FitQuid is the UK’s first health and wellness application whose mission is in line with the new UK Government’s initiative to keep our population healthy in both body and mind to help support and relieve the stress on our NHS.
FitQuid is a mobile application that uses a gamified approach of challenges and rewards to combat loneliness and encourage more active lifestyles.
A growing health and loneliness crisis has ravaged the UK – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic – causing many senior citizens to become isolated from society. The effects of this health and loneliness crisis are reported to cost the UK over £32 billion every year. With over 1.2 million senior citizens in the UK being classified as lonely, which is linked to depression, faster progressions of Alzheimer’s disease, altered brain function, and even cardiovascular diseases.
Shahnaz Far, the Co-Founder of FitQuid states, “The community is at the heart of everything that we are doing at FitQuid. We have created a tool that allows people to connect and share moments doing things that they like with others who share their passion, and therefore enhancing the sense of camaraderie amongst the entire community.”
Launching its new app in May 3rd 2022, FitQuid is designed to help anyone build healthy, happy lifestyles to improve their overall wellbeing and help them live longer and happier lives.
According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe, 55% of adults over 65 are inactive. This costs the NHS about £1.2 billion a year, and this cost is likely to increase unless something drastic changes.
To combat this, the founders of FitQuid designed a wellness app that will encourage people to participate in personal or group fitness challenges. FitQuid gives users the full freedom to create their own challenges to get healthier and happier. Completing these challenges earns users points that can be used to claim exclusive offers in the app.
The Impact of FitQuid Fitness Challenges
The app is also designed to encourage new fitness/wellness activities. The “Portraits of the Morning” challenge, where users are encouraged to take morning walks, photograph the sunrise, and upload it to share with the FitQuid community, has become the most popular on the app. The app has a wide selection of challenges that are based on NHS recommendations to keep users connected, active, and fun. FitQuid’s beta-testing period boasted an impressive retention rate of over 70%, when compared to the global average of just 43%.
Something as simple as taking regular morning walks can significantly impact the health of a senior citizen. The NHS recommends taking these walks for at least 150 minutes per week to reduce the potential risks of dementia and other cognitive disabilities. FitQuid aims to support the UK’s aging population by providing fun, interactive activities that they can do daily to improve their overall health.
FitQuid as a Form of Preventive Care
FitQuid is a tool that can improve the lives of millions of British people. With a free, accessible app FitQuid is looking to ensure that anyone who needs it can access it. Then, create individual activities or invite friends & family to create group activities, and enjoy the benefits of starting an active lifestyle together. The app uses an open-canvas concept that allows users to personalise their experiences and achieve their own personal goals. Medical professionals can also utilize this open canvas to easily prescribe exercise and track psychosocial goals and recommendations based on each patient’s needs.
Sally Ross, an NHS general practitioner for 35 years, endorses and recommends using FitQuid as a form of preventative care. Ross states, “FitQuid is a gamified version of promoting good health and it’s incentivized…it will help people engage in fun activities that will enable them to meet a community of others using it. FitQuid is helping my patients get motivation both physically, psychologically, and socially. As a family medical practitioner, I always think of those three aspects, and FitQuid ticks all those boxes for me.”
FitQuid is meant to be used as preventive care by motivating people to lead an active lifestyle to reduce the risks of chronic health problems. Regular physical activity can help avoid severe cognitive and cardiovascular issues that come with age.
