Smartphones are versatile tools, offering thousands of apps at our fingertips. While some apps can be detrimental distractions, numerous apps offer improvements to the user’s physical and mental health. Here is a look at five apps that could possibly change your life for the better.

Headspace allows users to choose from hundreds of guided meditations that have been scientifically proven to reduce everyday stress, as well as improve sleep, focus and overall health.

Research suggests that daily meditation may reduce anxiety. One study claimed that eight weeks of meditation helped reduce anxiety symptoms in people with generalized anxiety disorder, leading to improved stress reactivity and coping.

Some forms of meditation may even promote self-awareness and teach you how to recognize negative thought patterns. Mindfulness exercises, such as those offered by apps like Headspace, have been associated with increased self-efficacy and positive self-perception. 

Along with enhancing mental health and wellbeing, meditation has also been shown to reduce physical pain, decrease blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular disease. 

Nike Training Club offers a wide selection of structured fitness programs guided by world-class personal trainers and wellness coaches, all from the comfort of your own home.

The fitness industry was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with two-thirds of gym members either pausing or cancelling their membership at some point within the last two years. It’s no surprise, then, that home workouts have become significantly more popular. 

One survey found that four in 10 Canadians are intimidated by going to the gym because they are afraid that other people will watch them or they don’t know what to do. Online exercise classes, such as those offered by Nike Training Club, require little or no equipment and make working out more accessible. 

Another survey revealed that four in 10 Canadians aged 25-64 get less than 30 minutes of physical activity or exercise each day. Low levels of physical activity have been linked to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Working out is made easy with apps like Nike Training Club, which offer the tools, motivation and accountability to help you reach your fitness goals. 

My Possible Self is a mood-tracking app that features many interactive tools and techniques that allow users to maintain and improve their mental health and wellbeing. Most notable is the app’s use of cognitive behavioural therapy, which helps people identify and suppress destructive thoughts.

Using evidence-based research and clinically tested psychological strategies, My Possible Self provides coping mechanisms and mental health management skills that guide users to a brighter state of mind. 

One study found that prolonged negative thinking diminishes our brain’s ability to think, reason and form memories. Indeed, the opposite happens when you practice positive thinking, which apps like My Perfect Self help you to achieve. 

When the prefrontal cortex — the region of the brain that controls our thoughts, emotions and behaviours — is activated by positive thinking, the growth and development of neuronal connections are enhanced. This results in improved focus and problem-solving abilities. 

Simply put, our brains thrive on positivity. 

Sleep Cycle is an all-in-one sleep tracker, monitor and alarm clock that allows users to relax, sleep better and wake up feeling rested. The app offers an extensive sound library with music, meditations and stories that make falling asleep easy and waking up even easier.

When you sleep, your brain goes through four natural cycles of activity. But when your sleep cycle is disrupted or you don’t get enough sleep, you may experience health issues and difficulties associated with decision making, learning and controlling your emotions.

Sleep Cycle uses patented technology that analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase, making you less likely to hit snooze and feel groggy in the morning. 

This is crucial because sleeping too much may actually pose more of a risk to your health than sleeping too little, and Sleep Cycle can help you achieve that happy medium. 

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From mobile games to entertainment and social media, there is quite literally an app for everything. So grab your smartphone and build new skills, start your mindful journey, restart your fitness routine and boost your productivity with these — and many more — essential health and wellness apps.

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Jakob Philipchuk | Staff Writer

Graphics: Jaymie Stachyruk | Graphics Editor, and As Credited