Tag Archive for: classes

Gamify Your Wellness With These Health & Fitness Apps

As a self-confessed over-achiever, one life hack that suits my personality dangerously well is gamifying health, wellness and fitness. That’s right, if I don’t get points for it, then I don’t want to do it. Kidding… kinda. In all seriousness, I’m not the only one who has found the gamification of health & wellness to be a true game changer. If you’re someone who likes using data to track and better your wellbeing, I’m with you. Tracking my behaviors and habits, and using that data to improve my health and wellness just feels good. Here is a list of some of my favorite health and fitness apps & tools that gamify wellness for our data-loving 30-something hearts.

Apple Watch for Activity Tracking

Apple Watch users use the Activity app to track how much they move, exercise and stand every day. The Move ring shows how many active calories you’ve burned, the Exercise ring shows how many minutes of brisk activity you’ve completed, and the Stand ring shows how many hours in which you’ve stood or moved for at least a minute. My personal favorite feature, however, is the step counter. I have a daily goal of getting 10k steps in, and I think most step-counting lovers would agree that it takes a lot more movement than you may think to meet that goal every day!

Daily Dozen for Nutrition Tracking

Dr. Gregor’s Daily Dozen app leaves calorie and macro counting at the door, and instead – gamifies eating a well balanced diet by suggesting daily servings of all the important food groups. “It has completely transformed how I eat,” a friend told me as she recommended it. “It’s added a foundation of fruits and vegetables to my day. When I go out to eat, I’ll change my order to opt for a side salad, just so I can get all of my greens and check that off my list in the app.” It also can be set to remind you to exercise and take your vitamins – an efficient and encouraging wellness checklist, all in one.

InsightTimer for Meditation

Findings on the health benefits associated with a daily meditation practice are astounding, and yet, it can still be one of the most difficult practices to incorporate into our day. Enter Insight Timer, a free meditation app that gives us the opportunity to “get centered” through group events and guided meditations from psychologists, spiritual teachers, and even celebrities. And the gamification component? Nothing feels quite as good as being reminded that you have a 30 day streak of meditation going.

Streaks for Habit Tracking

The Streaks app refers to themselves as “The to-do list that helps you form good habits.” Sign. Me. Up. Whether it’s forming a habit around flossing your teeth daily or making sure you dog gets a walk in, the app rewards you for every day you complete a task by extending your streak. And us data lovers love a good streak – we want healthy habits & completed checklists, right? This one is highly recommended for anyone who leans on a to-do list to get things done!

SleepCycle for Sleep Tracking

I’ve been using SleepCycle for about 5 years now, and it still amazes me that I can look at that much data around when I go to sleep and when I wake up. In addition to using it for sleep tracking, I also love their alarm feature. Instead of setting it to wake me up at a specific time, I choose a 30 minute window, it alarms me with beautiful and peaceful chimes when I’m in the lightest phase of sleep within that window. This means that I’ve never been aggressively jolted out of my sleep, and I always wake up feeling well-rested and ready to seize the day.

Our Challenge to You

We’ve obviously given you a lot to think about above, so we challenge you to pick one area you want to focus on, and gamify it (just for fun!) There’s a lot to learn about how much we move, or sleep, or eat – and knowledge is power. Get out there and move!

Let’s Move! Tips for Sneaking in Exercise Every Day

As a mother of a 1 year old who is in the thick of his first winter at daycare, I can safely say that all expectations of a consistent gym routine are officially out the door. But in the ongoing practice of being kind to myself, I don’t sweat it (literally.) Instead, I look at it as an opportunity to get creative and make some changes to my lifestyle, by sneaking in fitness where I can.

If you struggle with creating a consistent gym routine, here are some tips for how you can move your body every day to get the exercise you need.

Set a daily step goal

If I can’t fit a workout into my day, I always try to get my 10,000 steps in. For those of us who live outside of a major city, that means doing at least a 1-2 mile walk, parking at the back of the parking lot, taking the stairs, and in general doing whatever you can to work a little extra walking into your everyday routine. A fitness tracker will help you get serious about your daily step goal and will majorly up your likelihood of reaching it every day.

Include yoga in your morning routine

One of the best ways to get moving first thing in the morning, is to carve out 5 minutes for some stretching and sun salutations. Not only is it a relaxing way to wake up your mind and begin your day, but it gets the blood pumping too! Especially after laying down for 7-8 hours, our backs, shoulders and limbs need some stretching before we put them into overdrive for the day.

Stand while you work

Standing desks are no longer just for tech startups. Everyone is hip to the fact that just because we may be sitting at a desk 5-8 hours per day, doesn’t mean we need to be sedentary. We can move while we work! I don’t have a standing desk (I like to stand at my countertop or a hightop table in my office,) but standing desks are excellent ways to secure some fitness in your work day.

Keep weights & fitness bands in your office

Another way to incorporate fitness into your workday, is by keeping your weights and fitness bands nearby, in your office space. This way, you can set a reminder to get up every hour and do 5 minutes of activity. And if you don’t have weights or bands, don’t fret. Set that reminder for every hour and do 10 push ups, 25 crunches and a 1 minute plank. An excellent way to build strength and force yourself to take necessary work breaks!

Join a fitness class… last minute

When I’m out of my routine, it’s extra difficult for me to be inspired to create a balanced workout for myself in the gym. That’s why I choose fitness classes in the winter season. Not only are they the most efficient workouts, but all you have to do is show up and stay the length of the class. That, I can do!

Instead of booking the class ahead and then potentially having to cancel it because you or someone in your family got sick, just call up the studio (or log onto MindBody) a few hours before to see if there are available spots. I find that if I sign up within two hours of the class, I don’t have time to think about it – I just go.

If you’re in the Exeter area, you can look up a yoga and fitness class at Bryony Body, here on our class calendar.

Get moving at Bryony Body

Even though we’re in the business of fitness, we still understand how difficult it is to keep a consistent workout routine week in and week out. That’s why we strive to give you tools and confidence to work wellness into your life, in whatever way works for you. And if you ever get a chance to stop by Bryony Body for a class, we think you’ll love it and will welcome you with warm arms. Get out there!