healthy living Archives - London Drugs Blog

How Connected Wellness Devices Can Help You

The concept of medical devices that attach to your body, take measurements to monitor your health, and report the results to your healthcare team may sound like the premise of a science fiction movie, but it is actually the face of medicine today.

The London Drugs Connected Wellness Program combines the medical expertise of our pharmacists with the expertise of our TECH Department. Our pharmacists can recommend appropriate health monitoring devices to meet your needs and can help you interpret the results. And our TECH Department can help you set up compatible Bluetooth devices and apps to download the readings to. The data collected on your device can then be shared with anyone YOU choose, from family and caregivers to members of your healthcare team. The most common connected wellness devices are fitness trackers and watches that monitor your activity, heart rate, and even oxygen levels in your blood. Connected health can also be used for monitoring blood pressure, body temperature, or blood glucose levels. These devices operate using a variety of solutions like sensors and wireless connectivity to collect and transmit data to your mobile phone or tablet through an app.

What are the benefits of connected wellness?

Monitoring blood glucose without pricking a finger
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices measure glucose levels at regular periods throughout the day and night. And you can view your glucose level any time just by looking at an app on your mobile phone or tablet. This can be extremely helpful for people with diabetes to reduce the number of finger pokes, to identify trends in the readings, or to monitor the glucose of a child or loved one remotely.

Avoidance of misleading blood pressure readings
Some people get so nervous when having their blood pressure measured at the doctor’s office, that it throws off the reading. Measuring your blood pressure at home with a connected blood pressure monitor and tracking it over time provides a more accurate way of assessing your blood pressure for you and your healthcare provider. You can share all your readings from home through an app to allow them to see what you are experiencing every day.

Improved quality of life
Knowing that you can monitor your own health and share it with those who can help is empowering. And by sharing this reliable health information with your healthcare team it will allow them to make more informed medical decisions with you.

Better access to healthcare
Connected wellness technologies enable care to be delivered outside of hospitals, laboratories, and doctors’ offices, eliminating barriers for people whose locations or life circumstances make it difficult to access healthcare testing and monitoring facilities on a regular basis.

How Does London Drugs Support Connected Wellness?

London Drugs carries a wide range of smart technology devices that can help you take control of your personal health. These devices can help you track your blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose, sleep, activity levels, and more. Our London Drugs pharmacists will help you find the right solution to manage your condition, and our TECH staff will make sure these solutions will work for you. Our pharmacists and TECH staff work together to help you select the right tech device for your needs, and we set up your device to ensure that everything is working properly and that you understand how to operate and maintain the device. We also help you track and monitor your results and share your health data with anyone you choose–your healthcare providers, caregivers, or family—through your smartphone or tablet.

We are here to help you. Ask us about connected wellness and what it can mean for you.

Asthma – London Drugs bettercare

As easy as breathing. It sounds like such a simple thing, but if you have asthma, breathing is not simple at all. Asthma is a chronic lung condition in which the airways are extra sensitive, which causes them to react by narrowing, making breathing difficult.

Asthma

Asthma can occur in people of any age, but it usually strikes for the first time during childhood. At least 12% of Canadian children and 8.4% of the population age 12 and over have been diagnosed with the condition. Asthma is the leading cause of absenteeism from school and the third leading cause of work loss.

The first signs are often a cough or slight shortness of breath, especially after exercise. Other common signs are wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness. One in three children has at least one episode of wheezing by the third birthday and close to half will have an episode by the sixth birthday. About half of preschool children with wheezing will outgrow the problem. The symptoms can be similar to the symptoms of allergic reactions, bronchitis, or postnasal drip, so your doctor may want to perform some tests to rule out other breathing problems and to make sure that your problem is asthma before beginning treatment.

Once your doctor is sure that your problem is asthma, you can plan to control the symptoms. The first step is to develop an action plan, a series of instructions that your doctor will customize for you. Your action plan should be in writing, and you should make sure you understand it completely. It will include instructions on when you should contact the doctor, under what circumstances you should adjust your medication, when you should go to the hospital, and what you should do on the way.

