With personal wellness gaining a bigger spotlight, people everywhere are looking for simple, yet effective, ways to take care of their bodies and minds. Improving your physical and mental health doesn’t have to be costly or time-consuming. You can enjoy the benefits of a structured wellness program right from your phone or smartwatch—customized to fit your schedule and lifestyle.
To make it even easier to find your zen, we rounded up seven of the best audio wellness apps we could find to keep your body in shape and your mind at ease.
Calm
In addition to being crowned “World’s Happiest App” by the Center for Humane Technology, Calm has been recognized as one of the best audio wellness apps by Apple, Google Play and thousands of positive reviews.
The Calm app focuses on meditation, sleep and body movements to improve mental and physical wellness. The app offers premium audio programs that focus on mindfulness, a style of meditation that invites careful attention to surroundings or physical sensations. These masterclasses are led by mindfulness specialists who guide you through various physical and mental exercises for improving overall health.
You can use Calm to benefit any area of your life, whether you want to tame anxiety or cultivate gratitude. Calm offers a wide range of courses and guided exercises to create your own wellness path to fit your lifestyle.
Endel
Endel was named the Apple Watch App of the Year in 2020. The app allows you to create custom soundscapes to help you achieve sleep, focus or relaxation goals. Created in 2018 with core technology backed by neuroscience and the science of circadian rhythms, Endel uses AI-patented technology that adapts to heart rate, weather and geographical location.
Sound is a big part of how Endel works. The app uses simple sounds from the pentatonic scale that are pleasant and natural—and should be familiar to all the musicians out there. Developed alongside sleep experts, Endel’s soundscapes provide a listening experience that facilitates natural sleep cycles that use masking to keep distracting sounds from interrupting your session.
Endel is one of the only wellness apps that integrates with multiple devices and technologies including Alexa, Apple Watch and automated smart houses.
BetterSleep
With 55 million downloads, BetterSleep combines rich soundscapes, bedtime stories and guided meditations to alleviate everything from anxiety to tinnitus. The app’s simple, scientifically proven strategies will help you relax and focus in the most stressful moments.
Choose from their massive library of audio samples to create the perfect soundscape. Using easy controls, you can fine-tune the volume of every sound to your liking. Creating the perfect soundscape isn’t the only goal of BetterSleep. Listeners can enjoy bedtime stories to help ease themselves into a blissful night’s rest.
We all know the workplace can get a little stressful at times. To combat work-related stress, BetterSleep has guided exercises to cultivate a happier work experience. Looking for more ways to relax? Browse the BetterSleep blog to learn more about the best ways to handle stress and unwind after a long day.
Headspace
If you haven’t seen it on Netflix yet or heard an ad on your favorite podcast, you’ve probably heard your friends or family talking about it. Headspace has over 70 million downloads and is one of the most popular audio wellness apps available. Founder Andy Puddicombe’s meditation practice took him across the globe during his pursuit to become a Buddhist monk. After his journey, he started Headspace on one simple principle—meditation is for everybody.
Headspace answers the biggest question everyone asks—how does meditation work? The app is valued for its educational value, especially for beginners who may have misconceptions about meditation. Andy approaches teaching meditation in a friendly manner that makes it easy for anyone to benefit from it.
But what about the meditation exercises themselves? The guided meditations are focused on sleep, stress and mindfulness. There are plenty of exercises to try, and many of them only take a few minutes, which is great if you have a busy schedule. If you’re completely new to meditation or want to learn about the benefits of mindfulness, Headspace is a great place to start.
Aaptiv
Aaptiv is a workout app designed to motivate your cardio workouts. The app has a strong community of over 200,000 members who use the app to help them stay in shape. Improving the lives of millions through a fun, tailored fitness program is the app’s main purpose.
Imagine walking into a public gym and hearing your favorite music as soon as you step through the door—that’s the workout experience Aaptiv creates. The app has a continuous flow of fresh workouts for you to try that are led by fitness experts. Best of all, the app introduces you to new music in the process, similar to how Spotify curates a Discover Weekly playlist.
Talkspace
Mental health begins with good communication. Talkspace closes the gap between you and a licensed therapist who will hear you out when you need it. The app offers online therapy and the ability to communicate with mental health professionals through audio messages or video.
So how does app-based therapy work? Talkspace begins with a brief assessment to determine your needs and preferences, then gives you a list of recommended therapists. Once you have everything locked in, you can begin therapy sessions based on a schedule that works for your schedule and lifestyle. If you feel like something isn’t working for you, the app allows you to switch therapists at any time.
Stay Well
Audio wellness apps are essential tools that can help you keep your mind at ease or get in the best shape of your life. Compliment your audio wellness apps with a pair of True Wireless earbuds, like our UE FITS, for immersive audio, whether you’re meditating or working out. Shop UE FITS for custom earbuds that mold to the shape of your ears in just 60 seconds.
