With the new year upon us, there is an opportunity for Apple iPhone owners to get off to a fresh start and build good habits by installing some useful apps. The top focus in 2021 should be health and, thankfully, knowing what to do and staying on track isn’t as hard to manage as it once was. Learning new skills is also a good way to begin the year. With an iPhone and a few apps, it's easier than ever to begin a new year with a positive focus.
January often comes with beginning a new diet and a workout routine, but studies have shown that cutting calories and exercising is not necessarily sustainable. Most people have personal experience with that. Instead of a sudden change, the human body is better suited to sustained improvements and it actually resists sudden weight loss and complains about rapid increases in exercise. As the old saying goes, slow and steady wins the race. To create a sustainable pattern, a coach is quite helpful and an iOS app can serve that purpose pretty well.
An incredibly well-researched approach to improving diet is presented by a free iOS app called Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen. Available in English and Spanish, the Daily Dozen describes basic categories of food that should be eaten every day in order to get proper nutrition. The app is updated every few months with new information and the latest version includes 21 tips specifically to help with weight loss, including time-restricted eating and front-loading calories. Units can be set to metric or imperial and keeping records is as easy as checking boxes throughout the day with meals. Charts of the day, month, and year are available, showing improvement. It’s a top-rated iPhone nutrition app that is completely free with no subscription required.
Exercise, Meditation & Learning Apps
Exercise, flexibility, and meditation are all very important for health and fitness. A clear mind and a strong body that can bend and stretch without strain make everything in life easier. Yoga takes care of all three with a daily practice that can be done indoors, so it isn’t dependent on the weather and requires no equipment. Yoga Down Dog is a free download with a one month trial followed by a variety of subscription options. What makes this app unique is that each practice is highly customizable. Style of yoga, length of the practice, level of experience, body area to focus upon, instructor’s voice, with music, ambient sound, or silence able to be chosen. Being able to choose exactly the practice desired may be why this iOS app has such a high rating.
How to Draw - Learn Drawing is a long name for an app, but a very descriptive one. The app is free with minimal ads that can be removed with the ‘Pro’ version for $4. A large selection of drawing guides give step by step instruction and allows on-screen drawing with guides. There isn’t a built-in save feature, but a screenshot can capture the drawing for sharing. At the end of the drawing, the app fills in the original to give an idea of how the user drawing compares. The user can also use a thin sheet of paper placed over the iPhone to trace with a pencil or pen. Learning to draw is a fun, creative outlet and this app helps build muscle-memory to improve drawing skills.
With the help of a few apps, 2021 can begin with health, fitness, and learning a new skill. All can be done from the warmth, comfort, and safety of home and all three of the suggested apps are free, so there is no reason not to give them a try. iPhone owners can use technology to build some sustainable, good habits to make the new year even better.
Sources: Yoga Down Dog, Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen, How to Draw - Learn Drawing