So, we got this new app at work called Motion Connected. It is basically a tracking app that takes information from your sports watch and downloads it to show how many minutes you work out per day/ per week. It also downloads the amount of steps that you take during a day and a week. That is all registered on your download to your phone from your sports watch, but now it also is downloaded to the Motion Connected app. It was an interesting idea that was just presented to us in July and a lot of people in the company are on board. The incentive is when you reach certain levels, you are eligible for a gift certificate purchased by the company for your use. Lots of different certificates available with the Motion Connect incentive program.

All forms of exercise are legal so whether you are on a mountain bike ride, or a road ride, or a run, or in the gym, all forms of exercise count towards the incentive program. Walking is also included and supposedly you have to reach a certain heart rate for the app to kick in. We also have monthly challenges. This month it is a cardio challenge, and I am not real sure what the criteria is for that, but somehow I am doing ok in that challenge. I am also competitive for the weekly steps and minutes of activity. But I started to let the old competitive juices kick in when I started to question the amount of time the top three guys registered and also the amount of steps registered. Some of us remarked that some people logged the equivalent of running 4 marathons per week and up to 5 hours a day of activity. Do they work? Are they somehow entering data manually? I was starting to get miffed because my minutes logged from my Garmin are for the times I was moving on my mountain bike and my heart rate was above 95 BPM. I usually ride between 110 and 160 BPM. I was working hard, and I wondered how these people were ahead of me and also ahead of some other guys that I know work hard on the road bike, running, mountain biking, and in the gym. I felt like it was not fair for the company to pay out gift certificate to some people who were somehow short circuiting the system.

I also realized that walking was legit and in fact it is often seen as the purest form of exercise with the best benefits. I respect the walkers too. But I still wondered how several people were so far ahead of the rest of us in minutes and steps. My friends at work were starting to chuckle at my competitive energy for a guy my age. And then, it hit me. What is the true focus of this app for the company? It is to have a fun way to exercise for an incentive, a little competition, but mostly to motivate people to exercise and take a proactive approach to their health. That is what it is all about, Pat. You dummy. So don’t get your shorts in a wad about what may or may not be happening to others. Just focus on the meaning of the app and the benefits it will have for all of us.

It’s funny. The older you get, sometimes the competitive juices still bubble up. So now, I am competing with our company employees. LOL!! At least that was in my mind until I realized that I am competing with myself to stay active, healthy and maybe get a gift certificate. I can sweat my head off in this friggin 90 degree weather for a purpose. Thanks to Laurie V and our HR department for thinking of this and making it available to every employee at Armada. The health care industry is trying to change by encouraging proactive behaviors. Companies may be rewarded with lower health insurance premiums for healthy employees. Wouldn’t you rather take care of your health and be rewarded by being proactive, instead of just having a pill thrown at you? I would. I am a fan of Motion Connected- now that I have the right attitude. Thanks for reading.

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