Written by Kate C. Krumm
Whether you’re a full-time-working mom or staying at home with the little ones, finding time for yourself (and your health) can be a challenge. Eating right, reducing stress or fitting in some exercise: whatever those health goals, it comes down to time, money and – let’s be honest – simplicity. Fortunately for you, we’ve done the work for you and scoped out some health-focused apps for moms.
EXERCISE
Power 20: New Mom’s Workout
What we love: If you’re a new mom, the overwhelming urge to sleep might outweigh the desire to exercise, but this app will work with your limited schedule. Choose five-, 10-, 15- or 20-minute workout options, all with a variety of routines. The fun part is that some of the workouts actually incorporate baby (three to 12 months old). The motions are easy to follow, and you can track your progress.
Costs: While there is a limit on the number of possible exercise routines, the app is free.
Super Mom Workout
What we love: Balancing kids and exercise couldn’t be easier with the Super Mom Workout videos. Whether you’re postpartum or just looking to lose a few extra pounds, this app allows you to choose a workout based on your normal everyday activities. Vacuuming? Doing the dishes? Brushing your teeth? No problem – there’s a workout for you.
Costs: $.99 for the app (a buck well spent!).
EAT RIGHT
MyFitnessPal
What we love: There’s a reason MyFitness Pal is one of the most popular healthy eating apps out there – you can set goals, maintain a detailed journal of meals and exercises, set challenges and so much more. It has an incredible food database (over six million foods), a barcode scanner and receipt importer (the list goes on).
Costs: The basic version is free (and by basic, we mean with incredible features), while the premium is $9.99 a month and provides you with even more highlights (including ad-free, data export capabilities and food analysis for starters). You can’t go wrong with either version.
Fooducate
What we love: Free features of the Fooducate app include a health tracker, food finder, healthy recipes and access to a community of other users. Possibly the best feature is the fact that it will track the quality of the calories you intake: the app will educate you by analyzing product nutrition, including artificial sweeteners, trans fat and high fructose corn syrup. You can also track your sleep, mood and hunger levels.
Costs: Premium features include advanced tools, gluten and allergy-specific assistance and a section just for your pet. There are a few options ranging from $3.33 to 7.99 a month.
REDUCE STRESS
Breathe
What we love: The app allows you to check in with your physical and mental state, recommending specific activities based on your responses. For example, feeling depressed, sad and tired? The app may recommend five minutes of gratitude-based meditation, a four-minute mindful walk and 15 minutes of yoga – all guided. The best part is that many activities and options are free.
Costs: The basic version is free, but for $4.92 a month, your subscription would include unlimited journaling, extended versions of the meditations and customizable features.
Insight Timer
What we love: There are plenty of free features in the Insight Timer app, and you can customize based on your meditation experience. For newbies, they’ll get you started by teaching you how to meditate for 12 minutes a day over a seven-day period. They have over 12,000 meditations in their library, and not only can you access courses, you can connect with others in your community, as well as community groups.
Costs: Free for basics (there are quite a lot), and a monthly subscription of $4.99 will allow you to listen offline, repeat mode, fast forward and rewind, and access high-quality audio.
