Health and wellness apps have skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years. With so many options to choose from, it can be tough to figure out which ones to share with your employees. If you’re looking for inspiration or simply want a pre-vetted list to guide your decisions, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll review seven of our favorite health and wellness apps and explain why we love them.
Since health and wellness is a broad term, we’re going to recommend a variety of apps—from mental health to fitness to preventive care—to cover all our bases. Here are seven we encourage you to consider for your employees:
7 health and wellness apps to consider for your employees
1. Calm
Calm is a meditation app that’s available for individuals, teams, and businesses. Calm helps improve employee well-being by promoting better sleep, reducing stress and anxiety, and developing more mindfulness.
Key features of Calm:
- Guided meditations, mindfulness programs, and breathing exercises.
- Sleep stories to improve sleep quality.
- Music and nature sounds to improve focus and relaxation.
- Light stretching and physical exercises to relax the body.
- Masterclasses to learn about topics like creativity and mental training.
Why we love Calm:
One of our favorite things about Calm is the versatility of the content. Whether your employees want to better manage their anxiety during the pandemic or get a good night of sleep before a big presentation, Calm offers a variety of content—from webinars to guided sessions to music—to address those needs. Plus, most of their content is available in multiple languages!
2. GoodRx
GoodRx helps people access the healthcare they need at a price they can afford. This includes everything from prescription drugs to online doctor’s visits to lab testing options. With the app, your employees will be able to shop around for the best prescription drug prices—keeping more money in their pockets.
Key features of GoodRx:
- Price comparison that allows people to shop around at different pharmacies.
- Access to free coupons to reduce the cash price for prescriptions.
- Quick, easy access to telehealth services with board-certified doctors—no insurance required.
Why we love GoodRx:
Prescription drugs are notoriously expensive. But what’s even more frustrating is that the price of the same medication can vary by hundreds of dollars, depending on which pharmacy you purchase from. We love that GoodRx removes the ambiguity from the process and empowers your employees to choose the medication they need at a price that doesn’t break the bank.
3. PlateJoy Health
Key features of PlateJoy:
- Custom meal plans that use data to personalize a weekly menu.
- Optional grocery delivery through Instacart or Amazon Fresh.
- Smart grocery lists that take stock of what’s in your kitchen to reduce food waste and save money.
Why we love PlateJoy:
This app is the perfect option for busy professionals who want to eat healthy but simply don’t have the bandwidth to meal plan and go grocery shopping. We love that PlateJoy saves your employees time and money—without compromising their commitment to being healthy.
4. Forward
Forward is a membership-based offering that addresses everyday, chronic, and preventive health needs. They offer services like biometrics monitoring, genetic analysis, cancer screenings, and mental health support—which are available through in-person or virtual visits and accessible through the Forward app.
Key features of Forward:
- One-on-one personalized care that can help you do everything from manage weight loss to lower blood pressure.
- Detailed evaluations with genetics, labs, and vitals to optimize health.
- Ongoing support and biometric monitoring to stay ahead of health issues.
Why we love Forward:
So much of our current healthcare system is focused on fixing what’s already broken. And it’s no wonder why, given that most of us don’t seek out care outside of our annual checkups. We love that Forward can help your employees proactively manage their health by giving them ways to keep a finger on the pulse—whether it’s through screenings or biometrics monitoring.
5. ALEX Connect
ALEX Connect gives your employees an easier way to navigate and find their benefits information. With the app, people can access all of their benefits information 24/7 with the touch of a button, leading to better benefits decisions.
Key features of ALEX Connect:
- Easy access to all benefits information (including ID cards and plan details)—plus unlimited support from ALEX.
- Segmented push notifications to drive engagement.
- A centralized hub that contains payroll, 401(k), and HSA/FSA information.
- A wellness tracker that provides an overview of steps, mileage, and floors climbed.
- Access to telemedicine options, along with a GoodRx integration.
Why we love ALEX Connect:
We don’t want to toot our own horn, but there are things about our app that we can’t help but love! What we’re most proud of is that we give employees a whole new way to engage with their benefits year-round—not just during open enrollment. This means your people will never be left hanging or wondering if they’re making the right benefits decisions.
6. ClassPass
ClassPass is revolutionizing the fitness and wellness industry by bringing together the world’s best classes and experiences into one place. With this app, your employees will be able to do everything from hit up a HIIT class, unwind with a massage, or stream a workout class from home.
Key features of ClassPass:
- Thousands of classes and appointments worldwide.
- A flexible plan that you can adjust, roll over, or cancel at any time.
- The ability to invite friends to join you and create a fitness community.
Why we love ClassPass:
Everyone has unique needs when it comes to their health and wellness. That’s why we’re huge fans of ClassPass. Unlike other fitness apps that focus on one form of exercise, ClassPass lets people choose how they want to move their bodies. If your employee prefers a more high-intensity cardio workout, they can sign up for a local boxing class. If they’re in the mood for a quieter, slower experience, they can try out vinyasa yoga. ClassPass has something for everyone, everywhere.
7. Streaks
Streaks is the to-do list that helps you form good habits. The goal of the app is to help your employees build healthier habits by logging streaks for up to twelve tasks. These can include anything from walking the dog to practicing meditation.
Key features of Streaks:
- Automatic task reminders to encourage habit formation.
- A dashboard with task statistics to track results and keep motivation high.
- Highly customizable features, such as creating timed tasks or negative tasks to break bad habits.
- Integration with the iOS health app to automatically track certain goals, such as steps and heart rate.
Why we love Streaks:
We’ve all been there. We tell ourselves, “I’m going to exercise every day this week”—only to fall off the wagon after a few days. We love that Streaks is based on an understanding of human behavior and helps employees create healthier habits that actually stick.
Which of these health and wellness apps are you planning to offer?
There have never been more options for your employees when it comes to health and wellness apps. Even if you don’t use any of the recommendations from this list, we encourage you to invest in ways to help your workforce take action when it comes to their health. Let us know what apps you’re sharing with your employees on social media!
