28 wellness apps to support employee health and happiness

As HR professionals, we know the importance of employee wellness. Healthy, happy employees are more productive, more loyal, and generally better for business. So it’s no surprise that wellness programs have become a key component in benefit strategies.

But as prevalent as wellness programs have become, employee utilization is hovering around 40%.

So how can we promote these valuable programs that have such a big impact? One solution: wellness apps.

More and more companies are offering subscriptions to wellness apps as part of their benefits package. They’re affordable, versatile, and always within reach, making employees more likely to make use of the benefit. Let’s take a look at how these apps can lift employee utilization, as well as some of the wellness apps we love.

What are wellness apps?

Imagine having a personal trainer, therapist, and wellness guru in your pocket 24/7. That’s what wellness apps bring to the table. These digital helpers offer everything from guided meditations to fitness routines, sleep tracking to nutrition advice — all at the tap of a screen.

Scheduling appointments weeks in advance or thumbing through dusty self-help books just isn’t realistic for employees these days. With wellness apps, support and resources are literally at your fingertips, making wellness programs significantly more accessible. Whether it’s a quick breathing exercise during a hectic workday or a full-blown fitness program to tackle on weekends, these apps keep your employees covered.

What are the benefits of wellness apps?

Let’s break it down:

• Accessibility: Your employees are busy, and self-care might not fit into a tidy two-hour block. These apps are available 24/7, fitting into even the busiest schedules.
• Affordability: Compared to in-person services, wellness apps offer a lot of bang for your buck.
• Tech tools: Progress tracking, gamification, and community features keep employees engaged and motivated.
• Personalization: Many apps use AI to tailor content to individual needs and preferences.
• Privacy: Employees can address sensitive issues without fear of workplace stigma.

What are the different types of wellness apps?

There’s an app for just about everything these days, so let’s break down wellness apps into categories that fit your employees’ needs.

Mental Wellness Apps

Mental wellness has become a key component of benefits packages over the past few years. Research shows that mental health is essential in creating a thriving workplace, and employees — especially millennials and Gen Z — expect mental health benefits. From therapy on-the-go to mindfulness at your fingertips, mental wellness apps add a valuable tool to your benefits box.

• Best therapy apps: Talkspace and BetterHelp are leading the charge here. They connect users with licensed therapists for text, voice, or video sessions.
• Best mindfulness apps: Headspace and Calm are the big players. They offer guided meditations, sleep stories, and even mindfulness exercises for kids.
• Best apps for anxiety and depression: AbleTo and Moodfit are game-changers, with mood tracking, coping tools, and even cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.

Physical Wellness Apps

Physical wellness covers a wide spectrum, with all aspects being equally important in supporting happy, healthy employees. Whether your team is looking to break a sweat, increase their protein intake, or catch some quality Z's, these apps have got their physical health covered from head to toe.

• Best all-around physical health app: Wellhub (formerly Gympass) takes the cake. It offers everything from step tracking to meal planning. And it’s a Nava Preferred Partner!
• Best health tracker apps: Fitbit and Apple Health are the old reliables. They track steps, heart rate, and even how much you fidget during the day!
• Best sleep tracker apps: Sleep Cycle and SleepScore help you wake up on the right side of the bed. They analyze sleep patterns and offer tips for better rest.
• Best nutrition tracker apps: MyFitnessPal and Cronometer are the dynamic duo here. They make counting nutrients feel less like math and more like a game.
• Best workout app: Peloton is most well known for their bikes, but their app also offers a variety of exercise and wellness classes, from yoga to strength training.
• Best apps to find a class: ClassPass is the ticket here. It lets you book classes at gyms and studios all over town. This can be an especially helpful benefit if your workforce travels often — they can find a place to work out anywhere their work takes them.

Financial Wellness Apps

73% of Americans rank finances as their number one source of stress. If employers can help reduce that stress with financial wellness benefits, we’re setting our teams up for both personal and professional success. Financial wellness apps can play a key role in helping people meet goals, whether it be paying down debt or saving for college.

• Best all-around financial wellness app: Origin, another Nava Preferred Partner, offers a full holistic view of your finances, from budgeting to investing. To make it a truly all-in-one solution, Origin also offers access to dedicated financial planners.
• Best apps for budgeting: With YNAB (You Need A Budget), you can account for every dollar — whether where it’s been spent or where you want it to go.
• Best investing apps: Acorns and Robinhood make investing as easy as ordering takeout. They’re great for novice investors, and they have features like investing for kids that help users start building wealth for their entire family.
• Best retirement planning apps: Wealthfront and Betterment use tech to automatically invest your money based on things like goals and risk tolerance. Considering that 44% of workers rank retirement planning and 401(k) benefits in their top three most desired benefits, offering access to an app like this could be a big win on the recruiting and retention front.
• Best college savings apps: Backer and UNest help make those future college dreams a reality. They help you identify the best savings plans available, and they make it easy for friends and family to contribute. When thinking about optimizing your benefit strategy for working parents, a college savings app offering could be a big win.

Family wellness apps

Being a working parent comes with a unique set of challenges. In a recent Pew Research Center study, 27% of respondents said being a working parent made it harder for them to advance in their careers. And heartbreakingly, 38% said being a working parent made it harder for them to be a good parent. As HR professionals, we know the importance of work-life balance, and balancing the needs of employees’ families tops the list of things to prioritize. Using technology to help create that balance enables employees to be their best selves at home and at work.

• Best all-around family wellness app: Cleo is our star player here. Another Nava Preferred Partner, Cleo is basically a parenting coach, wellness guru, and family organizer all in one. Plus, they offer support for all stages of family life — from family planning to caring for an aging loved one.
• Best health apps for kids: We love Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame Street to help teach important life skills like problem solving, self-control, and more to your little ones.
• Best apps for caregivers: Caring Village and Lotsa Helping Hands make things like coordinating care plans, medication lists, and doctor appointments simpler so users can focus less on the logistics and more on the person they’re caring for.

Level up your benefits with wellness apps

Here’s an important note about these wellness apps: some of them are entirely free. Whether you’re investing in a wellness app for your team or just communicating resources, you’re helping your team find the support they need to be their best selves.

A healthier, happier workforce is just a download away. For more guidance on the best wellness benefits, our team of benefits brokers is here to help.

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