Yoga Day 2019: Top wellness iOS, Watch apps for you

Several research studies have shown that as people grow older, depression creeps into daily life and more so in the urban regions due to the fast-paced lifestyle. Many are unaware that it takes a huge toll on the heart and other organs leading to early deaths even in young adults in their 30's and much more in middle-ages (40-55).

Here's where Yoga comes into the play. This ancient Indian practice helps find balance in the mental and physical aspects of the human body.

"Yoga is a wholesome, holistic practice that energizes your body and mind. It helps improve the flexibility of the body, in turn, helping your posture and tone and build muscle. Weight-bearing postures from the simple downward facing dog to bakasana help maintain your bone health, which is vital for anyone over 35. A well-balanced yoga practice with forwarding folds, twists and backbends will keep your spinal discs healthy and supple, keeping back pain at bay," Bengaluru based Yoga expert, Namrata Sudhindra, said to Deccan Herald.

"A healthy yoga practice will connect you deeply to your breath, helping increase your lung capacity and the deep breathing stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system that sends your body the message to relax, repair and recoup," Namrata added.

With International Yoga Day being celebrated this week (June 21), DH is listing top wellness apps for Apple devices, which the readers can learn some Yoga poses that can help in developing a healthy and stress-free lifestyle.

Daily Yoga

Daily Yoga app on Apple iPhone; picture credit: Apple App Store

It has been voted the best Yoga app for five consecutive (2014 to 2018) by Healthline magazine. Daily Yoga offers more than 500 asanas, 200 plus guided classes of yoga, pilates, meditation, 50 plus workout plans, guided meditation tracks, and 37 yoga music, 10 plus top coaches workshops that suit both beginner and experienced yoga trainer.
Daily Yoga is a free app, but if the user wants dedicated training, it also has an in-app subscription plan for classes such as ‘Beginner to Master’, ‘Getting Toned’, ‘Mindfulness Everyday’ and ‘Health Enhancer’.

Breathe

Breathe app in action on Apple Watch

It is a native Apple iOS app and guides the user through a series of deep breaths, and it reminds them to take time to get away from the daily chores and work, to perform meditation.
User can set reminder timings and also choose how long he or she wants to breathe, then let the animation and gentle taps help them focus.

"Personally I benefit from this practice every day. Physically I am at my strongest and my body at its optimum functionality. I meditate and connect to my breathe as frequently through the day as I can. The Breathe App on my Apple Watch helps me be more consistent with it. And for a minute you can just pause everything around you look at the flower blooming on inhalation and shrinks down on the exhalation. It’s a simple yet effective way to give yourself a few minutes every hour to center yourself, whether it’s before a meeting, while stuck in traffic or simply to wind down at the end of the day.” Namrata noted.

Yoga Wave

Yoga Wave on iPhone; picture credit: Apple App Store

In addition to step-by-step video tutorials of Yoga poses, the users the option to set up personal accounts, level (beginner or advanced) and also the duration of the class.
Yoga Wave is free to download app and Apple device owners can also subscribe to paid classes. They are entitled to get unlimited access to all professional yoga courses (Back Pain, Better Posture, Core Yoga, Postnatal, Relaxation and Stress Relief, Strength, and Weight Loss), thousands of classes, and more than 200 poses (from beginner poses to the most advanced ones).

Yoga Go: Weight Loss Workouts

Yoga Go app; picture credit: Apple App Store

As the name suggests, it offers Yoga tips on how to lose weight. Yoga Go, developed by A.L. Amazing Apps Ltd offers customized fitness and weight loss plans, along with a healthy meal tracker, giving users an all-inclusive, anytime/anywhere solution to build a toned and sexy body, maintain balanced emotions, and harmonise their life.
Yoga Go can also integrate with Apple's Health app to track progress, workout time, and calories burnt.

Ten Percent Happier

Ten Percent Happiness; picture credit: Apple App Store

The iOS app offers guided meditations, videos, talks, and sleep content will help you build (or boost) your meditation practice, and stick with it. Ten Percent Happier was adjudged 'Best of 2018' by Apple. It is compatible with iPhone and Apple Watch.

It has a library of more than 500 guided meditations on topics ranging from anxiety to parenting to focus, ensuring that the user can find exactly the right meditation for the moment.

The sleep section filled with relaxing meditations that make it easy to fall (and stay) asleep. Bite-size stories, wisdom, and inspiration that the device owner can listen to while on the go - for those moments when the user is not feeling like meditation but what some mindfulness.

If you have subscribed to the Apple Music, iPhone and Watch users can also make use of wellness albums such as Pure Meditation, Yoga Sweat and Sleep Sounds to play them as background music.

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