your pocket and have they helped keep you healthy?