Did you know that April is Stress Awareness Month? At iFit, we love taking any opportunity we can to raise awareness and improve your overall health.
When my work and life become busy and chaotic, emails, text messages, and calls seem to be blowing up on my phone nonstop. Sometimes, I even switch my phone on "Do Not Disturb" mode and toss it as far away from me as possible, just so I can take a moment to breathe. What I hadn’t realized is that my phone can also act as a tool to help me destress.
It’s true! There are hundreds of apps available on your phone that can act as resources to relieve stress and help you unwind. After doing some research, here are my top four stress relief apps, tested, rated, and reviewed by yours truly.
1. Calm
Visually, Calm is everything you expect from a stress relief app. Its use of cool colors, natural scenery as backgrounds, and sounds of nature that play while the app is open are automatically relaxing. Every day, you are offered a Daily Calm activity, which is an audio-guided meditation, aimed to focus on a certain issue...for example, work stress. If you’re like me and have a hard time closing your eyes and just focusing on audio, Calm offers a relaxing scenery of a lake and background audio to go with it (you can also choose different scenery from the settings). You can link your Daily Calm activity to Siri and have her play it for you without going through the app. You can also set a mindfulness reminder, share your statistics, and view your streaks (how many days you’ve meditated in a row). You can access the soothing music library, different meditation programs, and even listen to masterclasses on topics such as Mindful Parenting.
2. Headspace: Meditation & Sleep
Visually, what sets Headspace apart is its use of bright colors and animated characters. When prompted for my reason behind using Headspace, I selected Stress & Anxiety. It also asked me my level of experience with meditation, making the app feel slightly personalized (although they all do). The free trial of headspace includes 10 meditation sessions over a span of 10 days. From there, you have to subscribe to unlock premium usage. You can customize the length of your meditation sessions, choose from their extensive library, track your progress, and save it to Apple Health Kit. To help you sleep, there are different audio experiences that you can choose from, including sleepcasts and sleep music.
Aside from meditation programs, the app includes Eyes-open Exercises, Headspace for Kids, Single Meditations (for when you don’t have much time), and six SOS sessions to give you relief during meltdown moments.
3. Breethe
Every day, Breethe gives you a recommended Daily Breether, a 10-minute meditation that targets a different theme each day, based on your personal goals. The Meditation library is organized, based on different genres or needs, such as Anytime, Anywhere, Life Situations, Themed Weeks, Kids & Family, and even Less Guidance. The Less Guidance meditations are a convenient feature, because they offer minimal verbal guidance, blended with music, nature, sounds, or silence. These are perfect if you’re looking to let your mind rest without a voice telling you when to breathe or what to let go of. Breethe also includes hypnotherapy sessions, inspirational talks, masterclasses, and calming videos to help you relax.
In the sleep section, you can find Bedtime Stories, Visualizations, and Sleep Music & Nature Sounds to help you fall asleep.
4. Aura
Aura first asks you how mindful, positive, or stressed you tend to be, then asks you to choose a time for a daily, 3-minute moment to yourself, You tie that moment to an existing habit; for example, after showering or first thing at work. You can also set a different time for weekends. In order to unlock all of the content inside Aura, you must complete your first, 3-minute meditation.
The nice thing about Aura is that it will ask you how you’re feeling each day before giving you a recommended meditation. Aura also uses a subscription method, where you can subscribe to certain channels, speakers, stories, and music. There is also an online community within the app where people can share their experiences with specific meditations, then recommend them to others.
All of these are great resources, and there are many more out there! Be sure to do some research and find what works best for you!
