As the government ramps up efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, more Aussies are self-isolating in a bid to keep healthy. Being trapped inside all day isn’t ideal, but you can still keep fit, eat well and practice mindfulness without leaving your lounge room. The trick is to download the right apps.
Below are some of the best apps for maintaining a healthy body and mind during self-isolation:
Health Updates – Coronavirus Australia
The Government has recently launched an official app offering up to date information and advice on the pandemic. Features of the app include current pandemic status updates by state, news and media updates, symptom checker, isolation register, advice, resources and more.
Cost: Free
Fitness – FitOn
Gyms and fitness centres may have been forced to close, but you can still work up a sweat in your lounge room. This is where FitOn can help. The app is basically a Netflix service for exercise videos. It offers a huge variety of workouts to choose from including barre, HIIT, yoga, Pilates, cardio and strength training. You have the option to create customised workout plans based on your fitness goals, and don’t require any extra equipment at home to participate.
Cost: Free, with in-app purchases
Food – Yummly
It can be hard to get to the shops during this time, but this doesn’t mean your culinary skills have to fall by the wayside. Yummly offers personalised recipe recommendations based on the contents of your fridge or pantry. Not only is this great for those of us in self-isolation, it can help to prevent food wastage.
The app also provides an “Explore” section where you can browse recipes under different categories like kid-friendly, seasonal and trending now. It also caters to vegans, vegetarians, pescetarian and paleo.
Cost: Free, with in-app purchases
Financial Health – The Finder App
The Finder App works by tracking your spending across several product categories, including health insurance. It compares what you’re spending with current deals and offers available. For instance, the app might note that you’re spending $106.80 a month on health insurance. It may then be able to suggest a similar policy for a better price. The app will send an alert when a deal comes up, and it’s completely up to you whether you switch or not.
Cost: Free
Wellbeing – Moodfit
If you’re feeling stressed or anxious at the moment, you’re not alone. It’s important to keep your mental health in check during this time. Moodfit allows you to track your emotional state to increase your awareness of mood and look for patterns. The app also provides breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques, strategies for dispelling negative thoughts and more.
Cost: Free, with in-app purchases
Sleep – SleepScore
If you find it hard to get a decent night’s sleep, a sleep tracker can help you pinpoint where you may be able to improve. Using your smartphone microphone and speaker, the app measures your breathing rate and body movements during the night. It will then provide you with a calculated sleep score (which ranges between 0 and 100). SleepScore can provide in-depth analysis into every stage of your sleep, including time to fall asleep, deep sleep, REM sleep and duration of sleep. The app also offers relevant advice or recommendations for how to improve your forty winks.
Cost: Free, with in-app purchases
The Carousel would like to thank Bessie Hassan, money expert at Finder, for her article.
