When it comes to achieving any aim, a carrot (that is, an incentive) is often more effective than a stick (punishment). But Styck, a Dubai-developed smartphone app, is taking this concept a step further. It rewards people who arguably punish themselves by exercising long and hard. The app is offering vouchers for, say, a free coffee or breakfast to people who achieve certain physical goals as recorded by a fitness tracker.
As The National has reported, the app's developers say it offers more than 250 rewards. Users are eligible to claim them after completing 5,000 walking or running steps in a day. This is all well and good but do we really need rewards we can redeem in shops and restaurants as an incentive to be fit? Doesn't exercise bring its own rewards: a sense of well-being; less susceptibility to heart disease and diabetes? Of course, anything that nudges people towards healthy living is welcome, but in the end, you should be doing it for yourself.
