
Practicing Medicine with Dr Google

For those of us who want to go into the weekend focusing on the health of our bodies, there are a couple other versions of the Sworkit App that might be of interest to you.
There are several versions of the Sworkit App you can download for free (premium option without ads) that target a specific muscle group. The options include focused exercises for Abs and Core, Butt and Arms/Chest/Shoulders. There is an advanced Stretching and Pilates version as well.
All these apps are free and complement the main version of Sworkit quite well.
What it is: A mobile app that helps to manage stress and anxiety with guided imagery, breathing techniques and self directed cognitive behavioral therapy.
What devices: iPhones and Ipads
Cost: Free
Who should use it: Anyone who wants to limit stress and anxiety
Why use it: All of us go through times where we wish we could control our stress and anxiety. For some, this is a daily issue. There are many ways to try to treat these and many times healthcare professionals are needed for psychotherapy or medication. For milder symptoms and to add to current treatments with your physician, you can use the Companion app. This app provides many tools and information to help relieve stress and anxiety using biofeedback and cognitive behavioral techniques.
The Companion app can lead you through guided mindfulness exercises to help facilitate a more relaxed state. It also has a section that uses the biofeedback techniques to regulate breathing. This can be used both acutely for anxious moments and regularly for prevention and mindfulness training. Many health benefits of regulated breathing to create heart rate variability have been documented and the Companion App is a great way to use them anywhere you are.
There are several options within the app to help people reframe negative thoughts. There is a whole section on reframing negative thoughts into more constructive thoughts or actions. There is a way to create photo cards to help stimulate your mind during anxious or reflective moments.
If there is one downside to this app, I don’t feel like it is as organized as it could be. Navigating the app takes some time to learn and the placement of different activities through out the app is not intuitive.
Overall this is a great digital health app to help anyone live a more stress and anxiety free life.
As we move into the summer months here in the United States, there is going to be more and more discussion of mosquitos and the Zika Virus. There is now a great mobile app for your phone that has a collection of information from the World Health Organization. This app would be great for any one involved with healthcare or for anyone who wants to stay up to date on issues surrounding this virus’s activity. This free download is available at iTunes.