How to use Android for health and fitness
Dr Android will see you now.
It’s well into 2020 and a New Year’s Resolution was to focus on healthy living, so it’s time to get some serious assistance – in Android form!
The range of health advice, websites and apps available is huge (and we’re starting to dive into that with new Help section this issue!), and that is part of the problem. Who has time to investigate and evaluate all of the possibilities? Fortunately, we decided it was worth the slog and tested a large number of different options - so you don’t have to.
Android has some health related aspects built in, but we are mainly relying on third party apps in this space. We split the search into different health-related categories, and attempted to find at least one top-performing app for each category.
But first, devices that shipped with Android 9 or 10 generally include software to help you manage your device usage and screen time:
BLUE LIGHT
Light from electronic screens tends to have a blue tinge, and can disrupt your sleep if viewed before bed. Check your device’s Display settings and you will find a Night Light or Night Mode, and maybe a Blue Light Filter. Switch them on to have warmer hues from your screen if you use it at night.
DIGITAL WELLBEING
Digital Wellbeing is a new feature in Android 9 and 10, and it is changing how people use their devices. Essentially, Digital Wellbeing tracks and analyses your device usage then provides you with information and options related to it. The idea is to improve the balance between your digital and real world time and activity. Check your device to see if it is already installed – and explore the options.
DIGITAL WELLBEING FOR EARLIER VERSIONS OF ANDROID
Want to monitor your Digital Wellbeing but don’t have one of the latest Android 9 or 10 devices? Fortunately, there are third party apps such as ActionDash or
Screen Time – which are designed to provide similar functionality on any device running Android 5.0 or later. You can download them for free from the Google Play Store.
The free version of ActionDash covers most functions and only seems to have ads suggesting you upgrade to the paid version, which costs $5.99, while Screen Time is free and does not run ads.
First aid apps
There are many apps offering first aid information and resources, but quality is variable, plus many are country-specific. From the Google Play Store, we liked:
FIRST AID-AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS
The Australian Red Cross app includes extensive information as well as guides for emergency situations. It is easy to navigate and use, includes a learning module, and is a great addition to every smartphone – this app could save lives. It is free and does not run ads, so we suggest heading for the Play Store and getting yours.
FIRST AID AND EMERGENCY TECHNIQUES
If you would like a veritable library of emergency situation information on your device this app delivers. Only problem is that the ads are intrusive and annoying.
Exercise
Now we are ready to get some exercise, but how to plan and track it?
STEP TRACKER - PEDOMETER FREE & CALORIE TRACKER
This minimalist step counter app is very easy to use. Simply install, set your personal profile and preferences, leave your phone in your pocket and it will automatically
record your steps and even how many calories you have burned. There is also an option to track your walks with GPS.
The app runs in the background and does not need to be active to record. It is free with a single banner ad appearing at the bottom of each screen, which is quite tolerable.
WALK WITH MAP MY WALK
If you’d like more guidance, Map My Walk can provide a variety of suggested walks of varying distance, or can plan walks to preferred destinations. You can connect devices like smart shoes and watches too. You need to create an account, but the requested info is fairly minimal so it’s not too intrusive.
HOME WORKOUT – NO EQUIPMENT
We opted out of investigating the multiplicity of Gym apps, but we like this home-focussed option. It provides a wide range of exercises while encouraging you to set goals and record your progress towards achieving them. Essentially, this app becomes your personal trainer and can really help in achieving your fitness goals.
Sleep
After all that exercise you are probably feeling tired, and getting a good night’s sleep is essential for your health and wellbeing! We looked at a few sleep trackers, and here’s our favourite:
SLEEP AS ANDROID SLEEP CYCLE SMART ALARM
Sleep as Android helps you set optimum sleep duration, monitors the quality of your sleep, can interact with smart devices, and has a host of alarm options. It’s intuitive to navigate and seems to work well.
Sleep as Android provides a trial of the full version for two weeks, then brings in limitations if you do not upgrade to the US$9.99 Sleep as Android Unlock version. This gives you a good opportunity to see how well it works for you before buying.
Another app - Sleep Cycle: Sleep analysis & Smart alarm clock – also looks promising but is more expensive and reportedly not as reliable. We liked the interesting global sleep information on their website though, at: www. sleepcycle.com
Food and weight
We are what we eat, and the Australian Calorie Counter - Easy Diet Diary app is a food tracking assistant designed for Australia and New Zealand. It is free and does not run ads, but does require creating an account. If you want or need to keep a record of the food you are eating this is a great app, and it can also track your exercise programme. Get it for free from the Google Play Store.
If you find that you need a bit more assistance in managing your food and weight you could try The Weight Loss Mindset: Lose Weight With Hypnosis. It costs US$14.99 upfront, but users report that its simple sessions are very good at psyching you into changed behaviours.
General health tracking
If you have a need to track health events and symptoms over time
Updoc: Health diary might well do the job. The basic app is free, but you need to create an account and authorise the upload of your data. As with any account-based apps, it is a good idea to create a nonpersonalised email address to use with these accounts, and to limit the amount of personal information that you enter into the app.
For a more basic symptom tracking app with no account required you could download
Health Log by AR Productions from the Google Play Store.
We also tried the interesting
Yolife and Habinator - Health and Life-Coach apps but ran into some compatibility issues on our test Samsung Galaxy Note 8. They are worth checking out to see how they run on your Android device.
Pollution
And finally, if you are getting all health and fitness conscious it pays to know your local air quality before you go for a run and inhale lots of it.
We found the Air Quality, Air Visual app to be easy to use and it provides localised information for almost anywhere in the world – you can look up any location. Plus the app is free and does not run ads, so it’s a logical addition to anyone’s health toolkit.