Asthma Medicines

Medication will play a large part in helping you manage your asthma. There are two main types of medication you will become familiar with: anti-inflammatory drugs (also known as preventers) and bronchodilators (also known as relievers or rescue drugs).

Anti-inflammatory medications help to prevent attacks by reducing inflammation, swelling, and mucus in the airways. This prevents symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and breathlessness. In order for these medications to work, you must take them on a regular basis. Preventer medicines act slowly and will not stop an asthma attack.

Bronchodilators relieve the spasms in the muscles surrounding the airways that bring on sudden symptoms. They are taken once an asthma attack has started, and they work by relaxing the tight muscles that narrow the breathing passages. With the muscles more relaxed, air can move more easily through the airways. Because the regular, frequent use of bronchodilator therapy may actually worsen asthma, one of the goals of treatment is to prevent symptoms, reducing the need for these drugs.

It is crucial that you use your inhaler properly, or you won’t get the maximum benefit from it. If you have any questions about using your inhaler, your London Drugs pharmacist can help.

Your Asthma Diary

Taking your medication is important, but it is not the whole story. The medicines help you control your asthma symptoms, but they cannot cure the condition. Fortunately, there are a number of other steps you can take to help manage your asthma so you can lead a full, active life. One important component of an asthma management program is to keep an asthma diary. This is really very easy to do, and it will help you pinpoint the factors that trigger your asthma attacks as well as help you chart the progress of your treatment.

To maintain an asthma diary, you will need to measure your breathing with a peak flow meter. Record this measurement in your asthma diary along with the date and time of the reading. It can also be helpful to record how you feel at the time of the test (for example, “no difficulty breathing” or “chest feels tight”) and to record what you ate and what activities you participated in around the time of the reading (for example, “rode bicycle for half an hour then ate a chocolate bar”). Keeping track of your symptoms and what you ate and what you were doing when they occurred will help you identify those things that trigger your body to have an asthma attack.
It will also help you keep track of how well your medication is working so you and your doctor can decide whether your treatment plan needs to be modified.

Identifying Your Triggers

Many things can trigger an asthma attack, and they vary from person to person. Asthma triggers fall into two main categories: allergic triggers and non-allergic triggers. Allergic triggers include pollen, mould, animal dander, dust mites, and some foods. Non-allergic triggers include smoke, fumes, perfumes, weather conditions, intense emotions, infections, exercise, and some medications. If you aren’t sure whether any of the medicines you take could trigger asthma symptoms, talk with your London Drugs pharmacist.

It would be wonderful if you could identify all of your triggers and avoid them, but that isn’t usually possible. It would be difficult to avoid all pollen or smoke, and it would be next to impossible to avoid all emotional situations or weather conditions. However, if you know what your triggers are, you can do a lot to reduce your exposure to them. For example, if grass pollen triggers your asthma, you can stay indoors when the grass is being cut; if perfume is one of your triggers, you can look for unscented products and avoid perfumes and colognes; if cold air causes you problems, you can try skating in an indoor rink.

Another important factor in controlling asthma is to remain physically fit, because exercise helps to improve the respiratory system. However, people with asthma have to be careful to prepare properly before beginning an activity. This may mean adjusting the medication, so it is important to discuss your plans with your doctor before beginning an exercise program or participating in a sport.

Sometimes You Need a Change

As long as you can maintain good control of your asthma symptoms, you and your doctor will probably continue with the action plan you developed at the start of your treatment program. However, sometimes the plan needs to be adjusted as the treatment progresses. There are signs you should watch for that will indicate that a treatment change might be necessary.

Be alert to the following and tell your doctor if:

your symptoms begin to interfere with your daily activities
your reliever medicine doesn’t provide complete relief or if you have to increase the amount you use to get relief
your peak flow readings drop
you begin to have difficulty exercising
you experience shortness of breath when you haven’t been exercising
you have persistent tightness in your chest or morning wheezing
you awaken more than two nights in a row coughing or wheezing.

