Here's an app to help you fulfil your New Year's resolution of a healthier lifestyle
For many, December is pretty much a period of excessive culinary indulgence. From office parties to family gatherings, food as a bonding mechanism gets elevated, reaching its peak between Christmas and New Year.
That is why by the time January finally comes along, most of us are eager to kickstart a healthy lifestyle.
Besides participating in Veganuary and Dry January, keeping track of our fitness level through an app or fitness tracker is pretty much the norm.
So, why not use an app tailored to our needs?
Introducing Healthy 365
Source: Apple App Store
While there is an abundance of fitness apps on the market, one will be hard-pressed to find one that caters to the Singaporean market.
Healthy 365, an app by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), is here to plug that gap.
Granted, it's not exactly a new app but it's going to be an important one as a key part of the Healthier SG's strategy.
ICYMI, Healthier SG is an initiative announced by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung last October that aims to shift Singapore's healthcare toward greater preventive care.
Healthy 365, along with HealthHub — a repository of personal healthcare records — will serve as "digital front-doors" of Healthier SG.
For instance, using both apps in tandem, Singaporeans can access key points of their discussions with their family doctor and also track health outcomes.
To track health more accurately outcomes, Healthy 365 will be enhanced to better track physical activities and diets, as well as support access to community activities.
But what makes Healthy 365 especially useful for those who are starting to watch what they eat is its local nutritional database featuring over 1000 local foods and drinks.
With so many health apps being Western-centric, this will make it much easier to track the calories of the Char Kway Teow and Milo Dinosaur we had for lunch.
There is also a location-based listing and map views of health events and exercise classes that you can book through the app, making this the fitness equivalent of a superapp.
Lastly, Healthy 365 can be seamlessly synced with HPB-issued fitness trackers and third-parties fitness apps to log our step count and time spent on active exercise.
Getting rewarded for a healthier life
What's the catch? Well, there isn't any.
The thing that makes Healthy 365 almost as habitual as scrolling through social media is the rewards (i.e., Healthpoints) that come with participating in health programs and in-app challenges.
Being a nation obsessed with loyalty programs, collecting Healthpoints to redeem shopping vouchers should come second nature to us.
Source: HealthHub
Currently, there is the National Steps Challenge, where participants are encouraged to clock at least 5,000 steps daily to earn a reward.
For those who find walking a mind-numbingly dull activity, doing at least 10 continuous minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) will also yield the same rewards.
As a nation of foodies, the round-the-clock availability of mouth-watering food is perhaps our Achilles heel in our attempt to embrace healthy living.
Hence the ingenious Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy Challenge. Through making changes to our diet, we can receive Healthpoints by opting for healthier meal options and groceries at participating outlets.
Instead of paying a hefty fee for a trendy, celebrity-endorsed app, why not give Healthy 365 a go and use it more regularly?
After all, it is free. And a win-win scenario where we are rewarded for making positive choices in the name of health.
Here's to a healthier 2023.
Cover Photo Credit: Health Promotion Board