5 yoga and meditation apps for a fitter you

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Key Takeaways: A little yoga and meditation can go a long way in relaxing and rejuvenating you. They are good for your body and mind and a great way to stay fit and happy. To help you add these practices to your daily routines, we have handpicked a few apps. Take a deep breath and dive in!

Don’t have the time to go down to the neighbourhood yoga studio or attend the upcoming meditation workshop? No problem. We bring you a list of smartphone apps that will let you practice yoga and meditation any time you want without leaving your home.

Calm

Calm is one of the leading apps for sleep and meditation and includes masterclasses, guided meditations, sleep stories and breathing exercises.

You can personalise the various programs on the app based on your goals such as reduce anxiety, improve performance, boost sleep quality, reduce stress or even develop gratitude.

The app has programs for beginners, intermediate practitioners and advanced users. You can choose from quick three-minute guided meditations to intense 25-minute sessions. Calm’s seven-day courses are designed to address subjects like pain and anxiety management. Please note that some of these programs are available only for premium users.

If you want to kick back your legs and just relax, switch to its collection of ambient music – like sounds of raindrops on leaves or waterfalls.

Headspace

Headspace aims to make meditation simple so that anyone can practice it anywhere, anytime. It calls itself a “personal guide to mindfulness” and provides meditations and exercises to reduce stress, improve sleep and increase fitness.

Through the app, you can get a new meditation every day, exercises for better sleep and ambient music to relax. You can start your mornings with ‘Wake Up’ that features inspiring stories and quick meditations to recharge you for the day. If you want something more energetic, try the ‘Move Mode’ which are courses designed to combine mindfulness with exercise through short workouts and meditations. 

Done for the day? Hit Sleep on the app for sleepcasts, relaxing music and unique audio experiences for a restful night.

Headspace is free to try for a week.

Insight Timer

Insight Timer has over 40,000 guided meditations of varying durations and styles so that you are likely to find one that works for you. A majority of its meditations are free.

The app features guided sessions led by acclaimed mindfulness and meditation experts including activist and actor Russell Brand and author Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat Pray Love fame. Insight Timer also features talks by neuroscientists, psychologists and teachers from universities such as Harvard, Stanford and Oxford.

Besides guided meditations, the app also includes longer courses (spanning days) on everything from how to meditate to how to sleep better.

Another popular feature on the app is its collection of relaxing and sleep music.

Insight now also has a feature called Teams which is designed for workforces to meditate together. So, if you want something not only for yourself but also for your colleagues, Teams may be what you need.

Down Dog

The best thing about Down Dog is its simplicity. It’s great for a beginner and has enough in it to keep a more advanced practitioner engaged as well.

If you are relatively new to yoga, the app has a three-day introduction series covering vinyasa, hatha and restorative yoga.

But that’s not all. Down Dog has over 60,000 yoga routines and you can choose your time, level, focus, voice and music to create a personalised routine for yourself.

Besides yoga, the app has sections for HIIT (high-intensity interval training), ballet-inspired workouts, yoga for expecting mothers and more.

Its ‘Yoga for Beginners’ is free but the advanced sessions need a paid subscription after the trial period.

Asana Rebel

Exercise. Sleep. Music. Meditation. Like most other apps on the list, Asana Rebel provides users a plethora of options under these four categories.

Asana Rebel is however particularly popular for its workout routines, which includes everything from yoga to HIIT. The app aims to promote fitness through a five-point program: getting in shape, strength training, flexibility, balance and breathing. You can personalise your plan based on your goals after previewing the workouts.

This app is available in six different languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Portuguese. It is free to download and try, but you will have to buy a subscription to continue after the trial.

Final Note: Day or night, on your own or with family, light or intense, beginner or advanced, no matter how you would like to do your yoga or meditation, these five apps will definitely have something suitable for your needs.

*Disclaimer: This article has been shared purely from an information perspective and we do not necessarily endorse any of the above mentioned mobile apps.