Buddy-up for 26 minutes of exercise a day

Download the free app now to join in

buddyboost

The aim of the buddyboost app is to help you feel healthier and happier.

Join our growing community of thousands buddyboosters and buddy-up (virtually) with up to 5 friends and support each other to do 26 minutes of exercise a day.

“A great app and having a buddy really motivated me to continue on days I would have given up.”

“It’s really improved my mental wellbeing as well as my physical wellbeing and it’s been a real boost to me.”

About buddyboost

buddyboost challenges

Buddying-up

FAQs

What sort of activity to do

buddyboost is not about how far, how fast or how many calories you burn, it’s just about doing your 26 minutes. In fact, you don’t even have to do your 26 minutes all in one go. You can hit the pause button on the countdown clock and start it again whenever you’re ready.

Videos & ideas

To help you with your 26 we’ve put together a collection of short videos, including ones for kids. These will give you ideas on how to do your buddyboost minutes and to keep things fresh – especially if you’re stuck at home.

Your wellbeing

Around 10million people in the UK experience a mild to moderate mental health condition in any given week. That can be anything from anxiety and loneliness through to depression, so if you’re one of those people you’re not alone.

The good news is that there’s a lot more support available than ever before. Click on the logos or link below and you’ll find some useful information and tools to help you manage your mental health.

Mental health charity Mind has lots of resources on its website here

Your happiness

Get some inspiration from these podcasts. One of the most popular is The Happiness Lab, by Yale Professor Dr Laurie Santos – a world expert on happiness. Since the Coronavirus started, over 2 million people have listened to her podcasts. A key finding in Dr Santos’ research is that people underestimate the effect that simple lifestyle habits can have on our overall feelings of wellbeing.

There are some other great happiness-related podcasts available, but we really like Happy Place by Fearne Cotton, where she talks to incredible people about life, loss, love and everything else, but with an aim to understand what happiness means to different people:

General tips on mental health

Get some fresh air, if you can If government advice does not stop you from going outside, then try to get out for some fresh air. Walking and running are great for your physical health and have proven benefits for your mental wellbeing. Our data shows that more energetic exercise like dancing and cycling can be very uplifting, but less vigorous activities such as gardening can be just as effective in tackling low mood, stress and anxiety. Try a home workout If you’re looking for some inspiration, there are loads of videos and workouts that you can follow online. We have included some of our favourite videos from external websites and from our own buddyboost videos in our gallery Try relaxation & mindfulness You can also try relaxation and mindfulness to boost your mood. We have included some yoga & pilates videos in our video gallery. Alternatively, you could follow an NHS yoga workout, try this mindful breathing exercise from Every Mind Matters, and read hints and tips on mindfulness from the NHS.

Community

The inaugural buddyboost challenge

Over 3,000 people took part in our first ever challenge from 1 to 26 May (you’ll notice that we were called mayathon back then). The feedback was amazing and our app reported an average happiness increase of 25% after people did their daily exercise! So, it’s true, buddyboost really does make you healthier and happier. Our social channels saw hundreds of uplifting and feel-good posts from our community. Here’s a selection that really capture the spirit.

We were also proud to see so many people use the finish line finale to raise money for charity, with over £20,000 being raised for good causes.

Further buddyboost challenges

Since our first successful nationwide event, we have run many challenges with thousands of people across the UK and in all kinds of weather. The app data consistently shows that being active gives people’s mood a boost and that having a buddy really helps people to stick at the challenge and do more days than they otherwise would.

Keep an eye on @buddyboost26 on social media, especially during our annual flagship challenge each May to coincide with National Mental Health Awareness Week.

Our social channels

Playlists

We’ve put together some Spotify playlists and podcasts to help you through your daily 26 minutes. There’s plenty of choice from big-beats to chilled-out yoga.

Just click on any of the playlists and they’ll play directly from your Spotify account. If you don’t have a Spotify account, then you will need to set one up. We have no relationship with Spotify and won’t make any money if you do take out a subscription with them. Spotify just happens to be the most popular platform for music sharing.

Plus more

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Buddy-up for 26 minutes of exercise a day

Download the free app now

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