Sometimes your asthma may require immediate medical attention. Call your doctor or visit the emergency room immediately if:

you have a severe asthma attack
you get chest pains
you begin to cough and cannot stop
your oral temperature rises above 38º C (100º F) during an asthma attack.

Your Pharmacist

There are many ways your London Drugs pharmacist can help you manage your
asthma, such as:

explaining how and when to take your medication
demonstrating how to use inhaler devices and peak flow meters
clarifying your doctor’s instructions
advising on over-the-counter medicines that are appropriate for people with asthma.

If you have any questions about your condition or the medicines you take, remember that your pharmacists are here to help you.

Above all, there is one thing to remember about asthma: You can control it. If you follow your treatment plan, take your medicine properly, identify your triggers and minimize your exposure to them, and stay physically fit, you can lead a full and active life.

10+ Tips to Wake Up Happier and More Energized

Summer is coming to an end and the days are getting shorter, which means we all want to feel as energized as possible as we wake up. When it comes to getting out of bed fresh, happy, and ready to tackle the world, there are a bunch of tricks to try. Start your morning feeling more rejuvenated with these tips.

Maximize your beauty sleep

No screen time before bed

With advances in technology over the last decade or so, it’s common practice that in the hour before bedtime, you’re likely to check your phone, write a late night email, or watch your favourite show on Netflix. BUT! Studies have shown that excessive screen time can make it difficult to relax. Instead, try turning off your phone an hour or two before bed. Opt for a good ol’ paperback to read instead of using your tablet, or even try for a sleeping mask to completely block out any light source.

Create a comfortable space

Avoid using your bedroom for day-to-day activities and turn it exclusively into a sleep haven. This may involve investing in black-out or dark curtains for your windows, adjusting the thermostat to reach the perfect temperature (not too hot, not too cold), or even buying a new pillow that meets your comfort needs. If you have noisy neighbours, live near a busy street, or share the bed with a snoring partner or pet, make your space as quiet as you can by using earplugs at night. At first this may seem excessive–but just remember how good it feels when you wake up after a soundless, restful slumber.

Get a good night’s sleep

How you wake up in the morning is affected by how you fall asleep at night. A regimented schedule is a great place to start, but with busy lives and spontaneous occurrences, it’s nearly impossible to keep a completely consistent schedule at all times. If you occasionally have difficulties falling asleep, try diffusing an essential oil such as lavender (well-known for its sleep-inducing properties), or another relaxing oil. Alternatively, a small dose of natural melatonin can also be helpful to nudge you to sleep without any groggy side effects the next morning.

Develop a morning routine

Avoid hitting the ‘snooze’ button

Hitting the “snooze” button in the morning is a habit most people have developed at some point in their lives. It can be too easy to put off getting out of bed with a simple smack of the button. Wearing a Fitbit or similar device will closely track your sleep schedule (so you can see the times you have uninterrupted, REM sleep), and it can also provide a gentler, built-in alarm that wakes you up gradually. Another method that is less enticing, but very effective, is to set your alarm clock across the room, so no matter what, you can’t simply turn over and “snooze,” but have to get out of bed to silence it. And if you’re already up–what’s the point of going back to sleep?

Open the blinds

Like we mentioned above, because the presence of light simulates daylight (and alertness), when you’re falling asleep, it’s best to avoid it. On the other hand, if you’re having trouble waking up in the morning, simply flood your space with natural light; open the blinds, crack open a window for fresh air, and bask in the morning sunshine. We all know the feeling of feeling lethargic whenever the weather is dull or rainy–so when this is the case, switch out your regular light bulbs for some power-saving and daylight-duping LED bulbs around the house.

Create an upbeat playlist

When it comes to getting ready in the morning, some people prefer listening to the news on TV, early morning radio programs, podcasts, or the new album from their favourite band. Whatever it is, as long as it elevates your mood and helps you feel energized, prepare your sound of choice the night before. Create a playlist that speaks to you, and choose something that gets you excited in the morning and pumped for your day. Sync your phone up with a hands-free speaker to switch from the traffic report to your ‘90s playlist effortlessly while you turn on the coffee maker and pack your lunch.

