There are hundreds of applications available for the iPhone that can increase both the quality and number of years of our lives. Distinct from the Internet, DVDs and the printed word, iPhone apps are designed to be consumed on the go and can be referenced during a workout, while exploring dining options, and even in the midst of a medical emergency.
While nothing can replace the expertise of a primary care provider, these 8 iPhone apps are designed to promote wellness and help us live longer.
Lose It!
Lose It! tracks exactly how many calories a person consumes each day, and advises on how much exercise is required to maintain or lose weight. With the holiday season approaching, this 99-cent app will have us think twice about pouring that second cup of eggnog (360 calories). For our New Years’ resolutions, elliptical training is a good option (burns about 500 calories per hour).
Epocrates
Epocrates, which provides information on drugs, drug interactions, and pill identification, is the best free offering out of the more than 7,700 health-related apps available in the iTunes App Store. This is one of the few apps that Apple had a direct hand in developing. A paid version of Epocrates is also marketed to medical professionals for $159 per year.
Restaurant Nutrition
Did you know that the bread bowl alone in Panera Bread soups is 590 calories? Next time you are tempted to walk into a restaurant chain, reach for the free Restaurant Nutrition app and learn everything that is good, bad and fattening about what’s on the menu.
iFitness
Not everybody can afford a personal trainer, and it is not practical to take your laptop with you on a run. With instructions for 230 different kinds of exercises, iFitness showcases a variety of different workout routines, and then tracks your progress. There is a reason why iFitness, at $2.99, is the top selling Health app available.
Couch to 5K
Of course, everybody needs to go at their own pace. At $2.99, Couch to 5K exists so that even the most sedentary among us can enjoyably work towards a meaningful fitness goal. The app comes equipped with voice prompts (male or female) that alternate between walk and jog. Weave in your favorite playlists and, in the course of nine weeks, achieve your goal of running for 3.1 miles without walking or stopping.
Swine Flu Tracker Map
There are more than 150 apps available focused on Swine Flu in the iTunes App Store. With threat level and symptom information provided by the Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization, the free Swine Flu Tracker map will keep you informed no matter where you travel.
CPR Buddy
We’ve all been schooled in CPR, but there is no telling how much instruction we can retain during an emergency situation. The 99-cent CPR Buddy provides audio and visual cues for the timing of both chest compressions and rescue breaths. An instruction area also illustrates proper hand and arm form.
Yoga Instructor
No need to stress missing your next yoga lesson with the $3.99 Yoga Instructor application. Yoga Instructor provides guided audio and illustrations for six common salutations. With this app, you can customize a practice around your schedule and embrace the healing qualities of your iPhone.
