Tanner Health System MyChart


  • Home
  • Incentivize Your Way to Better Health

Incentivize Your Way to Better Health

Workplaces across the country have discovered a way to reign in the cost of their health plans, and they can also help you achieve better health.

A 2015 study from the Society of Human Resource Management found that as many as two-thirds of U.S. employers are offering financial incentives to employees for achieving certain physical fitness benchmarks, such as avoiding tobacco or maintaining a healthy weight.

This isn’t a coincidence or a passing trend, either — research demonstrates that people respond well when incentivized to become more physically active. 

Odds are, if you work for a company that offers a health plan, your employer already has programs in place to encourage you to become more physically active. These often take the shape of reduced or subsidized premiums for health insurance, saving you money on each paycheck. 

It’s worth speaking to your supervisor or a benefits representative in human resources to see what other benefits might be in the offering. You may have a discounted membership to a gym you didn’t know about, or a program that rewards you financially for receiving an annual wellness exam or health screening. 

Even if you’re retired, self-employed or work for a company that does not offer a health plan, you can still reap the benefits of incentivizing yourself toward a better, healthier you.

1. Decide on a reward. Let’s just say it so we’re clear: this shouldn’t be food. We spend a lot of extra calories “treating” ourselves with treats. Instead, think of something you’ve wanted for a while — ideally, a reward that will help you toward your fitness goals, like a new pair of walking shoes.

2. Set a goal. Goals should be specific, time-sensitive, measurable and attainable. Besides that, choose goals that work for you. Are you trying to achieve a certain weight? Break that goal into quarters or thirds and treat yourself as you reach each milestone toward it. Is your goal a fitness benchmark, like running a mile in a certain amount of time? Keep your eyes on the prize (and on the path in front of you).

3. Stay focused. Bookmark a link to the product page of the thing you’re working toward and look at it frequently. Get excited about it. Think about how awesome you’re going to feel and how much more you’re going to appreciate it once you achieve it.

4. Follow through. When you hit your goal, you get your reward. Period. Don’t put it off, don’t wait. Enjoy it immediately. Rewards are meaningless if you deny them to yourself, and the whole purpose of incentives will be for naught.

5. Set a new goal and begin again. Great job! You’ve worked hard and hit your goal, but don’t rest on your laurels. What do you want to accomplish next?

Interested in more clinically-reviewed fitness advice? Check out Tanner’s Get Healthy, Live Well newsletter. You can customize your free subscription with up to 30 health topics, including sections on diet, exercise, weight management and more.

Tallapoosa Family Healthcare is a family medicine and internal medicine practice located in Tallapoosa. For more information, visit TallapoosaFamilyHealthcare.org or call 770-812-2800.

 

Primary Care




0 Comment(s) so far | Skip to comment form



Name:
Email:
Address Line 1:
Address Line 2:
City:
State:
Zip:
Comments:
 

keyboard_arrow_up