We should all be grateful for the recently announced intention of NHS England to create a programme which rewards people for taking exercise. Have you heard about it? This nationwide “behavioural incentive programme” is designed to combat the UK’s growing crisis of physical inactivity. I am hugely heartened that the Government sees the importance of regular exercise for long life span and long healthspan – and the potential to reduce the huge national expense of a very unhealthy elderly population.
Colloquially dubbed the “Marathon a Month” challenge or “Movement 26.2”, the initiative is scheduled for a full launch. “early next year”. Organisers are planning a January roll-out to capitalise on New Year health resolutions.
Description of the Plan
The fundamental objective of Movement 26.2 is to encourage the public to engage in 20 to 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity walking every day. Over the course of a standard calendar month, this consistent daily output accumulates to approximately 26.2 miles, directly mirroring the distance of a competitive running marathon.
Practicalities
Trying to follow the plans for the setting up this programme is fraught with difficulty, mainly the because of the use of jargon and the necessity of owning and knowing how to use a mobile phone and/or a computer. The disadvantaged – older people – comprise the group who might benefit the most from this initiative.
1. Digital Integration and Tracking
Participants log their daily walking activity through common personal devices, such as “smartphones, smartwatches, or dedicated online portals”. The software apparently targets “streak culture”—a behavioral loop “highly popularized by contemporary mainstream digital platforms like Duolingo and Snapchat. By creating visual countdowns and highlighting unbroken streaks of consecutive active days, the software leverages pre-existing digital habits to anchor physical exercise”.
See what I mean?
2. Reward and Incentive Structure
Unlike basic fitness trackers, Movement 26.2 uses material rewards to reinforce compliance. Hitting milestones encourages persistence with the programme:
Digital Badges: Used as initial psychological anchors for early engagement. – My reaction “what on earth are these? More incomprehensible jargon. My interpretation is that the poor user will have to log into a programme regularly and will then be fed with praise and encouraging words, aimed at making them feel good about themselves and receiving a pat on the back for going for a walk or whatever.
Commercial Discounts & Vouchers: High-street and online shopping discounts designed to lower the everyday cost of living. That is a bit clearer.
Free Consumer Goods: Signing up for the programme will open up some lifestyle rewards, such as free beverages or food items, which immediate feedback research shows are highly effective for younger people.
3. Funding and Governance
Crucially, the NHS will not finance the ongoing cost of consumer rewards or shopping vouchers. NHS England is covering the upfront structural creation and digital architecture (ie the costs) of the app platform. The long-term funding framework relies on a public-private partnership structure. This will require philanthropic backing and corporate sponsorship from commercial brands looking to align themselves with national health outcomes.
4. Will it work?
It is a great idea to bribe people to take exercise and if it were successful the savings from long-term reduction in health costs should easily pay for it. However I am quite sceptical about this possible success particularly among older people who are the most in need but will be the least able to navigate the obstacles of implementation.
*And when the scheme is launched, I do hope that the jargon will be largely replaced by understandable English!
*Next time – a further look at the practicalities, benefits and the pitfalls of Movement 26.2.
Don’t think I could be bothered with all that! I will just continue dancing and walking as normal!
How wise Sue!