Resources
Podcast Episodes
A Thorough Examination with Drs Chris and Xand Spotify | BBC Sounds | Apple
How ultra-processed food took over your shopping basket Spotify | The Guardian | Apple
Wellbeing
Headspace - Headspace is a science-backed app in mindfulness and meditation, providing unique tools and resources to help reduce stress, build resilience, and aid better sleep. Sign up with your NHS email address before 31 December 2023 for free access to the app.
Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) - [Caroline to send definitition]
Here are some really helpful resources on ACT.
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life, book by Steven Hayes
Exercise and physical activity
Couch to 5k
This is a great free app to coach you towards running for 30 minutes, tried and tested by the behavioural science team and perfect for beginners. Pick your coach in the app to support you throughout your runs, and the app will send you reminders throughout the week when it's time for your next session. More info | App store | Google Play store
Nike Run Club
A brilliant free app with loads guided runs with fantastic coaches covering all distances and times, starting from under 10 minutes. There is a run for everybody and every mood, and even all weather, with a selection of guided runs designed specifically for the treadmill. The app also includes training plans including a 'Get Started' plan for getting you into running, a 5k training plan, all the way up to a marathon training plan. More info | App store | Google Play store
Home workouts
If you'd prefer to exercise at home, there are plenty of great resources out there. Here's a selection loved by the team that you might like to try:
- Heather Robertson YouTube - Videos for all levels of fitness, including workouts with no equipment needed. There are also training plans available to help you get into a routine.
- Joe Wicks YouTube - Weekly motivating home workouts to help you get stronger and fitter
- Cheryl Coulombe YouTube - Dumbbell-only resistance training videos. Have a look on Facebook Marketplace or the supermarket for cheap dumbbells.
- MadFit YouTube - MadFit does home workouts in real time with you to help inspire everyone at all fitness levels to get up, get moving and reach their goals (recommended by an UPDATE participant).
- fitbymik YouTube - These videos are designed to help you improve strength and flexibility, led by an instructor with over a decade of experience in the fitness industry and a degree in Kinesiology (the study of movement).
- Mr and Mrs Muscle YouTube - A huge variety of home workouts for men and women, including with and without equipment, guided personal training, and 30-day challenges, which can be a great way to kick-start a habit for exercise.
Apps for resistance training
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Stronger By The Day - An app developed by professionals with a structured resistance training plan. Includes detailed instructions with videos for each exercise, weekly information on the exercises for that week and why they have been chosen, and an online community of other users (paid, though has a free trial).
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Strong - A great free app for logging what weights you're using and how many sets you do so you can make sure you're making progress. It also has a few workout templates for free you can use.
Batch cooking
YouTube
How I Cook 20 Healthy Meals in 1 HOUR (contains an ad for UPF and more salt than we might recommend)
How I Make 20 Healthy Meals for $30
Emotional eating
The charity BEAT have several online resources which may help you identify disordered eating behaviours in yourself, including emotional overeating and bingeing. They also have suggestions of tools you can use to overcome these behaviours, but we and BEAT recommend that you should contact your GP if you think you are negatively affected by any disordered eating behaviours.