Nourish your body and mind

Drink water

For many people, the idea of mornings without caffeine may seem impossible to bear. The truth is, though your routine cup of coffee or tea may be non-negotiable, make sure your habit doesn’t become an addiction. To supplement the benefits of caffeine, always keep a tall glass or bottle of water next to your bed so you can grab it and gulp immediately upon waking. Water rehydrates the body after hours without it, it will de-fog your brain and amp up your alertness, and it can help stimulate your metabolism for the rest of the day. Just incorporating one glass of water every morning (before your coffee) will pay dividends for your focus and liveliness.

Eat a healthy breakfast

Your first meal is what keeps your brain sharp and provides your body with energy until lunchtime. If the idea of eating something heavy right upon waking makes you nauseous–don’t worry. You don’t need to eat a whole plate of eggs and bacon every day for energy. Instead, you can make quick, simple smoothies to take with you on the go. If you’re pressed for time, prepare overnight oats the day before, or dive into a bowl of muesli. Though scientific communities are divided about the importance of breakfast, as long as you feel satiated and energized, you won’t have to worry about any uncomfortable cravings before your next meal.

Exercise

For some people, getting to a yoga or spin class, or even a 30-minute jog in the morning is difficult; especially if you have a busy family, career, or unpredictable schedule. But taking just a small amount of time out of your morning for exercise can have lasting benefits. Not only will you not have to bother hitting the gym after an 8-hour work day, but the endorphins stimulated during your workout will get you revved and happy in the morning. If you’re the type of person who exercises to relax and unwind, you should definitely move this activity to the morning–that way, when you head to work, your mind (and body) will be fully refreshed. If time really isn’t on your side, pop in a morning yoga DVD that you can do in your bedroom or consider an active commute–getting your heart rate up and blood flowing will set a solid foundation for the rest of your day.

Take time for yourself

Finally, be sure to take time for yourself in the morning. Whenever you have just a moment or an hour, do something that makes you content and peaceful before diving back into the real world. Meditation is a fantastic way to embrace every day as a clean slate, where you can create positive energy by appreciating the little moments in life. If meditating isn’t your jam, try journaling, reading, or simply sitting in your pajamas with your tea or coffee (and glass of water!).

Whatever you do to start your morning, find what makes you the happiest, get a good night’s sleep, and prepare your day feeling your best.

4 Self-Care Tips for When the Kids Go Back to School

Sandcastle building! Cabin time! Water parks! Backyard barbecuing!

Also: Sunburns! A car full of sand! Popsicle stains on the floor! And daily choruses of “I’m booooored!”

Everyone loves summer fun with the kids, but as the season winds down, many stay-at-home parents find themselves looking forward to a little less chaos and a little more Me Time.

If you are secretly fantasizing about shipping your little angels off to school, here are four self-care suggestions for the fall.

Eat: Alone

Newfound hours of daytime quiet in the home may seem daunting at first, but fill them with those basics of life that are a little less pleasurable (and sometimes nearly impossible!) when the kids are around. Like eating a meal—even while it’s still hot!

Or go further: use the extra time to enjoy a meal that your kids would never go for. Turn on some mealtime music, bring a magazine, and break out the roasted brussels sprouts or delicious fish (that isn’t fish sticks).

Look: Fabulous

Taking a long shower, blow drying your hair or putting on mascara may seem like a stretch when your seven-year-old is banging down the bathroom door.

But having the kids out of the house for a few hours means you can take some time for yourself: paint your toenails, give yourself a facial, or perhaps best of all, take a nap! Yes, right in the middle of the afternoon. You deserve it!

Do: Nothing

Sure, there may be a few things you have to get done around the house to restore order. But running around obsessively trying to catch up on all of the housework you meant to do over the summer will likely have you burn out faster than you can say “dust bunnies.”

