Best iPad Apps

Chapter 7. For Your Health

Where, when, and how an iPad contributes to a healthy lifestyle is a topic that someone should be studying. On the one hand, the pint sized-pad gets you away from the hunched over environs of your desktop PC (even sitting at Starbucks in front of a laptop ain’t much better, hunching-wise). What could be more nourishing for mind and body than propping your feet up and computing in comfort—the beautiful people in the Apple demo videos seem to be in strapping shape…same should be true for all of us, no? But then there are those clear instances we’re already starting to see of people spending way too much time on their tablet; whatever the ergonomics of couch surfing turn out to be, that can’t be a great thing. So, with “all things in moderation” as our marching motto, we finish up our app tour with a few examples where it’s clear the iPad can help pave the path to healthier living: quick medical advice lookups, data tracking (diet, blood pressure), even as part of a workout—though it’s not yet clear any developer has cracked the challenge of solving the “I’m sweating far too hard to actually swipe the screen” problem. And as long as you’re willing to pledge not to actually curl up with the dang thing, you’ll learn about some helpful sleep-inducing apps and a close cousin: meditation and mindfulness aids, for those in need of winding down. Finally, what value ...