Apps to stay well this winter
Cold weather and winter bugs can affect our health, but there are things we can all do to keep well. Apps can be a good source of information, advice and motivation.
Here is a selection of apps to help you manage your health concerns common for this time for year.
Download one today.
Keep your lungs healthy
If you have a lung condition, you may find the cold weather leaves you short of breath or coughing more than usual. Keep your lungs as healthy as possible throughout the winter months by trying an app.
Manage Asthma
If cold air affects your asthma, there are apps that can help you look after your asthma in winter and all year round. Used within the NHS, Digital Health Passport is a free app that helps you understand and manage your asthma. It lets you:
- Keep a diary of your asthma to help recognise patterns or spot triggers you didn’t know you had.
- View local air quality, pollution and weather alerts to help you prepare for your day.
- Watch videos to learn how to care for your lung health.
Age: 12+ years old.
Respiratory
Utilities/ Administration
Allergy
Entirely Free
88%
Level 2
88%
Level 2
Smoke Free - Stop Smoking Now
Smoke Free - Quit Smoking Now is an app that can help you quit smoking.
The app works by helping you keep a diary of your thoughts, feelings and cravings.
You can speak to quit smoking advisors, and get messages of encouragement and updates on your quit smoking progress. The app shows you all the health benefits that you have gained and how much money you have saved since you quit smoking.
To help you stay on track, you can follow other people's quit smoking journey within the community on the app. It is suitable for adults and children over 13 years old.
Healthy Living
In App Purchases
90%
Level 3
90%
Level 3
Preventing falls and keeping active
The weather can make it feel harder to motivate yourself to get up and move. But activity, at a level that feels right for you, is important to help maintain your strength and mobility. An app can help get you moving and feeling your best through the winter months ahead.
Prevent falls
The cold and reduced activity in the winter can reduce muscle strength and put you at greater risk of falling. But you can reduce your risk of falling if you look after your body's strength, balance, and flexibility as you age. KOKU (Keep On Keep Up) is a free app that that lets you:
Specify what your mobility concerns, usual abilities and goals are.
Be guided through three exercises that have been selected for you.
Track your progress and be notified when you need to exercise again.
This app only works on an iPad or tablet, not a phone.
Age: Developed with older adults for older adults.
Healthy Living
Entirely Free
81%
Level 2
82%
Level 2
Exercise
Just ten minutes of brisk walking every day can get your heart pumping and can make you feel more energetic, as well as lowering your risk of serious illnesses.
Developed by the NHS, Active 10 Walking Tracker is a free app that helps you to include brisk walking into your daily routine. It lets you:
- Track all your walking and how many minutes were brisk.
- Use a Pace Checker, to see what brisk walking feels like.
- Set goals to keep motivated and help you progress.
Age: 4+ years old.
Healthy Living
Respiratory
Entirely Free
78%
Level 2
77%
Level 2
Beat the winter blues
Some of us can struggle with our mental health during the colder months and in the run up to Christmas and New Year. Why not try a safe and confidential app that can help.
Sorted: Mental Health
Sorted : Mental Health is an app that can help support your mental health using music and guides you listen to, it is suitable for adults and children over 16 years old.
To use Sorted : Mental Health, you need a smart device with speakers or headphones that you can use to listen to the audio tracks. You choose the music you want to listen to, and change it to suit you, you can also listen to guides on topics that may affect your mental health.
Healthy Living
Mental Health
Respiratory
In App Purchases
92%
Level 3
91%
Level 3
Manage anxiety and depression
If you need help with your mental wellbeing, but feel stigma about opening up, or have no one to speak with, the Wysa Mental Health Support app may be able to help you. It lets you anonymously:
- Chat about whatever is on your mind with an emotionally intelligent chatbot, that uses AI to react to the emotions you express.
- Exercises to beat specific challenges.
Additional paid for features include:
- Access to a wider self-care library, with many more therapeutic exercises to beat specific challenges (Around £10 per month).
- A live text session every week with a qualified therapist (Around £50 per month).
Age: 13+
Healthy Living
Mental Health
In App Purchases
90%
Level 4
90%
Level 4
For young adults
Developed for teenage mental health charity stem4, Move Mood is a free app designed to help young people who are experiencing low mood or depression.
Completely anonymous, it lets you:
- Set tasks that you want to achieve each day.
- Be accompanied by an animated companion, to be there and motive you.
- Keep track of your progress and receive rewards.
Age: Designed for young adults.
Mental Health
Entirely Free
71%
Level 3
71%
Level 3
Your child’s health
Colds and winter bugs are inevitable amongst children as they build their immune system. You know your child better than anyone and so you’ll probably be first to notice if they are coming down with something. There are apps to help you understand the signs and symptoms of illness, and when to seek medical attention.
NHS advice
It can be extremely stressful when your child is unwell. We know that there is a huge amount of information available at your fingertips, but finding something that provides clear and accurate information is not always easy!
The NHS Healthier Together app has been designed to allow you to access care for your child much more easily. If your child is unwell and needs to be seen by a healthcare professional, instead of having to call your GP surgery, you will be able to use the app to directly inform your GP about your child’s symptoms. Your GP practice will then contact you to decide what needs to be done. And if you are seeking help when your GP surgery is shut, it will direct you to NHS 111.
Medicines and Clinical Reference
+6
Entirely Free
79%
Level 2
78%
Level 2
65%
Level 2
6 most common illnesses
Developed by NHS Musgrove Park Hospital, HANDi Paediatric is a free app that provides information and advice to parents, carers and medical professionals on the six most common childhood illnesses:
- Diarrhoea (gastroenteritis)
- Chesty child (wheeze and asthma)
- Chesty baby (bronchiolitis)
- High temperature
- Abdominal pain
- Common newborn problems
Information includes how to assess for each illness, advice on how to care for your child at home, when to seek further help and where to find local services.
Gastrointestinal
Paediatric
+2
Entirely Free
80%
Level 2
78%
Level 2
Plan ahead
Even if you feel well now, planning head will be particularly important this winter, as flu and coronavirus levels are expected to rise.
If you wish to be vaccinated at a clinic run by our healthcare trusts, then please visit the NIdirect website for further information on how to do this Flu vaccine | nidirect
Alternatively, if you wish to book an appointment at your local participating pharmacy, please access via the link here. COVID-19 Vaccine Service for NI (hscni.net)
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