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Programme card
Country/locality/coverage:
UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Northern Europe.
Target population:
Adults with sedentary lifestyles.
Physical activity promotion:
Sustained increased outdoor walking or running, measured by step count on a smartphone.
Which of the seven best investments the programme addresses?
Active transport.
Community-wide programmes.
What sectors does it involve?
This is a technology-driven approach to the general population with the incentive-based structure also a potential attraction to workplace well-being programmes.
Estimated programme reach:
Currently 20 million downloads (October 2018) with 5 million monthly users.
What is special about this programme?
Users generate virtual currency by being physically active; continuous incentive to move more and earn; rewards can be purchased from a marketplace consisting of low and high-value products. Impact of the concept shows sustained physical activity behaviour change over a 6-month period.
Key contacts:
Mark Elliott, Assistant Professor, University of Warwick, m.t.elliott@warwick.ac.uk
Anton Derlyatka, Co-Founder, Sweatco, anton@sweatco.in
Oleg Fomenko, Co-Founder, Sweatco, oleg@sweatco.in
Programme website and/or Twitter handle:
www.sweatco.in
@sweatcoin, @dr_mte
Background and description of the concept
Sweatcoin converts the step count recorded on smartphones into a virtual currency. Using this app, users generate financial rewards through physical activity, with higher levels of activity creating a higher ‘income’. Sweatcoins can subsequently be used to purchase commercially available products from an in-app marketplace.
The aim of Sweatcoin is to provide immediate reward to sedentary populations who lack motivation to exercise despite its value …