Reward for Daily Walk: NHS Unveils New Project
The NHS has announced its Movement 26.2 programme, which will reward those who walk 30 minutes a day. Here are the details of the system to be monitored with smart devices.
The UK’s National Health System (NHS) is launching a new reward program to encourage people to be more effective. The project called ‘Movement 26.2’, prepared together with former Olympic medalist Sir Brendan Foster, aims to reward daily walks recorded digitally.
As part of the program, participants are expected to walk for 20 to 30 minutes every day. Individuals who achieve this goal are planned to have walked a total of approximately 26.2 miles, or the distance of a marathon, by the end of the month.
How will the Movement 26.2 program work?
The main purpose of the program is to enable users to live an active life by recording their daily walking goals via their smart devices. It is stated that the British government is negotiating with various retail brands for discounts and shopping coupons to be offered to affiliates.
As users achieve their goals, they will earn various rewards such as digital badges and series. These rewards are expected to be offered as valid opportunities in coffee chains or various stores, especially to individuals who complete long-term goals. The official start date of the program is expected to be early next year, but the exact timetable is not yet clear.
What technologies will be used?
Participants will be able to record their walks digitally via their smartphones or smart watches. The built-in pedometer features of modern smartphones can be used as a basic tracking tool in this process.
It is also stated that users will have the opportunity to enter their walking information into the system via the internet browser.
Smart watches also offer a solution, especially for individuals who use wheelchairs. Wheelchair modes available in some Garmin models enable these users to be included in the program by converting the distance traveled into the number of daily pushes.
It is not yet clear whether the system will work integrated with existing health platforms such as Apple Health, Samsung Health or Google Health.
Details of the program and registration processes will continue to be clarified in the coming months.
Do you think such digital incentive systems that reward daily walks will be enough to change the general health habits of society?
