It’s World Wellbeing Week this week, and although we don’t need an excuse to look after ourselves, a gentle reminder doesn’t hurt. To give you some inspiration on the best ways to take it easy, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 wellness apps to help you prioritise your health and wellbeing.
Better Without
Better without is the world’s first app for low/no alcohol drinks. It was created to support the fast-growing community of people who are choosing to moderate their drinking or not drink at all. Mindfulness and wellness are huge trends for 2021 - taking care of our physical, mental, and social well-being and becoming more aware of the choices we make that can guide us to a healthier happier lifestyle. It’s helpful if you’re giving up the booze for good, or just trying to be healthier every now and again and cut back. We’re big fans as Genie is stocked on the platform!
Headspace
One of the most popular apps out there for mental wellbeing, and for good reason.
Headspace is about looking after your mental health through meditation, and the content ranges from brief 3-minute meditations, to longer, substantial practices. It covers sleep problems and has a range of music, soothing soundscapes, and guided wind downs to help you drift off.
They have also introduced a ‘move’ section that incorporates yoga and physical fitness for those who are interested! As well as a ‘kids’ section in case your little ones are struggling to chill out too.
Headspace offers some content for free, which I would recommend having a go with if you’re new to meditation or want to demo the app.
You get a lot of content from the paid subscription, although it can be pricey! I would suggest hanging on until a 50% off or 30% off discounts comes around, which happens a couple of times throughout the year.
Calm
Calm has a similar strategy to Headspace and offers similar content. It is a little more sleep-focused and doesn’t feature physical fitness content (yet). It’s perhaps not the perfect app for you if you’re completely new to meditation, as it doesn’t hold your hand. But it does have some really peaceful content to help you relax and dip in and out of throughout the day.
AllTrails
AllTrails has become particularly popular during lockdown, when getting out and about on foot and exploring your local area was all we could really do. It turns out that getting out in the fresh air, walking, and exploring nature is great for our mental health, so we’re all for it!
The app allows you to search for the best hikes and walking trails in your chosen area. It provides reviews and pictures as well as detailed directions and info about what you’ll see along the way such as trees and birds to look out for. If you’ve invested in a pair of walking boots over the last few months, you can use this app to help you along the way and to join the growing community of walkers.
Water Minder
Quite simply - drink more water! This is a straightforward app, and although we might be drinking lots of healthy Genies, most of us just don’t drink enough water throughout the day. Staying hydrated is one of the best things we can do to keep our minds and bodies fit and healthy, and the idea of this app is to build up the habit of drinking more. The app sets goals with you, reminds you to drink, and rewards you for doing so. You will notice patterns in your behaviour and sometimes you can work out that dehydration might be the cause of tiredness or even hunger.
Green Wallet
We love green wallet because they’re all about eco-friendly shopping. You can collect points from shopping on the app and spend them on great deals with their partners (like Genie)! So, you can have peace of mind that the companies you’re purchasing from have sustainable and ethical credentials, and you’re rewarded for shopping with them by getting great discounts. Green Wallet will also plant a tree for every purchase made via the app, allowing you not only to track your carbon footprint but offset it as well.
Couch to 5k
This is an oldie but a goodie. It’s one of the best apps we’ve tried for complete running novices. It helps to motivate you to actually get off the couch, and to complete your runs each week with the help of friendly recognisable voices such as Joe Wiley and Michael Johnson. It starts gently to ease you in and look after your joints. If you’re like me, you’ll do Couch to 5k every few months! But if you’re a bit more determined, then Couch to 10k is equally good and is a great next step.
Go Jauntly
Go Jauntly is an app to accompany your walks. Getting outside for 20 minutes a day is supposed to reduce anxiety and stress. Plus, walking is probably the easiest and cheapest form of exercise we can do.
Go Jauntly tells you info about your route, recommends where to go, and notes points of interest along the way, such as places to stop for food and drink or to use the loo. You can share your walks with friends and take pictures along the route to help update their database for the rest of the community.
Anytime Fitness
Anytime Fitness helps you to keep track of your healthy, active lifestyle both inside and outside of the Gym. You can chat to your personal trainer/coach, keep track of your classes and activity, and you'll get that motivation you need to keep it going. Plus, with Anytime Fitness you get access to great offers on healthy products, like Genies of course!
If you have any other suggestions for useful apps to help with your mental and physical wellbeing, we would love to hear them! Let us know on Instagram or Facebook @geniedrinks.
Along with all these tips, your health and wellbeing can be supported with a good diet, including lots of plants, fermented foods &drinks, beans & pulses, and herbs & spices. Incorporate Genie sodas into your routine for a little win that can perk you and your body up for the day ahead. Read more about the nutritious benefits of Genie Drinks here.
Feature photo: Photo by Bruno Gomiero on Unsplash