MyHeLP vs Talk N Walk

MyHeLP (My Healthy Lifestyles Program) is designed to help you to become more aware of how your lifestyle affects your health and wellbeing. It focuses on the six (6) key risk factors for chronic disease – tobacco use, alcohol use, physical inactivity, poor diet, poor sleep, and low mood – and aims to help you make any changes you need to make in your life to maximise your health and wellbeing. It will give you information about how to reduce your risks associated with these behaviours but will also teach you the skills you may need to put this information into practice. MyHeLP is based on extensive research, clinical expertise, and expert coaching practices to help people build motivation to make lifestyle changes successfully. MyHeLP is designed for people who are interested in learning more about, as well as improving, their health behaviours to reduce the risks associated with tobacco use, alcohol use, physical inactivity, poor diet, poor sleep, and low mood. People can work on all of these behaviours, some, or just one – you do not have to be at risk in all of these areas to use MyHeLP. MyHeLP was developed by a team of researchers and clinicians from the University of Newcastle and the University of Sydney. This team of researchers was led by Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin, a registered Psychologist and mental health researcher. Dr Louise Thornton, a digital behaviour change specialist and researcher at the Matilda Centre, University of Sydney also brought her expertise to MyHeLP.

The Talk N Walk app has been co-designed - from the initial idea through to how it looks and functions – with a project team of more than sixty 11–14-year-old girls from different cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, and geographical backgrounds. The result is a physical activity and mental health option that focuses on friendships, family and feeling good, not on competing, counting steps or calories. The Talk N Walk app encourages and supports 11–14-year-old girls to swap catch ups on the couch with active ‘Talk N Walks’ in the park, on the way to school, around their neighbourhoods, or even at the shopping centre. Key features include: setting your own goals and notification reminders; honing in on your mood before and after a Talk N Walk; conversation starters and challenges to complete while walking; and, digital achievement stickers. By being active together, with the support of their friends and family, girls’ wellbeing, and sense of belonging and community can be supported as they build a foundation for healthy lifestyles. This app is brought to you by Nature Play WA with funding from Healthway and Telethon. Nature Play WA is a not-for-profit organisation proudly supported by the Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries.