As a woman living abroad, it is important to stay physically and mentally healthy so you can be at your best in your new home and excel at your role at work.
Photo credit (and featured image): Shutterstock.com / Monkey Business Images
One of the greatest challenges can be finding the time and motivation to monitor your well-being so you can manage issues before they become a problem. So often, we neglect our own needs and throw ourselves into our work, family, and friends’ lives without taking the time to prioritize our own life.
Using apps is a great way to fit a bit of self-care in around your normal daily routine. Grab a couple of minutes here and there across your day to monitor your exercise, meditate or check in on your mood. To help you out, Allianz Care has compiled some of the best Android and iOS health apps for expat women:
Fitness apps for women
I’ve written a ton about the Peloton app and I can’t get enough. It’s my favorite app for indoor cycling and the quality of the instruction, not to mention the production of the content, is top notch. Classes stream live from their studios in NYC and London and new classes are added daily.
The title says it all, short, snappy 7-minute workouts designed specifically for women, users of this app love the look and feel with clear graphics that are easy to follow. Sessions are so short you can complete one before jumping into the shower in the morning. If you’re easing into exercise and don’t have much time to spare, this app is for you.
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com / ArtRoms
7 Minute Workout
Another time saver at only 7 minutes, this app’s combination of daily reminders, varied workouts and challenges is what users love about it. Even better, most of the routines do not require equipment so you can exercise anywhere. This app is perfect if consistency is a problem.
Pocket Yoga
If you want to improve your flexibility but don’t have time to attend a yoga studio, why not bring it with you? This app provides you with the audio and visual instruction you need to perfect yoga poses at home or in your hotel room.
Period tracker apps
Period Tracker
This simple app allows you to track the start and finish date of your period which you can over lay with feelings, temperature, and weight throughout the month. In time, it will allow you to see monthly patterns in your overall well-being that could be linked to your cycle.
Glow
If you want to keep a closer eye on your fertility, this could be the app for you. Users use this app to predict periods of high and low fertility when trying to conceive. There’s also a Glow community of women discussing pregnancy and related topics through the app.
myPill
Expat life is busy, there is no denying that. If the pace of life working abroad means you occasionally miss taking your pill then you need this app. It functions in two ways, providing subtle reminders and a virtual pack you can mark off when you take your pill so you can avoid those ‘did I take my pill or not?’ moments we all occasionally have.
Mindfulness Apps
Working as an expat can be stressful. Not only have you moved to a new role in an unfamiliar country, you may also be missing the support of your network of family and friends. If you are finding life as an expat stressful, you may find these apps useful:
Headspace
Feeling overwhelmed? Just 10 minutes a day following the guided meditations on this app could help you build the mental capacity you need to get things done. Founded by an ex Buddhist monk who saw the benefit this ancient art could bring to our modern lives.
Calm
Offering meditation, stress management and aids to sleep, this app is the go-to if you are looking for a holistic approach to stress management. Users love the beautiful scenery, variety of assistance it offers and the soothing tones of the narrators.
Android MoodSpace
Short daily Cognitive Behavioral Therapy based workouts to improve your mood. This app helps you focus on the positive, identify and challenge negative thinking and includes useful meditations to maintain a sense of calm during difficult times.
Apple Mood Notes
Record how you feel daily, the app responds with gentle insight, encouragement and useful questions to help you think differently. Over time you will identify negative thought patterns and find solutions with the app’s guidance.
Health apps should never replace a visit to a doctor or counselor, even while you are working abroad. Make sure you have access to the help you need when you need it with international health insurance.
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Do you live abroad? What health apps do you use daily?
Disclosure: Thank you to Allianz Care for sponsoring this post.
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