4 Apps That Will Help You To Stay Mentally and Physically Healthy During Quarantine

Making sure that you don’t skip any workouts can be a difficult task when you hear stories about coronavirus 24/7. Although it seems that we will have to deal with this situation for quite some time, it doesn’t mean that we can put our lives on hold. Even though you might feel less motivated than usual, physical activity, yoga, and meditation can help you feel better in those challenging times. In a second, you’ll learn about apps that will help you maintain your physical and mental health. Let’s go!

Headspace

If you feel overwhelmed by the amount of bad news that seems to be coming from every direction, it is possible that your anxiety and stress levels are skyrocketing. With Headspace, you can try practicing mindfulness skills, which can help you anchor yourself in the present, without overly worrying about the things that could happen in the future.

The studies have shown that meditation can decrease the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol while boosting dopamine levels. There is also weaker evidence that it could boost your serotonin levels as well. You don’t need any equipment to start meditating. All that you need to do is to find a calm place to meditate and focus on breathing techniques.

If your country hasn’t introduced any restrictions barring people from entering parks and forests, you could try meditating outside. Just remember to check the weather forecast on the internet or at your home weather station. Otherwise, your meditation practice could be unpleasantly interrupted.

Down Dog

If you enjoy the relaxation that comes with meditation but would like to work on your body at the same time, then yoga might be more to your liking. If that’s the case, then you should check out Down Dog. This app allows you to select the muscles that you want to target, but also the time and music that will accompany you as you are trying to remain motionless in weird poses.

That’s not all – the app also offers HIIT workouts that don’t require any equipment but will leave you sweaty and panting. During the current coronavirus crisis, the app is free for all until May 1st, whereas students, teachers, and health professionals can access this app without paying anything until July 1st.

Zwift

If you have either a treadmill or a stationary bike, you can transform your workouts with Zwift. You don’t need to leave your room to experience the streets of New York or London. Even if the freedom of movement will be restricted for quite some time, you can feel like a cyclist taking part in the Tour de France! You can also compete with your friends, even if in the real world it would be better to keep the distance from each other. Sure, you might prefer to actually run in the Alps, rather than do it only virtually, but you can train now to be prepared for a real-life challenge later on!

Aaptiv

If you are looking for an app that will enhance your home workouts, then Aaptiv might be a perfect choice. It contains thousands of home workouts – some of them require equipment, though in the case of others, you will only need some flat surface. Okay, but aren’t there hundreds of different home workout apps? It is true, but the main advantage of Aaptiv over its competitors is that you won’t have to look at the screen between the poses or exercises. Instead, it makes use of audio.

You will hear all the instructions about the exercises, which means that you won’t have to interrupt your training every few minutes. You can create weekly or monthly programs to achieve your long-term goals. If burning as many calories as humanly possible is your priority, then you can try high-intensity interval training. If you prefer to work out outdoors, without being able to access the wi-fi, then no worries! You can download all the workouts to access them later offline.

If you have been experiencing low motivation levels lately, then believe me – you are not the only one. Everything seems a bit surreal and convincing yourself that you would feel better after a particularly intense workout can be difficult. Still, no matter how hard it is, in times like this, you should make extra effort to not forget about the routine activities – like meditation and exercise, that will improve your mood.

If you are experiencing high levels of anxiety, then you might be better off contacting a specialist – although both meditation and physical activity will have a positive effect on the neurotransmitters in your brain, it might not be enough. Still, if you think that your condition is not as severe, you could check out those apps to make yourself at least a bit less stressed.