SimplyMe app encourages people to lead healthier lives and look after their mental wellbeing
A free charity-supporting app that nudges people towards healthier habits has been made available to all by Simplyhealth.
Designed to understand and monitor the lifestyle choices of individuals as well as reward them for looking after their mental health, the SimplyMe app taps into the idea of motivating people through community spirit by raising money for health-related causes in local communities.
Romana Abdin, chief executive at Simplyhealth, said: "Never has our sense of community been more important, or relevant as it is today. We are really proud of our heritage and wanted to show how much we care about the health of the UK and continue to do our very best for our customers. Throughout the past months we have seen everyone come together, in their communities, working for the greater good.
"We have listened to what people want, and are now harnessing that power of community, bringing our purpose to life, and showing everyone that they can take control of their health and also help others in the process. We all have our part to play in staying healthy and looking after each other."
Synced to a trackable wearable device, SimplyMe users can monitor data on their BMI, emotional wellbeing, sleep, and heart rate, and identify personalised changes to help them improve their physical and mental health.
For every app download, Simplyhealth will donate £5 to Sported, a national charity which supports almost 3,000 community sport and youth groups across the UK.
Nicola Walker, CEO at Sported said: "Sported are delighted to be working in partnership with Simplyhealth to ensure the wellbeing of young people often living in disadvantage.
"We believe that grass roots groups have a unique role to play in engaging and inspiring young people, using sport to make a positive difference to communities and improving physical and mental health. Sported provide mentoring support for these groups, ensuring they have the resources needed to grow and thrive.
"With Simplyhealth's generous support, we can help these extraordinary groups during this difficult time to get back up and running ensuring their future sustainability. This will ensure that over time, young people can return to safe and positive environments, be active and enjoy the best of their community."
According to research by Simplyheath, 40% said that charitable causes would motivate them to exercise more if their tracker or device were to raise money for charity or community in response to their effort to improve their health.
The survey of 2000 UK adults also found that 42% felt their physical fitness has suffered as a result of the pandemic; 42% feel their mental health has suffered; 38% have found it more difficult to sleep and 19% are less healthy than before the pandemic.
Of those who have become less healthy during the pandemic, 38% said they are less active; 29% are eating more junk food and 26% are drinking more alcohol.
However, despite this, the majority (62%) of people surveyed believed they will be more proactive about looking after their health and wellbeing in the future.