Instead, cut yourself some slack: start by walking by a pile of toys, pointing and shrugging like you have no idea who left it there or what it is. The kids will be home soon enough; they can tidy their messes.

Use the time instead to throw yourself on the couch, turn on Netflix or grab a juicy novel, and turn off your compulsion to clean. The grime can wait, but that game of Clash of Clans isn’t going to play itself.

Work: Out

Getting back into an exercise routine may be the last thing you feel like doing once fall starts, but it doesn’t have to be hard.

In fact, you could simply take a few minutes to limber up with some stretching every day. Or, find some quick and simple workouts to do at home courtesy of your friend Google.

While you’re getting the body going, don’t forget about kickstarting your brain as well; you’re not just a pretty face after all!

Whatever you choose to do, just make sure you take some time for you: it has been a long hot summer, and you need your rest. Remember, next summer is only eight months away!

8 Natural Remedies to Relieve Your Allergies

Achoo! The seasonal battle has begun against sneezing fits, sinus problems, hay fever, and eyes that itch. Yes, you know it well: allergy season. With spring flowers comes a sensitivity to the environment—pollen, grass, dust, mold, bug bites, and more. We know they can be annoying to deal with, but how can we properly equip ourselves naturally against allergy symptoms?

While there may not be one secret weapon to eliminate every allergy symptom, there are a number of natural tools you can use to help you fight your seasonal allergies. Here are a few ways to naturally relieve your allergies.

1. Schedule any outdoor exercise in the evening

If you love taking spring time strolls, waiting to do so until after midday may help to lessen your allergy symptoms. Because most trees release their pollen early in the morning, waiting until the proverbial dust settles (and isn’t swirling around in the air you breathe) can make your time outdoors more bearable.

2. Change your clothes when you come home

When you come home from work, school, or errands, change into other clothing when you return to your house. Pollen likes to hitchhike on your clothing and stick to it like tiny sea urchins, so toss your outside clothes into the wash to prevent pollen from infiltrating the stronghold of your home.

3. Use a Neti Pot to decongest

If you’ve never used a Neti Pot before, you may be a little bit intimidated by the thought of pouring water up your nose. It’s actually not that uncomfortable (really!). It takes a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it it’s quite effective, and will become a staple in your allergy-fighting regimen. Rinsing with a saline solution up to twice a day for short periods of time can help to clear out your nasal passages and help to lessen the effects of allergies on your sinuses. Learn more about the Neti Pot on our Pharmacy website.

4. Eat local raw honey

Many an allergy-sufferer claims that eating local honey helps them battle seasonal symptoms. It needs to be local because it will contain a wide sampling of different pollen carried on the bees who made it. By gradually exposing themselves to small amounts of local pollen, many people report it noticeably helping them build up a pollen tolerance and overall decreasing their allergy symptoms.

5. Purify the air in your home

HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters in your appliances—like vacuum cleaners—can help ensure that allergens are taken out of the air in your home, instead of being stirred up and dispersed when you clean. There are also free-standing HEPA towers that you can put in high-traffic areas that will work to keep the air in your home as clear as possible.

6. Use essential oils for support

There are many essential oils that can help to support your immune system while it battles allergies. Add them to a homemade all-purpose cleaner, mix with water in a diffuser, or dilute and apply directly to your pulse points. Especially effective against hay fever, some favourites are lavender, eucalyptus, rose, and peppermint.

7. Put turmeric on everything

This vibrant spice, belonging to the ginger family, is about to become your new best friend. Turmeric contains curcumin, which acts as a decongestant and is a natural antihistamine. If you’re not sure what kinds of dishes you can add this superhero of a spice to, try making this golden turmeric tea recipe in under five minutes. It’s also perfect for curries and stir-fry.

8. Eat allergy-fighting foods

Mother Nature provides many kinds of foods that contain antihistamines, and incorporating as many as you can into your diet can help naturally ward off allergy symptoms. Naturopaths often recommend eating a lot of cruciferous vegetables, onions, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and deep yellow and orange vegetables as often as possible.