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Series Feature: Mood Food: Nutrition for Your Mind
Head to the kitchen for the delicious Mood Food: Nutrition for Your Mind Series with iFIT Guide Dr. Eva Selhub! About iFIT Guide Dr. Eva Selhub Board Certified in Internal Medicine, iFIT Guide Dr. Eva has extensive knowledge of the body and how it works. She combines this knowledge with alternative forms of medicine to help others transform their health and well-being. Dr. Eva encourages others to strive for physical, mental, and spiritual health through redefining their approach to health and fitness. Her goal is to translate complex scientific and medical information into practical and usable knowledge that everyone can access to improve their lives. About the workouts In this 12-part food adventure, Dr. Eva will take a deep dive into all aspects of food, nutrition, and health as they relate to your body and mind. You’ll learn how to eat mindfully to help your brain, your microbiome, your mood, and so much more as Dr. Eva takes you to the iFIT Kitchen. At the end of every video, she’ll challenge you with short exercises that you can do daily or weekly to start implementing these healthy practices into your daily life. Take control of your health and learn more about what your body and mind need to fuel itself! About iFIT Mind™ iFIT Mind offers unique, groundbreaking content that expands the definition of what it means to work out. You’ll learn from experts in both physical and mental training to help you become the best version of yourself through mindfulness, meditation, and movement. You can support your nutrition journey with our printable recipe book, created by Dr. Eva. In it, you’ll find recipes to help you incorporate vegetables and protein into your diet, from breakfast to dinner. Ready to get started? Join this series now! Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFIT assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment.
May 12, 2021
iFIT Trainer Casey Gilbert Shares His Journey to Well-Being
May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to fight the stigma, raise awareness, and support the millions of people around the world living with mental health conditions. We spoke with iFIT Trainer Casey Gilbert, who shared what mental health means to him, challenges he’s faced, and how it inspires his fitness journey. To learn more about Casey, follow him and iFIT on Instagram. And be sure to take care of yourself with our TBD Mental Health Collection, featuring refreshing workouts that support your physical strength and emotional well-being. Casey, how has prioritizing your physical fitness and mental health affected your overall well-being? Casey: “I started prioritizing my physical fitness because it was something that made me feel good, made me feel calm, and made me feel productive. But I didn’t realize until a few years ago that I was also prioritizing my mental health. There’s been plenty of times when, if I’m stressed or anxious, I don’t find myself able to perform physically. Taking moments to breathe, be mindful, and check in with yourself can benefit your physical health. Taking a step back sometimes can help me move forward in my fitness journey.” What inspired you to start prioritizing your mental health? Casey: “Since diving into that passion and purpose of prioritizing my mental health, I found that my overall well-being has drastically improved. I’m able to show up more for myself and those around me, and it’s been quite the journey that I am looking forward to continuing.” Have you experienced times when your mental health affected your physical fitness? Casey: “Those who know me know that I’ve struggled for a long time with anxiety, depression, overthinking, and [feeling] overwhelmed. I think that’s part of the human condition, and it makes me feel more human. When I share that on social media and with the iFIT Community, I’ve gotten an overwhelming response of positivity.” How do you manage those feelings when they arise? Casey: “As soon as I realize I’m not the only one going through it, I try to think about how [I’m] feeling in that moment and being okay with that. It’s a fitness journey, right? We’re trying to build our bodies and get healthier. But it’s also a journey of the mind to figure out who you are and build on that.” One last question. Do you have advice for people who want to create a healthy balance between fitness and well-being? Casey: “Just like building your body, think of your mental health as a journey. You’re not going to flip a switch and have everything figured out, just like you’re not going to do one bicep curl and have Arnold [Schwarzenegger] arms. It’s a process, and practice makes progress. Also, be kind to yourself. It’s going to take time. You will have setbacks, but that’s the part of the journey. We’re here together. We’re experiencing life together, so have grace with yourself. You’ll get exactly where you need to be as long as you keep showing up and doing your best.” Conquer your goals with Casey! Like Casey says, “Consistency and dedication are the only ways to approach a task—and conquer it.” Join these iFIT Series with Casey and give your mental health the attention it deserves. Bhutan: The Journey Within Join Casey and iFIT Guide Kenton Cool on 10 intermediate hikes and jogs in Bhutan, finding happiness and gratitude every step of the way. Join the Bhutan: The Journey Within Series 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon® Series Race through the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon® with iFIT Trainer Casey in five advanced workouts as Casey leads you along this legendary and historic course. Join the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon® Series New England Interval Series Join Casey for 12 beginner jogs, increasing your endurance and speed while taking in stunning sites across New England. Join the New England Interval Series Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFIT assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment.
May 15, 2023