10 Best Apple Watch Apps for Tracking, Improving Personal Health

Apple has been increasing its presence in the health care market in recent years with services like HealthKit, which allow its users to upload and share health-related information with their health care providers. But now there’s talk Apple wants to go a step further and use Apple Watch as a health care tool and partner with big companies, like Aetna, to bring its smartwatch to more users across the U.S. But those who already have an Apple Watch should know that the device already supports a variety of applications designed to track and improve individual health. With apps that track a user’s caloric intake to programs that can deliver fitness plans, there are several ways to improve health and wellness with Apple Watch. This will discuss some of the best available apps to do just that.

MyFitnessPal’s Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker is a nice tool for those who have goals to lose weight and need some help meeting goals. The app will track a person’s caloric intake throughout the day and provide Apple Watch owners quick access to important data, like how many carbohydrates they ate. The app will also track the user’s step count with the ultimate goal of hitting 10,000 each day.

Sometimes, wellness is more about the mind than the body. That’s where Headspace comes in. The app will allow Apple Watch owners to choose meditative exercises that help them “regain a calm mind.” In one example, users are asked to place their fingers on their Apple Watch screens for 30 seconds to take their minds off the stress and calm themselves.

Sworkit is a nicely designed workout and fitness plan app that tracks a user’s heart rate as they work out. Additionally, they can choose from a list of exercises, like push-ups or jumping jacks, and start and pause the workout from the Apple Watch. Along the way, Apple Watch measures beats per minute, calories burned, and more.

intensity interval and Tabata training. With the app, users can choose from several workouts, choose the duration of each exercise and track their heart rates. The app provides guidance on everything from boxing to cross training, measure performance during a workout and compare results with previous workout metrics.

Lose It is one of the more popular weight-shedding apps in the App Store. It will track a user’s caloric intake during the day and tract how many more calories the user can ingest to meet weight reduction goals. The service will also let users add meals to their daily tracker and will remind them to log meals when it’s time.

Apple Watch owners who have particular health issues or worry that they are getting sick the AskMD app can help with that. It logs a person’s symptoms over time and lets users add notes to how they’re feeling with the Apple Watch’s voice support. It’ll also list possible diagnoses and will provide suggestions on doctors users should see based on the symptoms. Those doctor suggestions include the provider’s contact information and a map to help users find local physicians’ offices.

If MyFitnessPal and Lose It aren’t right for some users, My Diet Coach might have the right set of features. The app tracks calories and keeps a log of what users have eaten, but also reminds folks to drink more water. In fact, a regular alert pops up on the Apple Watch to remind users about the water that won’t go away until users click “done.” The app will also inform users when they’ve hit their caloric intake limit for the day.

The 7 Minute Workout Challenge is a popular iPhone app that guides users through a series of interval workouts over the course of seven minutes. On the Apple Watch, it does the same, and provides simple images to show users how they should be performing each exercise. Apple Watch owners can choose from several workouts through the app.

Stepz is basically a fancy pedometer that tracks a user’s movement throughout the day. All day long, the app will track how many steps the user has taken, analyze how long that is in total distance, and measure calories burned.  It’s a simple app, but it does a better job than most of tracking a person’s activity.

Couch to 5K is about one thing, getting a user to go from no activity to running a 5K in just nine weeks. With the Apple Watch app, users will be pushed to run for 20 to 30 minutes three times a week. The app will guide runners through warm up, jog and run. The app also tracks distance and pace. If it’s properly followed, look for Couch to 5K to get users running the 3.1-mile stretch in no time.