The future of fit

Move over Spin class, the David Beckham-approved fitness cult Peloton has finally hit the UK. This isn’t your usual at-home bike machine, Peloton comes with an interactive screen and wireles headphone. Membership gets you access to unlimited classes.

allowing you to stream your chosen style (hip hop is our favourite), compete with others around the world and get your sweat on from the comfort of your own living room. onepeloton.com/bike THE VIDEO DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW Very often the most practical problem for a doctor and patient is one of location: can people actually get to their doctors, or vice versa? And when they do, how much is the cost of that effort? Germany’s health economy has taken a major step towards solving this problem with “Videosprechstunden” (video consultations). As a part of the new e-health law which came into effect in January this year, the video consultation innovation is just one of many measures set to help more people get the help they need when they need it, thus saving lives.

The primary purpose of Sensewear clothes is to stimulate and improve awareness of our senses, while training us to use them better. Some items are designed to mute physical sensations, some to sharpen them, inspired by the therapies used to assist people affected with autism. The collection is for anyone who experiences feelings of stress and anxiety, which is pretty much anyone with a busy, stressful life.

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The largest social network for health in the world, HealthUnlocked supports millions of people to improve their health every month through peer support and self-management in over 600 health and wellbeing online communities. HealthUnlocked partners with hundreds of patient advocacy organisations and charities within these communities, providing them with support, expertise and moderation, and offers a range of unique solutions to organisations and businesses, specialising in access to an active health-focused audience. Making Facebook look like a glorious time-waster.

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Rehab is a platform which turns physical and cognitive exercises, such as the kind you’d receive from a physiotherapist, into video games, making therapy easier to follow at home. It asks patients to complete the recommended movements to progress through each game level – think Candy Crush but you’re actually recovering as you play. The patient’s performance data is tracked, storing all the repetitions, improvements or issues for therapists to adapt and progress treatment accordingly.

Leaf Chakra is a smart jewellery range made from the latest celebrity must have – energy harvesting gems and crystals. Powered by stress-predicting technology, the range is the newest personal health companion in the Bellabeat family, and is designed to also let users track meditations and breathing. All together now, ommmmm. webshop.bellabeat.com/

A Swedish pharmacy chain has created the first virtual reality app that can help patients with pain relief.

Happy Place, created by agency Wenderfalck as a joint venture between Sweden’s largest private pharmacy, Apotek Hjärtat and VR therapy startup Mimerse, aims to distract patients from their pain with a peaceful, interactive environment. Using a VR headset, a patient is ‘transported’ to a serene lakeside campground, with optional guided relaxation and soothing music. It’s currently being tested by the public (for example, when getting vaccinations), with the potential to be rolled out further. Who said playing video games is bad for you?