New apps offer rewards for exercising

Nexercise is one of many new apps that are part of a growing trend of companies offering points and rewards for exercising.

Would you be more likely to exercise if you got rewarded
for doing it? As the commercial says, there’s an app for
that.

A growing number of apps and services offer everything
from gift cards to imaginary titles to help get you
working out.

“It’s hard to get people to go to the gym, but if you can
motivate someone to do something and there is some kind of
reward, whether it’s psychological or monetary, people are
likely to do that,” says Kelly Clay, a Seattle-based
social media strategist, blogger and self-avowed exercise
avoider.

Among her
favorites are Nexercise and Switch, which offer
various rewards like gift certificates and coupons to real
companies, including Amazon, Old Navy, Lowe’s and Netflix.
The more you check in and work out, the more points you
accrue.

But if bragging rights and social standing are more
motivation, Clay recommends an app called Fitocracy, which
incorporates much of the social networking elements of
Facebook and Twitter.

“There’s a leader board and you can create groups of
friends and have a small group of people you know from
your office or you can just join groups who are motivated
to lose weight or gain muscle or lose inches.”

If you need an even bigger bump, how about gambling some
of your own money? With GymPact, you set a goal to work
out a certain number of times a week, and back it with
your credit card. Meet your goals and get your money
back. If you don’t, the app docks you.

These and other exercise apps are part of a growing trend
of “gamification,” which offer some kind of reward for
activity. Clay says the model continues to fuel a number
of successful businesses in many industries.

“There’s a lot of psychology behind that,” Clay says of
companies like Foursquare that seemingly pioneered the
model by offering points and titles for checking in at
specific places. “The fitness industry is just realizing
that motivational behavior is a powerful business model.”

By JOSH KERNS, MyNorthwest.com Reporter