Innovative ways to achieve good health

Shout

The digital age is all about connection and some of the most inspiring examples exist when people form social connections for charitable purposes. The Shout app facilitates this by enabling users to donate the value of everyday items, such as a movie ticket, coffees or drinks, to worthy causes. The underlying belief is that through small financial gestures, insignificant amounts to many people, the potential for a larger, more regular income stream for not-for-profit organisations is created. Achieve a whole lot by sharing a little and feel good about it. shoutforgood.com

nPowerPEG

The downside of being reliant on digital devices is the battery life they require. Outdoor adventures away from a power point and charger once signalled a slow drain on their battery life - but not any more. Hybrid chargers, like the nPowerPEG, feed on a kinetic charge generated by your body’s movement and now make it possible to keep your devices charged from your own renewable energy. Placed upright in a bag, running, walking or cycling will harvest kinetic energy and charge the nPowerPEG, which you can then activate to power up your own gadgets. npowerpeg.com

Couchto5K

The Couch to 5K running program is designed to introduce running to people starting from a low fitness base. A nine-week program, you start gently by alternating between walks and runs, slowly building up until you are running thirty minutes or 5km without a break. The Couch to 5K app supports the program, offering a music player, training tips, workout logs and local runs in your area. Winner of the 2012 Appy Award for best Healthcare and Fitness app, it is a great way to help you achieve a realistic goal. c25k.com

Nike Training Club app

Always wanted your own personal trainer? The Nike Training Club app offers 100 custom workouts to help you on the road to getting lean, strong and toned. Select your goal and fitness level and choose from workouts that meet your criteria. Set to music from your own library, step-by-step instructions play for each drill ranging from strength, cardio, interval and core training. Go one step further and share your progress and earn rewards. nike.com

Teeter Hang Ups

Many sufferers of back pain will know it as an ongoing struggle. A natural alternative to pain relief, the Teeter Hang Ups inversion table may help relieve back pain by reducing the pressure of gravity on the spine. With recognised benefits in reducing nerve pressure, assisting realignment, relaxing tense muscles and improving joint flexibility, the inversion tables are tested to medical-grade standard and can be easily set up at home. teeter-inversion.com

Polar

The latest offering from the heart rate monitor specialists is the Polar FT60F heart rate monitor. This new model is packed with features including heart rate measurement, calorie expenditure, exercise duration and the option to download data, with the purchase of an additional data transfer device. The women’s model comes in a soft lilac colour and black, and the men’s comes in black. The wristband can be worn as a watch and offers an alarm, timer and is water resistant to 30 metres.

Hövding cycling airbag

Merging the worlds of safety and sci-fi, the Hövding cycling airbag is the result of intensive research and development. Designed with airbag manufacturer Alva Sweden, it is designed to be worn like a hood and is made with a strong nylon fabric that won’t tear when it hits the ground. Inflating to form a cushion protecting nearly all the head on impact, it keeps vision clear and slowly deflates after several seconds. When not being worn, the airbag’s battery can be charged via a USB cable. hovding.com

Withings wireless scale

Monitoring and tracking is an important step in maintaining a health weight and can be a motivating way to help you achieve weight loss. Wireless scales make this even easier by sending readings to your smartphone or tablet, making it impossible to miss one step of your journey. Simple to set up, Withings wireless scales work over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and measure and upload your Body Mass Index data to your free Withings account. You can even share your achievements with friends and family. withings.com

A round up of what’s hot in the health gadget world this spring.