Jan 7, 2019
Research Shows Incentivized Walking/Running Helps Complete New Year’s Resolutions And Creates Lasting Habits
So it’s 2019, and maybe you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to get in shape by walking and running. Congrats! We want to let you in on some recent studies which show how Lympo can help you achieve your Resolution. But first, let’s put some things into perspective…
Without the right motivation, you have a 92% chance of failing your resolution. A recent study at the University of Scranton found that only 8% of people achieve their New Year goals.
It’s not your fault either. People are inherently bad at breaking old habits and starting new ones, especially under pressure. New studies are showing that this might have to do with the way we incentives ourselves (which we’ll get to in just a second).
Think about it this way – for years healthcare professionals have been guilt-tripping us with how bad being out of shape is. Yet, according to the World Health Organization, obesity has nearly tripled worldwide since 1975! Clearly, nagging doesn’t work.
They’ve also tried telling us the positive benefits of aerobic cardiovascular exercise (meaning, running and walking, a.k.a., cardio), in order to help us lose weight. I’m sure you’ve also heard how cardio is…
- Great for your heart;
- A great way to lose weight;
- Helps you maintain weight;
- Boosts your immune system;
- Extends your life;
- And so much more.
New studies are even finding that cardio can greatly aid in mental health. Like the study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center which found that exercising 3 times a week for 30 minutes reduces anxiety and depression. And, not surprisingly, it also positively impacts your mood and self-esteem. They even found that you can have these same benefits just by walking for 10 minutes 2 times a day.
BUT… The real question here: Do you feel motivated when you’re told that “new studies show walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular events by 31% and cuts the risk of dying by 32%” or “hey, if you walk for 10 minutes, 3 times a day, you’ll lose weight and feel better”? A good and very valid answer is “HECK NO! Why would it?”
All of those are what’s known as “extrinsic motivators”. A recent study at Iowa State University (ISU) found that “extrinsic motivators” don’t lead to building long-lasting habits (like your New Year’s Resolution).
That’s why we created Lympo, an app that enables people to earn money just for walking or running. We want you to feel excited to actually get out there, be active, and lose weight. And every day we’re hearing from tons of our users that Lympo is greatly improving their lives. Currently…
- 95% of Lympo users believe they’ve become more active;
- 86% of daily users reported noticing positive changes in their mood and energy levels;
- 57% of users found they have increased their daily activity levels after using Lympo for at least 3 months.
We firmly believe that incentivized walking and running is what’s helping. And new studies are actually confirming these very benefits!
In a study recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, it turns out that setting a basic goal (like completing 1 challenge a day on Lympo), using a wearable device (like a Fitbit), and a financial incentive (like getting LYM tokens to buy clothing, tech gadgets or fitness accessories) can increase your physical activity for the long term!
In the study, participants of the incentive group “significantly increased physical activity levels during the six-month period”. The researchers also found that, compared to the control group, patients who had the financial incentive, were exercising more every day. Additionally, after the study was over, and the financial incentives ceased, the incentive group continued to exercise more. The control group showed no significant change in their activity levels.
That’s why we firmly believe you should set your eyes on a prize, like a pair of Adidas or an iPad Pro, and set a goal of completing at least 1 challenge on Lympo a day.
But it doesn’t stop there. We’ve also incentivized having a walking or running buddy. Did you know for every person you sign up you get extra 50 LYM? We are doing this because having a friend with you can be a HUGE help if you want to exercise more.
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen have found that having an exercise partner actually increases the amount of exercise you’ll do. And, they found that the more emotionally supportive your partner is, the more likely you’ll increase your exercise activity.
If you haven’t already, click here to download Lympo, an app that will actually motivate you to stay active every day by rewarding you with digital tokens that hold real monetary value and can be exchanged to cool products with new items being added each month.
