As the New Year dawns, many in the UK are pondering how to improve their health and well-being. To meet this demand, the Simple app—an innovative tool for those wishing to achieve weight loss goals—has rolled out a new 30-minute tai chi walking workout, offering a unique approach to boosting fitness during the chilly winter months.

Tai chi walking, an age-old practice characterized by slow, mindful steps, has recently seen a surge in popularity online. Though it may appear unconventional to the uninitiated, this practice is known to enhance strength, improve posture, and bolster balance and cognitive function.

Users interested in this gentle exercise can complete a short quiz about their current health and future aspirations to receive a customized tai chi walking plan. Additionally, they can enjoy a 60% discount on the Simple app by using the code ‘REACH60’ upon subscription.

So, what makes tai chi walking beneficial for health? According to Simple, the key to effective fat loss lies in ‘Zone 1’ activity. This involves engaging in light, low-intensity exercises that keep the heart rate between 50% and 60% of its maximum capacity.

Other exercises falling into the Zone 1 category include light jogging, swimming, pilates, and yoga. Research published in the American Journal of Medicine, as reported by the Mirror, indicates that individuals practicing tai chi show lower levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), a hormone produced by the heart to manage blood pressure.

Elevated BNP levels can signal heart stress and are considered a significant predictor of heart failure prognosis. A preliminary study, which paves the way for more extensive research, found that participants were less stable during tai chi walking compared to traditional walking.

This suggests that by challenging balance, tai chi could help the body develop enhanced neuromuscular control, thereby reducing the risk of falls. Alongside Simple’s tai chi walking plan, the app offers several other useful features for weight loss and health improvement.

An intelligent food scanner utilises the phone’s camera to analyse meals and provide smart nutrition scores, while habit trackers facilitate easy logging of water intake, activity, fasting and weight. A Simple subscription also grants access to a personal AI-driven, in-app coach named Avo, which can offer guidance and suggestions such as healthy recipes and workout plans.

Avo is accompanied by Blinky, a charming fluffy companion who provides daily motivation and support to users on their weight loss journeys. According to the Simple blog, Blinky is ‘fluffy, intense, and adorably unhinged in the most entertaining way’.

They explain that as users log everything from meals to workouts or weigh-ins, they are simultaneously ‘feeding’ Blinky. In his own words, Blinky says: “Every log keeps me alive, thriving, and (yes) even clingier. Skip too long, and I spiral. Dramatic sighs. Sad eyes. Fluff deflation. I will miss you loudly.”

There are numerous alternative smartphone applications available for those seeking health and fitness monitoring solutions. MyFitnessPal remains a favoured option for comprehensive nutritional tracking, whilst also recording exercise to provide a complete overview of calories consumed and expended.

For fitness enthusiasts, Hevy offers a straightforward method to record workouts and routines through its user-friendly interface. Whilst free to download, a premium version provides access to more sophisticated features.

But many Simple app users have shared glowing reviews on Trustpilot, where it boasts a 4.3-star rating from more than 34,000 reviews. It has also achieved a 4.7-star score on Apple’s App Store.

One satisfied user said: “I have tried lots of apps for getting in shape and losing weight. Simple has gotten me the best results. What I like about Simple is that it doesn’t require detailed tracking in order to be useful. I can keep my input general and use the fasting timer. I can enter as much or little detail as I want. In my case, I’m focused on the big picture of my fast and not the minutia of each thing I eat. I am down 25lb from the beginning of this year, and it’s the first time in my 30s and 40s that I’ve actually had a sustainable approach to managing my weight.”

Another said: “I love the balance of simplicity, accountability and the transparency of the use of AI coaches. It’s the first time I’ve successfully tried intermittent fasting and my body is loving it. I’ve lost 4kg in a month and I feel confident I can stick with this long term.”

One person offered feedback as part of a more comprehensive review: “I like the reminders, the exercises, the recipe suggestions, and I’m in my own home not having to go anywhere to do this. I wish that I could back log meals. Unless I’m using the program incorrectly, there are numerous times I can’t log a meal until later in the day, and it looks like the time indicates the breakfast and lunch and dinner all are consumed at the same time.”

This user celebrated the app’s digital assistants, saying: “Blinky is cute and helpful, and the AI coach Avo has great advice and insight.”

Simple weight loss programmes are currently 60% off using code REACH60, with a free plan also on offer.