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| Photography | Luke Chesser |
| Smart watches and other body-worn apps are opening up new opportunities for people to live healthier lives. |
Will gamification be the next big thing to encourage people to live a healthier lifestyle?
Health apps seem to be taking over. From his Apple Watch and his Fitbits to his Peloton Fitness app, these are helping more people stay fit.
Gamification is an online marketing technique that uses gameplay elements to drive engagement with a product or service. For example, earning points, competing, earning badges, participating in leadership boards, etc.
As health technology evolves, it helps consumers set and reach their fitness goals.
Garrison Cherry, physiotherapist at Atrium Health, said: “But they can actually take advantage of the apps and devices they use, and ensure their security while encouraging them to live a healthy lifestyle.”
One way to get people to achieve overall health and wellness is to turn games into games and let them earn points. People like free stuff.
For example, coffee shop or grocery store gift cards, or gym membership fee waivers.
Gamification could have a huge knock-on effect in black communities by reducing obesity and other chronic diseases.
African Americans are most likely to develop diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease in the United States, so health-related incentives can help change outcomes.
“Sitting is the new smoking,” said Cherry. “If we can get people going, I think that’s going to be a big key to helping people reach their weight loss goals, especially if we know we’re being driven by technology. Pressure or cholesterol levels.” That has been and will continue to be a huge benefit from the explosion of technology in the fitness space.”
If health insurance companies started offering healthy incentives, it could make people think differently about their health.
“The best incentive is certainly for most Americans within their income [health insurance] Healthcare IT innovator Jeff Margolis said: abandoned. ”
The downside of gamification is data sharing and tracking on the internet. However, this is a common risk consumers encounter when using technology.
“I’m straight in the camp to get over it,” said Margolis, author of Not Just Sickness, But Health: Moving Beyond Sickness to Optimizing Health for Everyone. “Most of the information we need about us to improve our lives comes from everyday life data, not medical data. I think consumers should always have the option to opt out. By default, you must opt-in so that what is known about you can apply to your health benefits.”
