Healthier: Break Reminder 4+

I’d been using another app for taking a break from working, but it hasn’t been updated for about a year. I’ve also bought a new retina MBP, so thought I’d try a new app to go along with the new Yosemite UI. Healthier has a very nice UI that matches Yosemite perfectly. It’s very easy to use. I prefer to set mine so that every 30 mins regardless of what I’m doing I get a 3 min break. The ‘intelligent’ break setting is a good try, but for me it doesn’t work as well. My only suggestion for improving the app would be to add a ‘snooze’ button to the break screen. Often I’m in the middle of a task that I need to finish, and it would be nice to ‘snooze’ the break for 5 or 10 mins, or even a time period of your choice. At present you can only cancel the break entirely. Other than that it’s a very nice app and at a great price.

'Occupational hazards’ aren’t usually associated with working on a computer, but as someone who has to go to a chiropractor, physiotherapist and pilates to correct my back problems caused by working at a computer for long periods of time, I can safely say that it is an occupational hazard and isn’t obvious until it’s a problem… at which point it’s a real pain (literally) to fix. This is a great app that just reminds you after periods of activity to take a break - you can easily tell it to go away, reset timer or skip (if you really don’t want to be disturbed) but you do forget to take breaks and this tells you what exercises to do at each break, to mix it up. It’s not a pure 40 minute timer, as it knows when you are working, so it automatically resets after periods of inactivity.

Highly recommend this, as it’s a perfect idea and very well implemented.

I suffer from spinal problems, so need to take a rest from the computer regularly. This app does exactly that, you can set the time you need a rest and how long for. There is a monitor at the top of your screen so you can see how long you've got, but most importantly when its time for your 'rest' whatever your working on is hidden (albiet by a transparantish looking screen) so you it makes you stop what your doing. If you want to to carry on its easy to to 'x' out and continue working, but thats hardly the point if you've downloaded this in the first place. Its the best £2.49 I've spend on an app. The Health tips are good as well, I have tried them but in my circumstances I just find getting up and walking around is all I need. Thank you :)