This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
One million people download Couch to 5k app
Public Health England’s Couch to 5k app has been adopted by hundreds of thousands of people seeking to get in shape during lockdown.
New figures show that downloads of the fitness app skyrocketed over the last three months. From March until the end of June, there were almost one million downloads – 858,000 compared to 448,000 during the same time last year – representing a 92 per cent increase compared to 2019.
Designed for people who have done little or no running, Couch to 5k helps those who are unfit or don’t regularly take exercise to take positive steps for their health and fitness. The app provides guided commentary from a coach and easily helps users to track progress, with getting three runs per week.
More than two thirds of people in England are overweight or obese with 876,000 hospital admissions last year related to obesity – an increase of almost a quarter compared to the year before.
Dr Nikki Kanani, NHS national director for primary care, said: “Lockdown has been a difficult time for so many of us and with millions of people working in new ways and not doing the activities they usually would, we know that it can be much harder to get motivated to get up and go.
“It is incredible to see that practical tools like Couch to 5k have become even more popular over the last three months – keep going if you’ve started and download the app if you want to increase your activity levels. It won’t be the right solution for everyone, but it’s a simple way to begin and small steps can make a massive difference to your health and your lifestyle. We have all coped differently during lockdown, and for me, running and taking some time out to exercise with my children has been really important for me – we’ve seen huge benefits physically, mentally and for our general well-being.”
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