So there you have it: your natural weapons against allergies! If you’d like more information on allergy support and managing your symptoms, talk to one of our London Drugs Pharmacists or read more on our Pharmacy website.

5 Reasons Curling is Awesome (and So Canadian!)

Haaaaaaaaaaaaard! If the games in PyeongChang have re-awakened your interest in curling, you aren’t alone. Curling clubs see membership increase every four years, as wider audiences are exposed to the drama and fun of this very Canadian sport.

Curling was invented in Scotland, but long, cold Canadian winters have driven generations of Canadians into curling clubs where community is built with every end played. Here are 7 reasons curling is awesome, and so, so Canadian!

1. Anyone Can Curl

Certainly at the elite level, curlers are in top shape. The fields at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts (Women’s Canadian Championship) and the Brier (Men’s Canadian Championship) train like crazy and are incredibly fit and strong athletes, but this may not always be the case down at your local club. Wonderfully, curling is a sport that players of all ages and fitness levels can succeed at. This inclusivity is a Canadian ideal, and we’re incredibly proud of it.

2. Curlers are Mild-Mannered

Canadians don’t love the stereotype that we’re all too polite (sorry!), but in curling, it’s kind of true. The way curlers talk about the game with each other, even at the highest level, in the most intense situations, is as if they’re two buddies deciding whether or not to go for Italian or Vietnamese food tonight. One curler will mildly express an opinion on the type of shot to take: “Let’s do an in-turn tap to the four foot.” The other curler’s response? “I don’t mind that.” You must understand that “I don’t mind that” is curler-speak for: “This is the best idea I have ever heard and if you do it we’re going to win the Canadian championship.” It’s utterly refreshing to watch nice people play sports with respect for each other. And it’s so Canadian.

3. Curling is Chess on Ice

The strategy involved in a curling game is fascinating. Shots that are made at the beginning of a 16-rock end often come into play in the very last shot, and the great curlers are the ones who manage the house and their rocks throughout. What makes it fun for the viewer is that we get to hear everything the teams are discussing as they weigh their options. The commentators play a huge role in translating the curling jargon for the home viewer, and as you learn the basics, you will start to see the different strategies paying off for the teams. The mental focus and planning that great skips need to bring their teams to victory is something to behold.

4. Curlers Make Crazy Shots

Along with the thoughtful strategy in a curling game, you’ll also get to see some big weight shots that get 3, 4, or more rocks scattering around the house. Check out Glenn Howard’s shot for 3 at the 2009 Brier. Or this one from Jennifer Jones, simply called “The Shot,” to win it all the 2005 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Or here is a compilation of 10 great shots from the Canadian Curling Trials in 2010. Totally crazy shot-making from the best in the world, who just happen to be Canadian.

5. Curling Creates Community

Life in Canada can be tough in the winter months. It’s no wonder that people in towns across the country take to their community curling clubs for some shelter from the elements and good times with friends and neighbours. Camaraderie is baked into the sport, with players wishing each other good luck or “good curling” before the game and usually sharing a table up in the clubhouse after the game as well. These clubhouses also capture the spirit and history of the curlers and community members that have come before, through memorabilia, photographs, and stories. Drop into a curling club for a glimpse at the people who have made their Canadian community what it is today.

How to Set Smart Health and Wellness Goals for an Awesome 2018

It’s that time again – New Year’s Resolution season. Let’s admit it: we always start off strong with motivation and enthusiasm to eat healthier, exercise more, get more sleep and take better care of ourselves, but come mid-January, that enthusiasm starts to wain. Sometimes we just need that little extra spark to keep the fires of motivation burning, and we’ve got some super-handy tech gadgets to add some fuel to your smart health and wellness fire.

Eat Better

Prep It: Of course preparing your own meals is far healthier than take-out or pre-packaged food, but cooking at home takes extra time and creativity that we don’t always have. Luckily, The Panasonic Steam Microwave will make your meal prep even easier with easy, oil-free dishes that taste great. The steam function can also be combined with microwave, grill, and convection cooking to give you limitless options for making “healthy” synonymous with “delicious.”

