Green Queen Knows: The Best (FREE) Health, Fitness & Wellness Apps

The era of biohacking -or is it lifestyle hacking?- is definitively upon us. Our phones, and the data they collect about us, have become an essential tool in our daily routine, especially for us wellness addicts. In our hands we hold the ability to track and monitor our every move (or step or squat or chaturanga dandasana). It’s never been easier to achieve your wellbeing goals: the sheer number of apps launching to provide health & fitness consumers with digitally enhanced solutions is astounding, but which ones work best? We put is some serious research and have pulled together the ultimate list of health & fitness apps. Bonus: they are all free (except for one awesome one that is worth it)!

Green Queen

Green Queen App is the first iOS mobile directory for health & wellness businesses. The Green Queen App makes staying fit and healthy easy by showcasing healthy dining outlets/restaurants, healthy/organic grocery shops, eco spas & beauty salons, gyms & fitness studios, yoga studios and wellness service centers near you.

Users can easily and conveniently search for health & wellness listings nearby to their current location using their phone’s geo-location services or they can search by keyword using the app’s search box. They may browse listings using the app’s categories and subcategories. Special features include the ability to review businesses and save your favorite listings. Did we mention it’s FREE?

Download the app for iTunes here. 

Sworkit

Sworkit allows you to create an endless selection of customized workouts all available on your phone. Choose from a large selection of routines organized by type, including Strength, Cardio, Yoga and Stretching,  and then further customize your workout by selecting the body part you want to focus on and how long you want to go for. Sworkit then comes up with the perfect routine for you. It’s basically like having a personal trainer in your pocket.

Download the app for iTunes and Android here.

SleepBot

With all of the focus on everything food and fitness, sleep is often overlooked. This is a huge mistake from a health point of view, since you spend a third of your life sleeping and sleep quality has a severe impact on your overall wellbeing. With SleepBot you can give your Zzzs the attention they deserve. In addition to a general sleep tracker, the app has a movement tracker and a noise tracker so you can really understand your individual sleep patterns. It also has a smart alarm that wakes you at the optimal time in your sleep cycle. Of all the sleep apps out there, this was the easiest and most comprehensive we found.

Download the app for iTunes and Android here.

MyFitnessPal

Keeping a food journal is one of the most reliable ways to take control over your health. With over five million foods in their database, MyFitnessPal makes it incredibly easy to track literally everything you eat right on your phone (there is even a QR code scanner for packaged foods). Even though MyFitnessPal bills itself as a calorie counter, it is so much more. The ‘Your Diary’ feature illustrates everything you eat organized by meal, as well as your workout progress and counting your steps- all of which gives you a pretty accurate overview of your calories in and calories out. The app also displays your macros and a nutrient breakdown. The more additional data you input (like your weight for example, the more useful the app becomes in terms of tracking your progress.

Download the app for iTunes and Android here.

Daily Yoga

Too busy to make it your favorite yoga class? Daily Yoga provides you with a ton of great yoga videos organized by ability and goals, think Yoga For Runners or Office Yoga to De-Stress. They is also a handy Pose Library to explore old favorites and pick up a few new challenges to work on. If you are looking for a little more, you can purchase their “Go Pro” version which offers a selection of more specialized programs and plans, though honestly the free version is pretty rad.

Download the app for iTunes and Android here.

Fitnet Personal Trainer

Fitnet Personal Trainer is a personal training app that specializes in workouts that are only 5 to 10 minutes long, meaning there really is no excuses not to get your sweat on. You can find videos by searching based on criteria like length of workout, calories burned or type (bootcamp, strength training, Tabata, etc) While you are doing the video your webcam actually tracks your movement allowing you to monitor calories burned in real time and get instant feedback on your performance. The app also works with Apple’s Health app to calculate total daily calories burned, as well as offering a full day’s view of everything you do including data collected from their step counter and sleep tracker.

Download the app for iTunes here.

WalkJogRun

WalkJogRun provides users with a huge selection of walking, jogging and running routes in whatever neighbourhood you are based: there are 869 routes near the Green Queen office alone. Routes are searchable by location and distance. Once you select your preferred route, you will be shown a map overview that you can zoom in on, with handy information like altitude and street names. The app will also track your route progress. During your run, jog or walk, you can set any pace you want and the app will let you know if you are going too fast or too slow. Can’t find a route you like? You can create your own routes, the app calculates the distance for you, and save them for everyone to use. There are also pre-designed training programs to help you achieve specific goals, like running your first 10K.

Download the app for iTunes here.

Editor’s Note: When we downloaded this app, it was free! Unfortunately, it is now HKD 38. However, it’s a REALLY special app so we think it’s worth it.

For Women Only: Clue

The Clue app is a wonderfully easy to use yet extensive app for tracking women’s health. From recording your period data (including bleeding level), to monitoring other bodily fluids, body temperature, birth control, sexual activity, pain, emotions and sleep, Clue really allows you to take control of your own reproductive health, showing you where you are in your cycle, when your peak fertility falls and when to expect your next period. The app has taken the media by storm thanks to its incredibly intuitive interface, with fun features like allowing you to create your own search tags. The more you use Clue, the more accurate it becomes. We honestly have no idea how we lived without it in years past!

Download the app for iTunes and Android here.

Image credits: iTunes Store (Daily Yoga, SleepBot, MyFitnessPal,  ), Sworkit,  Clue, Fitnet Personal Trainer and WalkJogRun.