Simplyhealth, one of the UK’s leading healthcare plan providers, has launched a new free-to-use health and wellbeing app, SimplyMe, to encourage people to lead healthier lives and look after their mental health, while giving back to communities in need.
Supporting consumers to be healthier
The SimplyMe app helps people to make small easy steps to better health and wellness, by allowing users to monitor data on their BMI, emotional wellbeing, sleep, and heart rate, and identify personalised changes to improve their physical and mental health.
The launch follows new research from Simplyhealth which reveals that many people have experienced negative impacts on their mental and physical health since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK but are determined to take action to improve their health.
The 2,000 UK adults surveyed stated that because of the pandemic:
- 42% feel their physical fitness has suffered
- 42% feel their mental health has suffered
- 38% have found it more difficult to sleep
- 19% are less healthy than before the pandemic
Of those who have become less healthy during the pandemic:
- 38% are less active
- 29% are eating more junk food
- 26% are drinking more alcohol
Despite this, the majority (62%)believe they will be more proactive about looking after their health and wellbeing as we come out of the pandemic. However, one of the biggest challenges to health is lack of motivation, with nearly half of respondents (48%) saying that willpower is a major barrier to health improvement.
When asked what could make a difference in getting them back to good health, 51% of those surveyed said technology will play a key role, with fitness trackers, smart watches, and apps being seen as helpful in motivating people to improve their health and wellbeing.
Motivating people through community spirit
Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis has seen community spirit flourish, as many people have become aware of or had challenging experiences related to their health and are now looking for ways to give something back and help those around them.
In response to this need, SimplyMe is an innovative new app which not only tracks health and wellbeing, but also rewards an individual’s healthy behaviour by giving back to communities in need.
For every new sign up to the SimplyMe app, Simplyhealth will donate £5 to Sported, a national charity which supports almost 3,000 community sport and youth groups across the UK. These groups help 160,000 young people facing disadvantage to stay healthy, safe, and active through sport.
GP and Simplyhealth Ambassador, Dr Dawn Harper, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has been a wakeup call for many of us. Never before has it been so important to look after our physical and mental health and keep our immune systems in good shape.
“Moreover, a new survey from Simplyhealth has brought to light a range of health issues resulting from the pandemic and lockdown restrictions, with many UK adults reporting negative impacts on their physical and mental wellbeing.
“It is clear from the survey that people know they need to do better when it comes to their health but need additional support. The new health and wellbeing app, SimplyMe, provides an excellent way for people to keep track of their health and identify small, everyday changes they can make to benefit their wellbeing in the long-term.
“I love the idea that by signing up to the SimplyMe app, people will be supporting communities across the UK to lead healthier lives and helping disadvantaged young people through sport at a time when they need it most.”
Giving back to communities
The Simplyhealth survey also revealed that charitable causes could motivate the public to exercise. 40% of respondents stated that it would motivate them to exercise more if their fitness tracker or device were to raise money for a charity or community initiative in response to their efforts to improve their health.
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.”
To find out more about SimplyMe, visit www.simplyhealth.co.uk/simplyme or download the SimplyMe app via the App Store or Google Play Store.