Apps and hacks to keep the family healthy

By Ellie Malt

Go social

Online communities based around health make it easier to suss out what is working for others. Sometimes you need more than just a prescription and deeper research can either put your mind at rest or offer more information. Facebook is a great place to start and many reputable medical charities, like Young Minds now have groups, often moderated by experts or clinicians and offering helplines.

Register with your GP’s online service

If you haven’t registered online yet, go for it because it’s so worth the initial hassle! Once registered, you can book appointments with a few clicks instead of waiting in line on the phone. Also, you can see all available times immediately and re-order repeat prescriptions in mere seconds.

Women’s health apps

We mothers are notorious for putting ourselves last and for tolerating the health issues once assumed to be a woman’s fate. A new wave of women’s health apps is banishing or improving monthly aches and pains and menopausal symptoms. Flow (flo.health.com) now has more than 200 million women using it to track their ovulation or periods. Can you imagine the man in your life suffering in silence? Neither should you.

Club living room

Going to an actual sports club seems like a luxury. But joining a class from your own living room is a solid option and certainly beats doing nothing. Things have moved on since Joe Wicks kicked off the pandemic, there are alternatives for every possible taste on The TruFit app (trufit.com) and it’s waaaay cheaper than gym membership.

Wearables

There’s a lot of hype but choose carefully and there will probably be a ‘wearable’ for you. From Fitbits to sleep trackers, physically attaching to something means there is no bunking off from your new healthy ritual. My kids respond well to low-tech reminders like stickers and post-its, but it’s fun to experiment.

Back to basics

While there are lots of online courses about individual conditions, there is perhaps no better way to be ready for emergencies than doing a general first aid course.

First Aid for Free (firstaidforfree.com) has a paediatric course online or Happy Hearts First Aid offer in-person (Beaconsfield) or online training sessions, (happyheartsfirstaid.com).

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