Meditation Apps Are Mainstreaming Mindfulness
Research review notes more than 300 million downloads.
Have you asked your clients whether they are using a meditation app? According to a new review in American Psychologist (2025; doi: 10.1037/amp0001576), smartphone meditation apps have been downloaded more than 300 million times, reaching users who typically may not have access to in-person meditation teachers or groups. “Meditation apps dominate the mental health app market,” says lead study author J. David Creswell, a professor in psychology and neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“People use meditation for different things, and there’s a big difference between someone looking to optimize their free-show shooting performance and someone trying to alleviate chronic pain.”
For fitness trainers, this digital trend offers opportunity. Research shows mindfulness training can enhance exercise motivation and consistency. Ask clients whether they’re using meditation apps like Calm or Headspace and discuss how short, guided meditation sessions can reinforce exercise focus, recovery and adherence to healthy lifestyle practices. Working with an app between training sessions can be a great addition to brief mindfulness sessions that a fit pro can offer.
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
