New fitness app offering big prizes available in Wolverhampton only
Residents can win cinema tickets, theme pack passes and store vouchers
A new app will be piloted in Wolverhampton that rewards healthy activity with prizes such as theme park passes, store vouchers and cinema tickets.
The app will exchange the prizes with users that eat more healthily and exercise more regularly.
HeadUp Systems is leading the pilot scheme, which will run for six months from early 2022, and adults in Wolverhampton only are able to register their interest now.
Participants will be given wrist-worn devices and access to the app which will provide personalised health recommendations, such as increasing step count or eating more fruit and vegetables.
Points can then be collected for healthy behaviour which can be cashed in for rewards, which also include clothes or food vouchers.
The scheme comes apart of the Government's healthy weight strategy, and from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities' plans to use digital tech to improve people's physical health.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This pilot is an exciting opportunity to see how we can empower people to make healthy changes to their lifestyle and I would encourage all adults in Wolverhampton to come forward and register their interest.
“Taking part will help us better understand how rewards can help motivate people to make small adjustments to their daily lives that will have a lasting positive impact on their health."
The ideal place for a pilot
After a show of interest from other local authorities, Wolverhampton was chosen for the pilot due to its large population and a third of residents being classed as physically inactive.
Wolverhampton also has a below average number of adults that eat their five-a-day, meaning it's the perfect city to show whether the app is effective.
Councillor Ian Brookfield, the Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: "We are working hard to improve the overall health of everyone in Wolverhampton by providing innovative solutions which can help our residents get more active.
"We are already making significant progress in tackling physical inactivity, improving infrastructure and making environmental changes to enable people to be more active, and we are delighted to be working with the Department for Health and Social Care and HeadUp on this important pilot programme to see whether offering incentives can help people make positive changes to improve their health and wellbeing."
Residents in Wolverhampton can register their interest online at here.