Award for a walk

In many aspects, humanity has never been less healthy than at present. So, about one hundred million adults in the United States are obese, and in the UK 13 million people complain of anxiety or depression.

Regular physical activity can prevent a number of diseases and conditions, the treatment of which is expensive for the state. It can be difficult to organize sports, since the modern environment often prevents this. As a result, a person does not receive the full health benefits that physical activity brings.

Fortunately, recent advances in mobile technology and the development of behavioral sciences have stimulated scientists to new research, the purpose of which is to help many of us adhere to a physically active lifestyle.

A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has shown a striking effect of even a small daily financial reward for regular physical activity. Interestingly, these conclusions contradict the results of research in the field of psychology 50 years ago.

Plus 500 steps a day – it's real!

Previously, the prevailing opinion was about the futility of material incentives for people to lose weight, especially in the long term, when payments stop.

External rewards received for performing exercises can break important internal motivators that make you do it just because you like it.

Such an opinion was based primarily on studies in which people were given money for performing tasks that they liked, for example, solving puzzles. After the termination of payments with a high probability, the subjects did not want to solve puzzles for free.

The current study by a group of scientists from Western University and the New York University School of Medicine questions the assumption that the results of previous experiments are applicable to an active lifestyle.

Daily payment contributes to achieving realistic physical activity goals, such as, for example, an additional 500 steps per day, and actually encourages a physically active lifestyle for several months after the cancellation of monetary rewards.

From corporate payments to public health

Despite some contradictory data, employers have adopted the so-called "behavior change technique", 75% of large American firms stimulate a healthy lifestyle of their employees by paying small rewards. All over the world, public health apparatuses are also conducting pilot programs based on cash payments. In the USA, for example, at least 19 states are involved. In Canada, the Carrot Rewards mobile app rewards physically active citizens: for achieving the daily norm of steps taken, a person receives 0.03 US dollars.

With all the advantages of the behavior change technique, there are difficulties that interfere with the full implementation of the program, for example, delayed payments or setting unattainable goals.

Small, but instant payouts work better

This study explains how the use of the latest mobile technologies and behavioral sciences can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the project.

First of all, physical activity data should be collected in real time by accelerometers (motion sensors) built into smartphones and can be used to set and adjust goals, track progress, communicate with friends, family, and so on.

Instant feedback from thousands of users in the form of monetary rewards is also a theoretically justified innovation.

According to behavioral economics, people respond best to the immediate benefits of their actions. In the case of physical activity, the "costs" in the form of lost time and unpleasant sensations during training are experienced in the present, while the "benefits" – improvement of well–being and attractive appearance - are postponed, this leads to the infamous decision to postpone exercises and start practicing "from Monday".

The appearance of instant "benefits" in the form of a symbolic amount of money for a good workout increases a person's desire to move here and now.

Thus, in the age of innovation and technological progress, one of the ways to preserve health can be the use of the latest mobile healthcare technologies with a scientifically based behavioral approach. Money for movement, in the end, can be a good idea.

Article by M. S. Mitchel et al. Financial incentives for physical activity in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of The Conversation: Companies and governments are paying people to get healthy, and it works.