Kick Sugar: Everyone snacks. It’s inevitable—that yawning chasm of time between lunch and dinner will find you eventually. In fact, healthy snacking can actually be good for you, as it fends off swings in blood sugar and prevents binge eating when you’re reaaally hungry. Unfortunately, most store-bought snack foods have a shocking amount of sugar in them, so we’ve got some easy tips for cutting down on sugary snacks here.

Move More

Pump It: The perfect playlist can make or break an intense workout. If you’re addicted to the energy that music gives you, make sure you’re taking full advantage of your tunes with a great set of headphones. Skullcandy’s XTFree Wireless Sport Headphones eliminates the hassle of cords and and keeps you free to pump it up. The lightweight buds have a tight comfortable fit, and you’ll get up to six hours of battery life on a charge to keep you going longer.

Get Up: New studies have shown that there’s a direct relationship between time spent sitting and your risk of early mortality. Doctors suggest that for every 30 consecutive minutes of sitting, standing up and moving or walking for five minutes at brisk pace will reduce the health risks from sitting. If you work at a sedentary job, a standing desk is a great way to avoid sitting for long periods of time. Our Certified Data Standing Desk easily changes from sitting to standing position and has a large surface area to accommodate all of your work activities.

Get Down: Fitness is more fun when it’s a family affair! Get the whole gang grooving with Just Dance, available for Nintendo Switch, PS3 & PS4, Wii & Wii U, and Xbox One and 360.

Track It: Some people need a little bossing around to stay on track with their fitness. If you don’t want to hire an expensive personal trainer, go for some wearable tech to keep you accountable. London Drugs has a wide range of Fitbit fitness trackers in lots of different styles and price ranges that can help you reach your goals. With the Fitbit app, you can track your daily steps, caloric intake and output, heart rate, sleep habits–all while looking sleek and stylish.

Get more sleep

Light It: Everyone knows that getting enough sleep is essential support for good health: it helps our bodies repair damage, clean out waste products, balance hormones, renew cells, and so much more. New studies have even shown that a good amount of sleep helps you form memories, solidify learning, reduces your risk of depression, increases fitness levels, and helps to avoid weight gain. If the thought of trying to get more sleep seems intimidating, there is some great technology available to help create optimal conditions for a good night’s rest, like the Sleepace Nox Music Smart Sleep Light. It can help you fall asleep easily with soothing light and sound and wakes you up naturally with a smart light alarm. It also collects data from your bedroom environment that impacts your sleep quality and makes smart suggestions on how to improve your sleeping experience.

Hear It: If you like to listen to music or podcasts as you fall asleep but wake up in a tangled mess of headphone wires, the Furo Bluetooth Sleeping Mask helps you rest in comfort while listening to whatever sounds are needed to take you to dreamland. A soft micro-fibre sleeping mask with built-in Bluetooth speakers and a 6-hour battery life will give you a comfortable, tangle-free sleeping experience.

More self-care

De-Stress: Ideally, we’d all have a live-in massage therapist to help us work out the knots after a stressful day or a hard workout, but alas, most of us aren’t so lucky. The next best thing could be the Homedics Neck & Shoulder Massager with Heat. This invigorating vibration massager adds heat to soothe tense muscles, and the portable design flexes and shapes to your body, providing the perfect fit for the perfect massage. Makes you want to let out a big “ahhhhhhh” just reading that, doesn’t it?

Breathe In: It’s amazing how scent can affect your mood and well-being. Just ask any of your friends who have jumped on the therapeutic essential oils bandwagon recently: lavender can help you sleep, pine can alleviate stress, citrus can help you feel more energized, and peppermint may boost concentration, just to name a few. An aromatherapy diffuser will help fill your home with whatever scent and mood you crave.

Hopefully, with a little help, we can all stick to our goals for the year (and stay off the road that they say is paved with good intentions), and make 2018 into twenty-GREAT-teen!