Millennials, more commonly known as the app generation are playing a huge part in changing the health landscape globally. They have delightfully welcomed the advancement brought by technology and have incorporated apps into many aspects of their lives.
In Malaysia, a whopping 2.5 million people (18.5% increase from 2018) are using apps for their daily activities. From tracking steps, sleep cycle, calorie intake to monitoring blood pressure, there are hundreds of apps ready to serve you and elevate your health like never before.
Interestingly, according to a projection done in a Polaris Market Research, the global fitness app market size is expected to reach over $14.7 billion by 2026.
But, how do you know which app is right for you? Just like wearing an ill-fitting pair of shoes, being stuck with the wrong health app might not benefit you in the long run.
| Common health apps | What are they for? |
|---|---|
| Diet & Nutrition | Diet and nutrition apps usually help the diet-conscious to keep track of their calorie intake. Some apps give you an insight to how healthy a certain food item is. Besides that, you can also track your hunger levels which can be greatly helpful for those who have trouble controlling their food intake. |
| Sleep & Wake | Sleeping apps will track your sleep cycle, figure out when you go into deep sleep and if you have sleep deficits. Some apps will even wake you up when you are in your light-sleep stage to enhance your waking up process. |
| Wellness | Apart from eating habits and fitness routines that leads to physical health, mental health is also part of the whole health and wellness equation. A lot of apps now focus on meditation, happiness and boosting your mood. By creating just the right environment, these apps help you to de-stress and be less anxious. From pep talks to soothing music, you have it all. |
| Fitness | From running, lifting weights, and HIIT to yoga and kickboxing, fitness apps have it all. Traditionally, you attend classes or stack up DVDs of your personal favourites. Now, all it takes is a tap on your phone. Additionally, fitness apps usually incorporate fitness trackers. Just like the name suggests, it helps you to keep track of your daily fitness goals such as your calories burnt, and steps taken. |
| Period | Now, this is certainly a hit. Considering that menstrual cycles are a big part of women’s lives, apps that track ovulation and period are immensely popular. These apps can also track hormonal and mood changes that happen throughout the month. This provides a detailed insight into how a woman’s body work. |
| Productivity | Too much work, too little time. There are many apps that revolve around productivity such as helping you to list down your to-do-lists, compartmentalise your work and still have time to lead a balanced life. These apps help you to keep track of work and ensure you are always ahead of the game. As a result, you will be able to lead a stress-free life! |
| Health Services | Traffic jams, lack of time, and logistics issues are no more excuses that you can give to avoid going to the clinic and find out what’s wrong with your body! Now, there is even an app that comes with features such as Health Assessment, Symptom Checker and Online Consultation. You can interact with an AI-powered chatbot to figure out the condition of your body and you are always just a video call away from a doctor! |
Hold on! These are just a few apps from literally millions of apps available today.
According to a survey by Statista in 2018, health and fitness apps category are the 8th most popular in the Apple App Store and 11th most popular in Google Play. Statista has also projected that the penetration rate for mobile apps will reach 10.2% in 2023 compared to 8.7% in 2020.
How are you going to choose the right app and stick with it?
4 Simple tips to choose the right health app for you
You have a goal, you download an app to aid you towards your goal, you key in the details and you follow the instructions, but somehow your goal still seems far away after a considerable time.
You abandon the app and move on to another app. Or worse, you abandon your goal altogether!
This is why you should do your due diligence before choosing a health app as you are going to make big changes such as altering your lifestyle and incorporating new habits.
Be clear of your goal and look for a specific health app that will help you to reach that goal. One fool-proof way to find out if the app is what you want is by reading the description and reviews. You will get a rough idea about the app and how effective it has been for other people.
A health app should provide you with a systematic approach towards reaching your goal. There should be clear-cut strategies that will aid you towards your health goal.
These are called evidence-based strategies that have been proven to work for some time. Some of the strategies are goal-setting, social support, rewards, challenges, notifications, and self-monitoring.
Without these strategies, it is highly impossible for a health app to help you achieve your health goal!
On the other hand, if the developer has nothing to do with the health sector, it’s a red flag and it’s time you start looking for other health apps.
For instance, the Pulse app has been developed by Prudential, a well-established insurance company in Malaysia!
Better still, if you can get an overview of your body, track your fitness, and check where the nearest hospital is all within one app.
Besides decluttering your phone, the app will save you time and energy as you don’t have to register for separate accounts.
There is really no need to download many apps that don’t work the best for you. Instead, spend some time to zero in on the right app that will save you loads of time, money and energy in your journey towards a better health and better life.
Pulse by Prudential has Health Assessment, Symptom Checker, Online Consultation, Fitness Tracker, and Dengue Alert all in one app providing you with a seamless journey towards a healthier lifestyle.
