These 7 apps will make your Beijing life healthier

Mobile mates to keep healthy and 'appy in Beijing

With the weather finally warming up, there's never been a better time to get outdoors and meet your fitness goals – get a headstart with these helpful apps.

Air Visual

Price Free

Available on iOS and Android

Language English

Though some might think it's better not to know the state of the air outside, this app gives you an exact reading of the AQI in 10,000 locations around the world. With official readings from the US Embassy and consulates around China, the app shows the key pollutants and what precautions to take to stay healthy. With the Pro version, users can even compare the outside pollution levels to those inside your home. It's useful for those days of deciding whether to go for a jog in the park or just keep the windows closed and hide out indoors.

Chunyu Doctor (春雨医生)

Price Free download, then you pay to speak to a specialist

Available on iOS and Android

Language Chinese

Seeing a doctor in major Chinese cities like Beijing might involve a long queue, making it one of the last things you fancy doing when you're feeling crook. Chunyu Doctor is a medical app that aims to simplify this process, offering a quick and free consultation service. It enables you to ask simple questions to a doctor when you're not feeling well and have a doctor reply in a matter of minutes – apparently there are over 410,000 doctors registered. The downside is that the app is in Chinese only, so if you can't read Mandarin you might need to enlist a friend's help. You can also try to figure out the cause of your sickness on your own by choosing which part of your body is hurting and how, and the app will shortlist some of the most likely causes (an exercise every bit as terrifying as Googling your symptoms). Users can also pay to chat with a specialist either through text or a phone call for additional fees.

Daily Yoga

Price Free to download, but with in-app purchases

Available on iOS and Android

Language English

Daily Yoga is one of the rare Chinese apps targeted at the overseas market. In 2017, this Xi’an based app amassed over 40 million users in 216 countries and 315 cities in China. Daily Yoga focuses primarily on building a healthy mind and soul, with yoga classes categorised into different sections ranging from yoga for beginners to daily meditation and even period yoga to combat common period systems like bloated tummies and cramps. Its community page also boasts a list of hot topics and tips, with a social platform for users to upload their progress onto and motivate each other on their yoga journey. Currently the app is free, though paid plans are available at 134RMB a month or 475RMB a year in order to unlock more functions on the app including exclusive workshops conducted by world-class coaches.

Guava Pass

Price Free to download, but with in-app purchases

Available on iOS and Android

Language English

Guava Pass is a healthy living app that provides a flexible fitness membership programme, explaining why it’s become a popular way to beat gym boredom by offering users a range of classes from hot yoga to spinning, barre, circuit training and HIIT. By partnering with several Beijing-based gyms and fitness centres, Guava Pass users can experience a range of fitness classes when they sign up for slots via the app. In order to sign up, users have to purchase class packages, which range from two (228RMB) all the way to 20 class slots (2,088RMB), entailing users to sign up for as many classes as their package plan allows. The app currently has over 20 classes a day, the majority of which are located in the Chaoyang area.

Keep

Price Free

Available on iOS and Android

Language Chinese and English

Keep is an exercise and weight loss programme created for men and women on a budget. This free fitness app keeps its users in shape by providing exercise videos, activity tracking, exercise and dieting tips, and a social community space so users can motivate each other by posting photos of their workouts and their meals. Upon registration, users have to answer questions regarding their current health status, exercise habits, fitness level and preferred sports. Workouts are also categorised differently based on the type and duration of workouts, while endurance sports like cycling and running are tracked based on users’ route and speed. Keep is primarily in Chinese, but does, however, have English versions available on both iOS and Android, also known as Keep – Home Workout Trainer.

Map My Ride

Price Free download, some additional options cost extra

Available on iOS and Android

Language English

Fairly straightforward to sign up to, MapMyRide is an app that lets you track where you've been cycling and for how long. It's free to download and allows you to follow a series of mapped routes around the city or create your own, then track your journey. By linking with other friends on the app you can even share routes and join challenges. You can also link particular routes to music and your own playlists. Step it up by logging your food consumption to rate calories burned.

Yodo Run (悦动圈)

Price Free

Available on iOS and Android

Language Chinese

Yodo Run is one of China’s leading health and fitness apps, motivating users to get into shape by giving away tens of thousands of money packages every day. By utilising advanced step counting and GPS algorithms, the app records users' various exercise patterns from running, walking, fitness and cycling. With monetary incentives for its users whenever they reach small goals, and larger money packages for more difficult tasks, Yodo Run rewards users for working out, even offering digital awards for your online trophy case. Yodo Run also includes exercise schedules, video tutorials and online running communities who meet up frequently to participate in marathons together.

For more ways to get fit in Beijing, hit 'Read more' below. 

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