Fed up with putting on weight again after dieting? Try to lose fat sustainably in the long term with these free NHS diet app and exercise app. Unlike some commercial dieting schemes, the NHS has your interests at heart. To support your health and keep long-term health costs down, the NHS wants to help keep you healthy. There’s no benefit to the NHS to keep you yo-yo dieting and spending more and more money on different diets. The NHS wants you to succeed.
The COVID pandemic has seen almost half of adults gain weight. If you want to get healthier, lose fat, and get fitter, don’t do it alone—there are free weight loss apps available from the NHS, such as diet apps and plans. These free apps can help you introduce small changes, helping you eat better and get more active.
The NHS Weight Loss Plan app has helped many people like you lose up to a stone in three months – free.
These free apps are an excellent place to start a healthy diet and exercise programme. This programme gently ramps up and leads to slow, sustainable, healthy weight loss by increasing your exercise and helping you change your eating habits for life.
- NHS Weight Loss Plan – lose up to 6Kg [around a stone] over 12 weeks
- NHS Couch to 5k App – helps almost anyone start running gently
Keep fat off with this free diet App from the NHS
Users of this Weight Loss Plan [who kept going over 12 weeks] reported a loss on average of almost a stone (5.8kg), according to research published by Public Health England (PHE). The app also comes in downloadable PDFs, and has weekly targets to keep you motivated. The plan is broken down into 12 weeks so you can:
- set weight loss goals
- use the BMI calculator to customise your plan
- plan your meals
- make healthier food choices, count calories
- get more active and burn more calories
- record your activity and progress
What People Are Saying About the NHS Weight Loss Plan App
Scroll or swipe through a selection of recent public Google Play reviews:
The NHS says that the average person should reduce their daily calorie intake by 600 to lose weight safely.
Women should aim for 1,400 calories each day, and men 1,900.
Free NHS Exercise App – Couch to 5K
There aren’t many free apps that genuinely change lives — but the NHS Couch to 5K is one of them. It’s helped thousands of people across the UK go from barely moving to running confidently, one minute at a time. What makes it stand out is how approachable it feels: no pressure, no guilt, just steady encouragement that builds your fitness week by week.
Even those who’ve spent years avoiding running say it’s made them feel capable again. The gentle voice coaching, clear progress tracking and supportive NHS tone help make running feel safe, achievable and, surprisingly, enjoyable. Many users call it “life-changing” — crediting the app with improving not just their fitness, but their sleep, mood and confidence too.
What really wins people over is the simplicity. There’s no equipment, no subscription, and no jargon — just you, your trainers and a friendly coach in your ear. From Jo Whiley to Michael Johnson, the voices guiding you through each run bring a reassuring, human touch. It feels like someone’s right there beside you, keeping you moving even when your legs say stop.
Of course, a few users have run into hiccups with sound levels or the app freezing mid-run. But for every small frustration, there are dozens of stories of people finishing their first 5K and crying happy tears at the finish line. It’s a reminder that digital health doesn’t need to be complex to work — it just needs to make you believe you can do it.
On top of this, it’s free to use.
What Real Couch to 5K Users have been saying
One Man’s 9-Week Couch to 5 K Journey
Week 1 – Starting from Rock Bottom
He begins the NHS Couch to 5 K programme barely able to jog for 60 seconds. The first week alternates 60 seconds of running with 90 seconds of walking. He feels chest tightness and shock at how unfit he’s become, but finishes all three runs. His main takeaway: “Small steps lead to big achievements.” Completing week one gives him confidence and the sense of early success the plan is designed to provide.
Week 2 – Building Consistency
Runs increase to 90 seconds with 2-minute walks. It’s mid-winter, freezing, and motivation dips after long workdays, but he forces himself out, repeating “it’s got to be done.” By the end of the week he notices a mental shift — less dread, more anticipation. The extra 30 seconds of jogging feels challenging but achievable.
Week 3 – Longer Runs, Stronger Mind
He tackles 3-minute and 90-second intervals. Despite exhaustion, no heating at home and freezing conditions, he learns to push through resistance. The programme’s structure — short, varied chunks — keeps it doable. He starts to notice “momentum building” as success breeds motivation.
Week 4 – Humility and Progress
Now alternating 3-minute and 5-minute runs, he calls the 5-minute stretch “tough but humbling.” He realises progress requires honesty about his current fitness. That humility fuels determination to keep improving rather than give up.
Week 5 – Breakthrough
He reaches 5- and 8-minute intervals, eventually completing a full 20-minute continuous run. The shift is both physical and mental: “No growth comes in your comfort zone.” He begins to feel like a runner again, recognising how small daily efforts add up. Discipline replaces motivation.
Week 6 – 25 Minutes Non-Stop
By mid-programme he’s running for 25 minutes without stopping — about 4.6 km in total. He’s effectively 25 times fitter than at the start. He emphasises running at your own pace, repeating weeks if needed, and learning that consistency, not speed, is what matters. “Everyone starts at their own rock bottom.”
Week 7 – Discipline Over Motivation
Fatigue and bad weather test his resolve, but he trains anyway: “Some days you’re motivated, some days you need discipline.” He learns that pushing through low-energy days is what keeps progress alive.
Week 8 – Confidence and Control
He completes 28 minutes non-stop (4.7 km). Though he could have reached 5 K early, he deliberately sticks to the plan for discipline’s sake. His fitness and self-belief soar, and he begins to enjoy running rather than endure it.
Week 9 – 5 K Achievement
The final week brings three 30-minute runs. On the first, he finally hits 5.1 km in half an hour, amazed by how far he’s come — from 60 seconds of jogging to 30 minutes non-stop. He reflects on life changes, setbacks, and recommitting to health. By the last run, under blue skies, he finishes stronger, lighter and proud.
This video by Si5 Improvement https://www.youtube.com/@Si5improvement documents his journey from rock-bottom back to fitness with the NHS Couch to 5k App.
Why not download it now, and try it today?
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Ready for Your First Run?
The beauty of Couch to 5K isn’t just that it gets you running — it’s that it helps you believe you can run. That sense of momentum, those tiny milestones stacking up, the moment you realise you can go a little further than last week… that’s where the confidence kicks in. Whether you’re lacing up for the first time in years or coming back after a break, this programme gives you the structure and reassurance to build up safely and steadily.
And remember, there’s no “right” pace to do this. Life happens — you might repeat a week, take a rest day, or walk more than you planned. That’s okay. Progress really is progress, even if it doesn’t look perfect. What matters is that you’re moving forward, step by step, run by run.
What to Do After Couch to 5K
Once you reach that final run (and yes, you will!) the question becomes: what next? Some people repeat the last few weeks to build confidence, others move on to longer distances, and many simply make running a regular part of their week.
If you’re pairing Couch to 5K with other positive changes — healthier meals, better sleep, more steps each day — you’re not just training to run. You’re building a routine that supports your physical and mental wellbeing long after Week 9.
Take Your Next Step
If today’s the day you decide to give it a go, brilliant — you’ve already taken the first step. Download the app, pop on your trainers, and trust the process. And if you’re already out there running, keep going. Your future self will thank you for every mile.
Whenever you’re ready, remeber these helpful NHS-backed tools to support your fitness journey:
- NHS BMI healthy weight tool
- NHS Weight Loss Plan app
Small decisions, repeated often, become new habits — and before long you’ll have your own “I never thought I could do this” moment to share too.
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