Getting paid for keeping healthy is good

@scheng1 (24650)

Singapore

March 25, 2017 7:53am CST

I think our government has hit on a great scheme to keep us healthy. We are on National Steps Challenge Season 2. We get a free pedometer when we sign up for the program. After that, we have to walk at least 5000 steps a day to gain points. 5000 steps = 15 points 7500 steps = 45 points 10000 steps = 60 points We can use the points to redeem cash vouchers, and at the end of the challenge, there is a lucky draw. The prizes are very attractive such a pair of business class tickets, cruise holiday, vouchers and others. I sure hope that I win something. I have collected and used up all the shopping vouchers already. Personally I think that is a good program. By paying us to be healthy now, it means there will be lesser medical cost in the future.

https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/37/nsc

www.healthhub.sg

https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/37/nsc

14 people like this

16 responses

@youless (112123)

• Guangzhou, China

28 Mar 17

This is a very good program

I wonder how many steps you walk in a day. Since most of the time I go to work and go home on foot everyday, it is easy for me to reach 10000 steps a day

2 people like this

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@youless (112123)

• Guangzhou, China

30 Mar 17

@scheng1 I remember last summer holiday we travelled to Singapore and one day we had a walk in the reservoir. The reservoir with Big Tree. At that day we walked nearly 40000 steps

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

30 Mar 17

@youless Is it the Botanic Garden? One of the old trees is featured in the $5 note. Or do you mean the Garden by the Bay? It is near to a small reservoir right in front of Marina Bay Sands. I am not aware of any reservoir having Big Tree.

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@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

29 Mar 17

Sometimes I do not reach 10,000 steps. When the weather is bad, and the path is dark and wet, I rather stay home, Sometimes I have time and the day is good for walking, I can get in 20,000 steps.

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@LadyDuck (459122)

• Switzerland

25 Mar 17

How funny that you wrote this while I was talking with my husband about health costs. I was saying that they should introduce a system to punish those who do not have a healthy life and create excessive costs for the medicare system.

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@LadyDuck (459122)

• Switzerland

25 Mar 17

@MALUSE It is insane to pay high prices because many do not care about what they do, they eat garbage food, they smoke and they drink, well, they should pay more.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (459122)

• Switzerland

26 Mar 17

@scheng1 This is surely what I would do, if they want to ruin their health, at least they should pay.

1 person likes this

@MALUSE (69409)

• Germany

25 Mar 17

This is also my opinion.

2 people like this

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@KrauseHome (36448)

• United States

30 Mar 17

Hmm... They are definitely on to something, and many people could benefit from programs such as this. And the extra benefits with it is a Huge incentive.

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

31 Mar 17

Yes, the incentive is definitely a good motivator. when the working adults discuss among themselves about the vouchers, it creates a kind of peer pressure to exercise more.

@Nawsheen (28643)

• Mauritius

25 Mar 17

The government has definitely put forward a good program to keep its population healthy. I think that this should be adopted by other countries too. There are so many overweight people nowadays and also many people who have a sedentary lifestyle. Maybe this will give them some motivation

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

29 Mar 17

Yes, the initial setup for this plan takes a lot of planning, and setting up. They have to hire those who can do coding to write the Apps, and then they have to buy the pedometers, and give freely to the people It takes a lot of work but then this scheme can run for many years with little cost.

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@Nawsheen (28643)

• Mauritius

29 Mar 17

@scheng1 but no matter the cost the population will reap the benefits and will also be motivated to keep themselves healthy. A healthy population is a wealthy one

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

30 Mar 17

@Nawsheen Yes, no matter the cost, it is still cheaper than to build hospitals, and subsidy the poor for all sorts of medication and surgeries.

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@DianneN (247191)

• United States

25 Mar 17

That is a wonderful program and incentive to do well.

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

26 Mar 17

Yes, it is a wonderful program. Session 2 will end in April, and I sure hope that they will have a third session with better prizes.

1 person likes this

@DianneN (247191)

• United States

26 Mar 17

@scheng1 Best of luck to you! I hope you win big!

