Web Alert

Abstract

Sleep Junkies https://sleepjunkies.com/ Description: Sleep Junkies is a free web site with a plethora of sleep-related resources including blogs, podcasts, and articles, authored by a variety of doctors and academics. The articles include everything from summaries on the latest sleep-related science and research to reviews of the latest sleep gadgets and technology. The web site's sections include latest posts, podcasts, sleep resources, sleep research, bedroom setup, and kids- and family-related topics. Of particular interest may be its popular resources that include articles on white noise and sleep and the benefits of sleeping naked. For anyone who has been trying to improve their sleep habits or sleep quality, this web site is a great resource with a wealth of information. Cost: Free Fitness Blender https://www.fitnessblender.com/ Description: Created by personal trainer husband and wife Daniel and Kelli Segars, Fitness Blender is a web site with more than 500 free workout videos for every fitness level. Videos can be searched by duration, calorie burn, difficulty, trainer, body focus, training type, and equipment. The videos are characterized as upper body, lower body, total body, and core. There is a section on healthy living with resources and articles on fitness, health, healthy recipes, and weight loss referenced from scientific literature. There also is a section with before and after testimonials for added motivation. The community section includes user-driven discussions on a variety of topics, and the blog section includes articles and updates from the Fitness Blender community. Cost: Free, workout programs and meal plans are available for a cost. Foodility Available on the iOS app store Description: Foodility is a free simple food and fitness diary by Green Tea Lab Inc. The app supports simple meal logging without calorie counting in addition to exercise, water, and weight logs. Meals are recorded on simple expandable sticky notes. All logged data can be exported to PDF, whereas water and weight logs can be viewed in statistic charts. Data also can be viewed in calendar format to help users better organize their food and fitness goals. The data can be synced between iOS devices while push notifications can be set up as reminders to log meals, water, and/or exercise. The app also provides basic information about restaurants including location, web site, and hours of operation. Cost: Free Insight Timer https://insighttimer.com, Available on the iOS and Android app stores Description: Insight Timer claims to be “the largest free library of guided meditations on earth.” Although also available on iOS and Android mobile app stores, the Insight Timer web site provides a wealth of meditation resources. Its main sections including guided meditation to improve sleep, cope with anxiety, and manage stress in addition to meditation music and meditation for kids. The essential listening section includes highly rated guided meditations and talks, whereas daily staff picks can be a useful way for individuals to get started. Additional sections entitled “Sleep soundly,” “Music for calm,” “Insightful talks,” and “For the kids” include curated meditations and talks. A total of 300 meditation courses also are available to paid members, and there is a free 30-day trial available for users who are considering the paid membership. Teachers from whom the material is derived have a variety of backgrounds from being yoga instructors to gurus and Zen masters. Cost: Free with an optional US $59.99 annual membership for courses. Johnson & Johnson Official 7-Minute Workout Available on the iOS and Android app stores Description: If you have ever had difficulty finding time to exercise, Johnson & Johnson can help. The 7-Minute Workout app contains 22 preset workouts varying in intensity and duration from 7 to 32 min, giving you the ability to fit one into your busy schedule no matter how busy and no matter your fitness level. Users have the ability to customize their workouts by combining the 72 available exercises ranging from easy to hard. Each exercise is accompanied by a video tutorial. Using the Smart Workout tool, the app can gauge a user's fitness and motivation levels to create a variety of user-specific workouts. Additionally, workout and inactivity reminders can help users stick to their plans and accomplish their health and fitness goals. The app is designed by Director of Exercise Physiology Chris Jordan at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute. If this app interests you, you also may want to check out the article entitled, “High-Intensity Circuit Training Using Body Weight: Maximum Results with Minimal Investment,” also by Chris Jordan and Brett Klika from ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal®: https://bit.ly/2S1eHUt. Cost: Free