What if there was an app that actually rewarded you for your healthy actions? Lucky for you this Boston-area startup will. From going to the gym to choosing fruit over FroYo, this rewards-based program is the perfect way to help you stay on track.
Wellcoin, which is a free site and app, is letting people track their everyday healthy lifestyle choices and gain rewards from local companies and national brands by redeeming the Wellcoins they earned for their effort. Wellcoin's incentive program is currently only available for Boston area residents, although it has intentions of reaching a broader audience as they grow.
According to the company's co-founder and Boston resident, Glenn Laffel MD, PhD, "Not everybody likes to run or follow strict diets, but everybody makes healthy decisions every day. We help you take control of your health by crediting you for what you do well right now and encouraging you to do more healthy things."
So how does it work? It's simple.
Create an account, earn Wellcoins by snapping photos of your healthy lunch and even track your activity by syncing with FitBit or RunKeeper. As your Wellcoins add up, you will begin to earn concrete rewards from Wellcoin partners. And with more than 40 active collaborators such as Boston-area Whole Foods Markets, Sports Authority, Sports Club LA, Legal Sea Foods, Pure Barre, Fresh City and NatureBox, the motivation towards a healthier lifestyle is, well, rewarding!
While Wellcoin is available to all Boston residents, it is also creating healthy living behavioral impact for corporate wellness sites as well.
Beth Israel Deaconees Medical Center has been using Wellcoin as the platform for its employee wellness program — Be Well, Stay Well — for nearly a year now. Jennifer Babineau, Wellness Program Manager at BIDM states,
Wellcoin was easy to implement, and it engaged many of our employees. There has been a snowball effect in a positive direction with our employees. Based upon their initial feedback, we feel that the momentum will continue and participation will increase over the next year.
Wellcoin also offers unique opportunities for municipalities, two of which — Newton and Somerville — already use the site as a platform for their wellness initiatives. Newton became Wellcoin’s first municipal partner last May when Mayor Setti Warren opened a personal account and hosted several citywide events to promote the initiative.
According to the release, Newton’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Dori Zaleznik, MD stated,
Wellcoin is a win for everyone. It promotes health for residents and city employees, and commerce at Newton businesses. In addition, I can track the healthy choices our citizens are making at no cost to us. These data will help me decide on new health promotion programming for our residents and employees.
So, it seems providing rewards for healthy behaviors is a great way to create lasting positive lifestyle changes. Because, after all, who doesn't want a gift card to Whole Foods? It's the healthy app that keeps on giving.
Image via release
