5 Apps for Student Health

iPhone Grip 3GS

Student health and fitness is a big deal in college, as for many people, it’s the first time they’ve had to be entirely conscious of how and what they’re eating, when they go to sleep, how much water they’re drinking, and so on. For the first time, no one’s there to stand over you and tell you that you need to eat four more bites of chicken before you can have ice cream, or that you should trade out the brownies for an apple every once in a while. However, there are some great apps that can help aid students and guide them in the right direction along these lines.

1. Water Your Body ($0.99) – This is a comprehensive app that allows you to track your daily water intake. It is tailored to your body and your circumstances, and gives you many helpful tips and facts about water and human health. It gives you a daily grade, sends you push notifications, and allows you to view an overall graph and statistics of your drinking habits. It’s great encouragement to get that daily 64 ounces! It is $0.99 on the App Store for a limited time.

2. Shopwell (Free) – This app lets you scan barcodes at the supermarket to find out if they are a good match for your dietary needs. It also gives you suggestions for foods that are also good (or better) for you. It helps you to create healthy grocery lists, and to avoid any dietary restrictions or unwanted ingredients such as added sugars and fats. It is available for free on the App Store.

3. HealthTap (Free) – This app is a one stop shop for medical needs. You can get in contact with licensed doctors and medical care providers to get answers for your health questions. The service is free, and operates around the clock, so even if you wake up with a fever at 2:00am, you can determine a likely cause and what you best course of action is. This is perfect for students that are away from their family doctors, and can help you figure out if you have a simple cold or a case of pneumonia. It also allows you to store medical information in a completely secure setting, and can help you get appointments with your doctor if you decide you need one. This app is available for free on the App Store and on Google Play.

4. Sleep Cycle ($0.99) – This is a revolutionary app that can change the way you wake up – and consequently the way you feel for the rest of the day. Using the accelerometer in the iPhone, it gauges your sleep patterns based on how you move around during the night. Then, using a 30 minute window, which ends at your set alarm time, it wakes you up during your lightest sleep cycle, thus making it seem as if you woke on your own accord. You feel much more rested and ready to take on the day, which we all know can work wonders in college. Sleep Cycle is available for $0.99 on the App Store.

5. Workout Plan (Free) – With this, you can set up customized workout plans with various exercises, and allows you to work with multiple workouts and schedules. It gives you a comprehensive view of workouts that are overdue, and ones that are coming up yet, and allows you to work on those at your pace. It is available for free on the App Store.