Health app launched in Erewash

Following the ever-growing popularity of fitness trackers, smartphones and the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, Erewash Borough Council now has its own, free activity tracking app. 

‘Erewash Can’ is a new initiative launched by the council’s sports and health development team which tracks and rewards activities to help residents become more active and feel like they ‘can’.

Unlike other fitness trackers Erewash Can tracks and rewards every activity via an app allowing its users to recognise all their efforts, even when exercise isn’t necessarily the primary goal.  Whether it is walking to work, gardening, running marathons or doing the decorating, everything counts and that’s what’s empowering.

As well as your usual daily activity, the innovative app can import your music and track walks, runs and bike rides using GPS.  For gym-goers there’s workouts put together by pros to give you guidance.

For those who like a little healthy competition amongst family, friends and colleagues, there are individual and group challenges, some even have prizes such as FitBits, water bottles and T-shirts.

The app links to some well-known fitness trackers and also gives details of local walking and cycling groups which users can join. It is hoped the app will spearhead a movement of people who want to become more active at their own pace, allowing them to find like-minded people via the app’s Facebook page.

Councillor Mike Wallis, Lead member for Culture and Leisure at Erewash Borough Council said: “There is a real opportunity for the app to become a digital ‘activity hub’ as more and more people embrace it. The idea is that residents feel empowered to become a little more active but also allows them to recognise every day activities that often go unnoticed.

“The team behind Erewash Can are very passionate about the project and are delighted residents can use the technology free of charge.

“It will be wonderful to see the ‘Erewash Can’ community grow as the app becomes more widely used. There are some great plans to develop the project through social media whereby people can ask others for help or advice to become more active and share their own personal victories and achievements, however big or small.”

To download the free app simply go to the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store and search for Erewash Can.  Users will then be able to create an account.  Due to the project being funded, everyone who signs up will be asked to complete a quick lifestyle questionnaire about their activity levels.

Visit the Erewash Can website for more information at erewashcan.co.uk.