1 person likes this

@JustBhem (70555)

• Davao, Philippines

25 Mar 17

Wow, a good way to keep healthy, prizes is a bonus.

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

26 Mar 17

The lucky draw prizes are bonus. Most people start to count the number of vouchers they will get on the first day of their signing up. It is good to have guaranteed prizes on top of lucky draw prizes.

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

26 Mar 17

@JustBhem I like to win the family cruise prize. That will be great!

@JustBhem (70555)

• Davao, Philippines

26 Mar 17

@scheng1 Wow. This is awesome.

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@Fishmomma (11377)

• United States

25 Mar 17

I think this should be done everywhere, as so many people are overweight in this country. Less people needing health care would be smart to have now.

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

25 Mar 17

The budget to roll out the scheme is comparatively compared to the cost of healthcare. After all, giving $10 vouchers for 2 weeks or 3 weeks of walking is not a lot of money. It sure motivates us to walk more and more. I think the government can even buy the vouchers from Walmart or Amazon at a lower price, since they are buying a large quantity.

1 person likes this

@snowy22315 (170464)

• United States

25 Mar 17

Medicare here has a silver sneakers program. It is kind of a similar thing, where you get free gym memberships. I am not old enough to be on medicare or disabled but i know those who are.

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@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

25 Mar 17

I sure do not like the free gym membership. I much prefer to have shopping vouchers, and we do not need to go to the gym every day to walk 10000 steps. The way it works is that we can update the number of steps through the App in smartphone. Those without smartphones can update through kiosks available throughout the country. It sure beats going to the gym.

@allknowing (130095)

• India

26 Mar 17

Other countries should follow this example.

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

26 Mar 17

Yes, it is a good way to get the people to exercise. The budget for this program is not huge, though the initial cost for making the app for smartphones, marketing budget to create awareness, and the purchase of pedometers is going to be huge. Once the program is up and running, the cost for buying vouchers and giving to the people is not a lot compared to the healthcare cost to take care of sick people.

1 person likes this

changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (16543)

• China

25 Mar 17

It is a great program! There will be more and more walkers ,thus improves the national physical qualities.

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@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

26 Mar 17

Yes, it is a great program. When we go out, and we see people using pedometers, we know that they are in the same program. It sure makes us happy to find other happy walkers.

1 person likes this

@sjvg1976 (41131)

• Delhi, India

26 Mar 17

That's great step that your government took. Money is the best thing through which one is motivated. I wish here too something lime this happens.

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

26 Mar 17

Yes, it is great fun to have practically the whole nation joining in. When we go shopping, and we see people wearing the pedometers, we know that they are in this program too.

@epiffanie (11326)

• Australia

25 Mar 17

That is more motivating for everyone to get healthy ..

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

26 Mar 17

Yes, it is really good when a lot of people take part, and you can go for a walk with friends.

1 person likes this

@sol_cee (38222)

• Philippines

25 Mar 17

I hope nobody fakes a pedometer or something.

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

26 Mar 17

Most people will not do that. It takes a lot more effort to fake than just to go out, meet friends and walk.

@JudyEv (326127)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Mar 17

This certainly sounds a very good program indeed. If a community is healthy there will be less call on government services for health care.

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

25 Mar 17

Yes, with smartphones and technology, it is very easy to roll out the scheme on a national basis. Once we have the pedometer, we can upload the steps through the App in our smartphone. We can redeem for vouchers in the same way.

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@MALUSE (69409)

• Germany

25 Mar 17

That's a very clever idea. Other countries should do that, too. Especially the ones with many obese people.

1 person likes this

@scheng1 (24650)

• Singapore

25 Mar 17

I think the scheme is better for countries with big cities, and a large number of employees working in sedentary jobs. If we can get grocery vouchers for every 2 weeks of walking, that is a great motivator. Everyone has some uses for grocery vouchers.

Pammoo Raj Ratan

@pammooratan (4668)

• India

25 Mar 17

That is nice.

1 person likes this