Tech Review: Yoga and wellness apps
The free Daily Yoga app for IOS and Android has more than 200 poses accompanied by crisp video instruction and detailed descriptions. Credit: Handout
Whether you love striking yoga poses during classes at the gym or in your living room, there are plenty of mobile apps that will help you breathe easy. With the help of your mobile device, you can keep your mind sharp and relaxed. Download these five apps for wellness and workouts and then see how you feel.
Insight Timer
-- Meditation Timer
(iOS, Android; $1.99)
It's important to keep your mind relaxed when practicing yoga. Many yoga-centric mobile apps come with soothing music or even the option to substitute your own tunes. Created by Spotlight Six Software, Insight Timer isn't specifically for yogis, but it is definitely for anyone who likes to meditate on a regular basis. The mobile app comes with seven Tibetan singing-bowl sounds. From the configuration page you can choose the type and duration of your sessions.
Relax Melodies Premium
(iOS, Android; $2.99)
Is there such a thing as a relaxation therapist? Well, look no further than Relax Melodies Premium, brought to you by iLBsoft. It includes 94 soothing sounds, like River Ocean, Urban Rain, Owls or Cat Purring, as well as binaural beats that are sure to enhance your tranquillity. There's a relaxing sound for everyone in this diverse library of audio sensations. As a bonus, the app can run in the background while you stretch and flex during a yoga session.
Endomondo Sports Tracker
(iOS, Android; free)
After an invigorating bikram yoga session, it can be a good idea to cool down with a light-paced jog or a 20-minute walk. This free app ($4.99 PRO upgrade) is a fantastic option for monitoring your progress for running, walking, biking and, heck, even in-line skating, especially if you want to record your distance, speed, hydration, heart rate and calories burned. This app has a motivational audio coach for encouragement as you soldier on. Regardless of your workout pace, Endomondo's intuitive interface is top-notch.
(iOS, Android; $2.99)
Mental wellness, problem-solving and physical dexterity go hand-in-hand-in-hand. While most mobile games out there feature frantic game play and button-mashing, there are a few that champion serenity over attack combinations during combat. Created by the geniuses at Secret Exit Ltd., Zen Bound 2 is a complex, yet simple puzzle game, where the aim is to wrap digital ropes around wooden objects. Concentration is key, and you can complete each puzzle at your own pace. So after you've improved your body's flexibility, give your gray matter a workout.
Daily Yoga
(iOS, Android; free)
Daily Yoga gets its comprehensive sessions from real-life yoga instructors. With more than 200 poses accompanied by crisp video instruction and detailed descriptions, this app is great for amateur yogis. It's no surprise that Daily Yoga is one of the most popular mobile health apps, with its downloadable yoga sessions, its 40 minutes of free, peaceful music, its how-to guidance section and its User Center, where you can connect with a global community of yoga enthusiasts.
